Dr. Anna Mensah, a Lecturer and Research Associate at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), has urged African governments to tackle economic factors contributing to vulnerability to trafficking.
Speaking during a presentation on Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling in Accra, Dr. Mensah emphasized the need to address economic instability that pushes individuals towards seeking better opportunities elsewhere.
She highlighted the profitability of human trafficking, noting that it ranks among the most lucrative globalized criminal enterprises, earning billions of dollars annually, with the business of trafficking individuals from Africa to Europe alone estimated to exceed $300 million per year.
Dr. Mensah underscored the diverse methods employed by traffickers, ranging from coercion by acquaintances to online recruitment and abduction. She emphasized that victims, including men, women, and children, often find themselves in vulnerable situations due to poverty, unemployment, and lack of education.
Moreover, Dr. Mensah outlined the myriad of challenges faced by victims, including starvation, trauma, and social rejection, among others. She stressed the importance of providing support and protection services for victims, alongside comprehensive sensitization programs to raise awareness among the populace.
Advocating for enhanced collaboration among stakeholders, Dr. Mensah urged for multi-agency efforts to combat trafficking, including improved data collection and analysis, as well as the integration of crime threat assessment into mission-planning assessments.
Furthermore, she suggested measures such as tracking and seizing the proceeds of trafficking to disrupt the illicit business, alongside swift and robust prosecution of offenders.
Dr. Mensah's call to action underscores the urgency of addressing the root causes of trafficking while advocating for a coordinated and proactive approach to combat this pervasive crime.
