In 2017, the International Labor Organization (ILO) estimated that 24.9 million men, women, and children were victims of human trafficking around the globe. Ending human trafficking remains a priority of the Rwandan government, as articulated clearly by H.E. President Paul Kagame in August 2014 during the swearing in of ministers, members of parliament, and the inspector general of police:
“Can we afford to keep quiet in the face of human trafficking? How is it possible that our children – particularly girls – have become a commodity, even though we are aware of the problem? People are not commercial goods. Ending trafficking of girls goes beyond law enforcement authorities; it is the responsibility of every citizen” (Kagame, 2014).
In partnership with IOM Rwanda and the Ministry of Justice, funded by USAID Rwanda, in 2018, Never Again Rwanda (NAR) conducted the first ever research on human trafficking in Rwanda in response to the dearth of knowledge on the prevalence of human trafficking. Based on this comprehensive research, NAR committed to a series of activities that aimed to develop and enhance awareness and engagement of the public in an attempt to prevent and combat human trafficking. Some of the activities included trainings, cross border dialogue sessions, roundtable discussions and outdoor campaigns, which were done in close collaboration with the Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration Rwanda. On 12th December 2019, the national conference on the counter human trafficking project was convened to share experiences and lessons, as well as draw recommendations for the continued fight against the heinous crime.
To open the conference, the Executive Director of NAR, Dr. Joseph Nkurunziza Ryarasa commended all partners who contributed to the successful implementation of awareness activities, noting that human trafficking is a modern and emerging crime that needs combined efforts to deal with. He emphasized the need to continue raising awareness in order to protect youth and citizens from becoming victims. He further noted that the discussion will cement the next plans for countering human trafficking and called for the need to share timely information. “We all have the responsibility to end human trafficking through varied ways, but one of the key ways is to share timely information with relevant personnel” – Dr. Joseph Nkurunziza Ryarasa.
USAID Rwanda representative Joseph Rurangwa in his remarks lauded the relentless strides by the Government of Rwanda in preventing human trafficking through establishing laws, which supports preventing measures of the crime before it occurs and repatriating the victims. He further affirmed the political will of the USA through USAID to support initiatives that prevent human trafficking in Rwanda.
To supplement the remarks, NAR’s Ernest Dukuzumuremyi presented the key emerging issues as:
- There is limited knowledge on Human Trafficking and how to differentiate it from human smuggling, prostitution or child labor
- The common practices are domestic servitude, sex trafficking & human organ trafficking
- There is reluctance in reporting cases related to human trafficking
- Traffickers use trans-border agencies, social media and relatives whom victims can trust
The Conference also hosted a panel discussion on the measures to curb human trafficking. Panelists included Claudine Dushimimana from the National Public Prosecution Authority, Emmanuel Ntaganda from IOM Rwanda and Paulin Polepole from Immigration Rwanda.
During their discussion, the panel noted that some people are not aware of the dreadful modern-day slavery “human trafficking,” thus called for raising awareness to be an ongoing activity that is not limited to the project’s lifespan. Panelists further noted that measures to counter human trafficking are developed, the perpetrators also adopt more innovative ways to continue the crime, hence the need for each citizen to play a vital role in their different capacities – as parents, guardians, teachers, local leaders.
In her closing remarks, the Ministry of Justice representative Providence Umurungi highlighted the Ministry’s commitment to ending human trafficking in Rwanda. She pledged continued collaboration with all key agencies to protect citizens from traffickers.