Human Trafficking: Commonwealth MPs Participate in Football Game to Educate the Public

General News of Saturday, June 8, 2019

Source: Myjoyonline.com

2019-06-08

Parliamentarians from across the Commonwealth will come together to play a football match that will highlight the problem of human trafficking.

The match will be held Wednesday in Accra and will involve representatives from Ghana, Nigeria, Namibia, Uganda, Kenya and the United Kingdom.

Parliamentarians in Accra to participate in a workshop organized by the UK Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA UK), in partnership with the Parliament of Ghana, which explores the role of MPs in the fight against trafficking in human beings and forced labor.

The workshop is an opportunity for lawmakers to exchange ideas on their role in evidence gathering and research; review anti-trafficking policy and legislation; and monitoring the implementation of anti-trafficking laws.

Those present are at the forefront of strengthening legislation and raising awareness of these issues in their
districts.

UK MP Darren Jones said before the workshop that "since I have been a deputy, I have witnessed cases of modern slavery, human trafficking and forced labor in my own constituency. and that it is important that we give priority to this issue at the local, national and regional levels. international level.

"Workshops like this one can help us learn and share ideas across countries that will help protect the citizens we represent from operations."

The workshop will also address the issue of "football trafficking", which has become a growing form of exploitation over the last decade. The phenomenon occurs when young Africans living in poverty perceive football as a way out of misery and are then deceived by fake agents claiming to have links with elite clubs in Europe.

These fake agents force victims into human trafficking, child exploitation, fraud and forced labor. It is estimated that about 15,000 players are trafficked in Europe each year under these false pretenses.

To raise public awareness of this form of trafficking and other forms of exploitation, MPs will participate in a match with local CSOs, officials, diplomats and public figures.

A Nigerian parliamentarian, Professor Mojeed Alabi's deputy, said: "As a widely acclaimed sport, football breaks the barriers and unites the world, yet the love of football and the pomp around it are used to trap and exploit young people and to some form of servitude or the other.