World Day against Trafficking in Persons – Open Door shares insight on human trafficking
Open Door Crisis Care Centre director Thora Mansfied said human trafficking cases more than doubled in the 2021–22 financial year in South Africa.
JULY 30 is United Nations World Day against Trafficking in Persons. The day was established to raise awareness of the plight of human trafficking victims and promote and protect their rights.
According to Open Door Crisis Care Centre, the number of people trapped in human trafficking more than doubled in the 2021–22 financial year in South Africa – director Thora Mansfield said this was according to the latest Trafficking in Persons annual report.
“From April 2021 to March 2022, 83 people were trafficked,” she said.
Also read: Malvern SAPS tackles human trafficking
Mansfield is the founder of The Open Door Crisis Care Centre which is a non-profit interdenominational outreach organisation based in Pinetown.
The centre was established in 1997 by Mansfield at the request of the local South African Police Services. Their centre is a holistic, multifaceted one-stop crisis and trauma centre offering counselling, social services and support groups.
Shedding light on human trafficking, she said trafficking of persons is modern-day slavery.
“It is the buying and selling of human beings for profit. Victims are used for sex work, forced labour, begging child soldiers and organ harvesting. It is regarded as one of the third largest crime syndicates in the world outranked by drugs and arms.
“Tragically, women become sex objects to be used over and over again, without any choice of partners or protection and being forced to live in inhumane conditions with lack of medical care which results in unwanted pregnancies followed by forced abortions and mental, psychological and physical problems.”
According to Mansfield, there are currently more than 12 million men, women and children in the world who are victims of trafficking today. “Eighty percent of these are women and children.”
Also read: Beware of the dangers of human trafficking, warns Hillcrest SAPS
She highlighted that victims of trafficking can be anyone, regardless of race, colour, national origin, disability, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status or education, however, perpetrators will use recruiters to find victims who are vulnerable due to poverty or wanting a better life or job opportunities, or through the offer to travel free, or runaway children and those from broken homes.
“Trafficking victims are deceived by false promises of love, a good job or a stable life and are lured or forced into situations where they are made to work under deplorable conditions.
Tricked, Transported and Trapped
Mansfield said that in South Africa, 11 traffickers have been convicted, with five receiving life sentences and one getting 20 years in jail while five are still awaiting sentencing.
The National Human Trafficking Hotline received 2 146 calls in 2021. As a result, 20 people were removed from exploitation.
“Sex-trafficking rings in South Africa exploit girls as young as 10 according to the latest Trafficking in Persons report. Aside from commercial sex, victims in South Africa are forced into labour.”
The Open Door Crisis Care Centre is registered with the Department of Social Welfare to assist victims of trafficking.
“Should anyone be interested in supporting our work with victims of trafficking, they can contact Thando at 031 709 2679 during working hours. The Open Door offers talks and awareness programmes in corporate, schools and communities,” added Mansfield.
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