Covid hasn't eased human trafficking in SA – Interpol

Human trafficking in SA and the rest of the continent is continuing unabated despite the coronavirus, resulting in hundreds of victims unable to get assistance, according to Interpol. A report on the IoL site notes that unlike other regions in Africa where human trafficking is multidimensional, in Southern Africa, SA serves as the transit and destination point for human trafficking. Despite travel restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic, Interpol secretary-general Jürgen Stock said the land route for human trafficking from the Horn of Africa to SA continues to show signs of worrying activity. ‘Human trafficking, whether for sexual or labour exploitation, is already complex to detect in “normal” times. The novel coronavirus pandemic has only pushed human trafficking deeper into the dark and its victims further from possible detection and assistance,’ said Stock. According to Mohamed Daghar, a researcher at the Institute for Security Studies, human trafficking routes in Africa are as complex as the trade itself. ‘In some cases the routes of trafficking are the same as the routes of smuggling but not the other way round. With trafficking, routes differ and are irregular depending on the type of trafficking. However, they sometimes use smuggling routes,’ said Daghar. Sabelo Mbokazi, head of the African Union's labour, employment, migration and social affairs department, said the AU has prioritised the issue of combating human trafficking.