Update by: Social Affairs Department African Union Commission (AUC) Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 1 AFRICAN UNION COMMISSION: DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL AFFAIRS Trafficking in Human Beings & Smuggling of Migrants An African Perspective

2 AFRICAN UNION COMMISSION: DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL AFFAIRS People tricked, lured, coerced or otherwise removed from home/ country, forced to work on exploitative terms. Victims used in a variety of situations: prostitution, forced labor, involuntary servitude, including the sale of infants for adoption and trafficking in body parts. Migrant smuggling refers to facilitating illegal entry of a person into a State WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT?

3 AFRICAN UNION COMMISSION: DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL AFFAIRS SMUGGLING OF MIGRANTS As border controls have improved, migrants deterred and are diverted into the hands of smugglers Highly profitable business Modus operandi of migrant smugglers is diverse and constantly changing, often dangerous Gaps in knowledge about migrant smuggling highlight need for research and analysis

4 AFRICAN UNION COMMISSION: DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL AFFAIRS WHY THE GROWTH IN TRAFFICKING AND SMUGGLING OF MIGRANTS? Push factors: Ignorance Exposure to “outside world” Poverty Pull factors: Demand for cheap labour Demand for commercial sexual exploitation. Negative consequences do not trickle back

5 AFRICAN UNION COMMISSION: DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL AFFAIRS 80 million or 41% African children 5-14 years old work ILO: 200,000 to 300,000 children trafficked and/or smuggled each year in West &Central Africa UNICEF: 10,000 to 15,000 children work on cocoa plantations in Côte d’Ivoire, price ±$340 pp UNICEF: 25,000 children working in Gabon IOM: Ethiopian girls trafficked/smuggled to Middle East to work as domestic servants CHILDREN – OUR FUTURE

6 AFRICAN UNION COMMISSION: DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL AFFAIRS Africa has source, transit and destination countries for commercial sexual exploitation Controlled by organised criminal gangs from Bulgaria, Russia, Thailand, China and Nigeria ILO: Child prostitution increasing Problem in Tanzania The Gambia, Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa are becoming increasingly known as destinations for sex tourists. SEXUAL EXPLOITATION INCREASING

7 AFRICAN UNION COMMISSION: DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL AFFAIRS Increased vulnerability due to: civil unrest internal armed conflict natural disasters Human Rights Watch estimates over 120,000 children used in armed conflicts in Africa. All sides involved in abductions, used as: porters forced labourers sex slaves CONFLICT ZONES

8 AFRICAN UNION COMMISSION: DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL AFFAIRS WHY TRAFFICKING AND SMUGGLING UN estimates are TIP and smuggling generate $7 to $10 billion p/a Can provide repeated income Minimal risks

9 AFRICAN UNION COMMISSION: DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL AFFAIRS The impact of trafficking Violating human rights Social exclusion and crime Undermining public health Undermining government authority Sustaining illicit activities and organised crime Eroding human capital

10 AFRICAN UNION COMMISSION: DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL AFFAIRS WHAT SHOULD BE DONE? Legislation Capacity building Shelters State programmes to combat human trafficking and smuggling in migrants Improve cooperation Contact points or units Establish databases

11 AFRICAN UNION COMMISSION: DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL AFFAIRS Thank you for your attention