Malawi joined the rest of the world in commemorating World Day Against Trafficking Sunday.
Ironically, over 300 Malawian women are ‘stuck’ in Oman in the Middle East.
Malawi Network Against Trafficking (Mnat) Coordinator Caleb Thole claims that the women were trafficked to Oman, where they are working as domestic workers under harsh conditions, including sexual exploitation, despite some of them being promised better jobs such as those of fuel attendants.
“Malawi needs about K3 billion for ‘ransom’ and travel expenses to repatriate all the trapped women because the issue is complex in nature. They [Oman citizens] do not see a problem with having the girls there in Oman,” Thole said Sunday.
Speaking to reporters in Lilongwe on Friday, ahead of commemorations marking World Human Trafficking Day, Homeland Security Minister Kenneth Zikhale Ng’oma maintained that the government is still in negotiations with the Oman government.
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The minister disclosed that only 18 of the women had been brought back home, but over 300 still need help to come back home.
“Malawi is working with the government of Oman to make sure that all Malawians that are there come back. Right now, they have repatriated 18 people and we are expecting that 300 that are remaining will be coming back shortly,” the minister said.
He added that the ministry is doing a screening exercise and that everyone that was involved in sending the women to Oman would face the long arm of the law.
Ng’oma admitted that Malawi acts as a country of origin, transit and destination of trafficking, calling on individuals, organisations and companies to join hands to keep traffickers at bay.
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In her remarks, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Executive Director Ghada Waly said millions of victims of human trafficking are going unnoticed.
“Many of them walk among us in everyday life, on street corners and construction sites or in factories and public venues. Human trafficking is a crime that hides not just in the shadows but in plain sight,” she said.
The day was set aside by the United Nations to be commemorated annually on July 30 in raising awareness about human trafficking. 2023 commemorations were held under the theme ‘Reach Every Victim of Trafficking, Leave No One Behind’.
