Tanzania suspends 70 job agencies for trafficking girls, boys
THE government has suspended over 70 agents dealing with the recruitment of domestic workers following claims that they have been recruiting housemaids to Oman where they have been subjected to gross violation of human rights.
Addressing journalists in Dar es Salaam yesterday, the Secretary of the Anti-trafficking Secretariat, Mr Seperatus Fella, said that a lot of complaints have emerged on the exploitation of mostly young girls who have been sent to work in Oman.
"Most of these girls and boys are subjected to commercial sex or work as domestic servants and barmaids, with some sent on forced labour in factories, farms and mines under very poor conditions and fear of being physically harmed by their employers," said Mr Fella.
He pointed out that there was no proper systems to monitor the job seekers while they are already there, which makes it easier for employers to exploit them.
"Tanzania has been pointed as a source and destination country for men, women, and children between the age of 12 and 17 years being subjected to human trafficking and 97 per cent of the incidents are reported, according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM)," he said.
A member of the Secretariat, Mr John Makuri, noted that the government will on August 21, this year, introduce regulations to combat the illegal trade.
"More awareness and trainings should be conducted in the enforcement of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act (2008) because the misconduct is also been practised in the country and majority of the people are not educated on the issue," he noted.
Mr Makuri called on the media and other stakeholders to put the issue on top of their agenda "because it is a very serious problem, which will eventually cause a lot of harm to the young people who are not aware of the impacts".
A Principal Investigation Officer at the Commission of Human Rights and Good Governance (CHRAGG), Mr Joshua Taramo, called on special training to the law enforcers in prosecuting trafficking offences so that they would see the importance of convicting the offenders.
"The law gives for anyone who will be caught trafficking human beings to be granted a sentence varying from 1 to 7 years or pay a fine amounting to 1m/- to 30m/- or both," he said.
Addressing journalists in Dar es Salaam yesterday, the Secretary of the Anti-trafficking Secretariat, Mr Seperatus Fella, said that a lot of complaints have emerged on the exploitation of mostly young girls who have been sent to work in Oman.
"Most of these girls and boys are subjected to commercial sex or work as domestic servants and barmaids, with some sent on forced labour in factories, farms and mines under very poor conditions and fear of being physically harmed by their employers," said Mr Fella.
He pointed out that there was no proper systems to monitor the job seekers while they are already there, which makes it easier for employers to exploit them.
"Tanzania has been pointed as a source and destination country for men, women, and children between the age of 12 and 17 years being subjected to human trafficking and 97 per cent of the incidents are reported, according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM)," he said.
A member of the Secretariat, Mr John Makuri, noted that the government will on August 21, this year, introduce regulations to combat the illegal trade.
"More awareness and trainings should be conducted in the enforcement of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act (2008) because the misconduct is also been practised in the country and majority of the people are not educated on the issue," he noted.
Mr Makuri called on the media and other stakeholders to put the issue on top of their agenda "because it is a very serious problem, which will eventually cause a lot of harm to the young people who are not aware of the impacts".
A Principal Investigation Officer at the Commission of Human Rights and Good Governance (CHRAGG), Mr Joshua Taramo, called on special training to the law enforcers in prosecuting trafficking offences so that they would see the importance of convicting the offenders.
"The law gives for anyone who will be caught trafficking human beings to be granted a sentence varying from 1 to 7 years or pay a fine amounting to 1m/- to 30m/- or both," he said.
- via The DailyNews, Tanzania
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