Ugandans trafficked for sexual, labour exploitation - US report

Ugandans, including children, are increasingly trafficked for commercial sex or labour exploitation as far as Poland and Hong Kong and are also among the leading victims in several countries, the United States of America trafficking in persons 2021 report has revealed.

The report, released last week by US Secretary of State Antony John Blinken, showed that in Uganda the number of victims of severe forms of trafficking is very significant and the country is not taking proportional concrete actions to stop the crime.

“Through this report, we call on governments to join the United States in improving our collective efforts to comprehensively address human trafficking. Doing so requires us to mitigate harmful practices and policies that cause socioeconomic or political vulnerabilities that traffickers often prey on,” Mr Blinken said in a statement.

Countries are measured in three tiers, with the first tier being the most compliant and the third tier, the least compliant.  The second tier has two categories; second tier and second tier watch list.

Uganda is ranked under watch list having dropped from the second tier, which is better standing in compliance to the trafficking guidelines, in 2019.

The report indicated that Ugandans are trafficked for commercial sex and labour in countries  such as Hong Kong, China, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, The Netherlands, Norway, Kenya, United Arabs Emirates, Poland, Oman and Qatar among others.

In Hong Kong, Ugandans are among the five countries that trafficked for sex exploitation and drugs in the last five years.

“Drug trafficking syndicates coerced foreign women, including through the use of physical violence, to carry drugs into Hong Kong,” the report reads in part.

The report noted that Uganda was the third top source of victims of trafficking to The Netherlands in 2019.

At least 91 Ugandans were trafficked to the Netherlands in 2019, according to the report.

“Labour traffickers exploit adults from Eastern Europe, Africa, and South and East Asia in industries such as inland shipping, leisure river cruises, agriculture, horticulture, hospitality, domestic servitude, and forced criminal activity. There has been a notable increase in victims from Africa, particularly Nigeria and Uganda,” the report indicated.

The report noted that Ugandans, who are victims of trafficking in Norway, increased in the last five years.

“[Norwegian] Authorities report a greater variety of nationalities among trafficking victims than in previous years, noting victims from South America and Uganda,” the report adds.

Most of them were recruited online, the report states.

Last year, nine Ugandans who were among a total of 15 victims of trafficking were rescued and granted residence permits in Poland.

The report painted a terrible picture of the harassment and sexual abuse Ugandans trafficked in the Middle East go through.

Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia are among the countries in the Middle East and North Africa, where Ugandan victims end up.

The US government observed the bilateral labour agreement between Uganda and Jordan that was intended to stop trafficking, only exacerbated it.

“In 2018, an [non-governmental organisation] NGO reported a large increase in Ugandan trafficking victims following the implementation of a 2016 bilateral labour agreement between the Ugandan and Jordanian governments,” the report indicated.

The report said some sex traffickers in Middle East force some Ugandan women, who migrate for legitimate employment, offers to engage in commercial sex.

Kenya was marked as a transit point for some Ugandan victims travelling to the Middle East.

The US recommended that Uganda put in place policies targeting migrant workers to be able to curb trafficking.

“[Uganda should] increase bilateral negotiations with neighbouring and destination country governments on migrant worker rights, including on the release and repatriation of Ugandan migrant workers exploited by employers abroad and on mutually enforceable standard contracts,” the US recommended in the report.

However, the report relied much of official data in respective countries and organisation.

Countries, like India, South Sudan and South Africa, were Ugandans are exploited as couriers of drugs and commercial sex missed out.

On Monday at a press conference at police headquarters, Ms Agnes Igoye, the deputy coordinator or Prevention of Trafficking in Persons in the Internal Affairs Ministry, said they are cracking the whip against trafficking by banning labour companies that exploit migrant workers and also prosecuting anyone involved in trafficking.

Issue

The report indicated that Ugandans are trafficked for commercial sex and labour in countries  such as Hong Kong, China, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, The Netherlands, Norway, Kenya, United Arabs Emirates, Poland, Oman and Qatar among others.