According to Salvation Army South Africa, human trafficking is the second-largest profit-making crime in the world, next to drug trafficking.
They estimate that about 27 million people are enslaved.
People most vulnerable to human trafficking are children, teenagers, young women, refugees and jobseekers.
People are trafficked for:
• Labour exploitation, which includes offers of jobs such as childminding (au pair), hairdressing, modelling and hotel work.
• Prostitution and sexual slavery.
• Forced marriage.
Things to lookout for:
• An attractive job offer in another province or country, it may be a modelling contract, a waitressing job, or a contract with a soccer club.
• No qualifications are required and free housing and transport is offered with the job, plus the free processing of your visa and/or work permit.
• The people you are organising for you to cross a border illegally.
• A friend or relative offers to send you to an expensive/good school that is far from home and offers to pay your school fees.
• Travel documents that were obtained by illegal means are given to you.
• A recruitment agent tells you a visitor or tourist visa is good enough for working purposes.
• Someone with whom you are chatting on social media platforms wants to meet with you face to face (to offer you work or a free holiday or an academic scholarship).
Here is how to protect yourself this festive season:
• Keep important contact numbers on you and if you are visiting another country know the number of the South African embassy in the country you are visiting.
• Arrange that if your family has not heard from you within a certain period of time, they should contact you, the embassy police or the international organisation for migration.
• Travel with a certified copy of your passport if you are in another country should an emergency emerge.
• Never give your passport to anyone.
• Always inform your relatives of your whereabouts and who you are with.
• Never accept drinks, food or money from strangers.
Remember that no one has the right to keep you against your will or force you to do anything you do not want to do.
Emergency numbers to always remember:
Crime Stop 086 001 0111 or police 10111.
