Twelve human trafficking victims were recently rescued by the Police and the immigration department as they were being trafficked to Asian countries through Rwanda.

The victims, all Burundi nationals and mainly women, were intercepted at Akanyaru border post on January 10, according to Police. Luckily, the suspected human traffickers were arrested, including a Burundian and two Kenyans.

This development shows the crime has taken a regional dimension, requiring co-operation and intelligence sharing among EAC countries to address.

In fact, cases where nationals connive with foreigners to hoodwink unsuspecting youth, particularly jobless women and girls, into signing up for bogus job offers are increasing in the region.

Many young women are promised ‘well-paying’ jobs in the Middle East and Asia but end up in sex slavery and with no hope of rescue. Police say 28 Rwandans were rescued from Burundi as they were allegedly being trafficked to Australia last September, while three Burundi nationals were saved from traffickers in July. The majority of the people rescued by authorities are mostly female.

The figures from Police tell of huge challenges that call for more vigilance among the public and security agencies. There is also need for public awareness drives to educate the public about the facets of human trafficking and safeguard mechanisms.

With youth unemployment going up in the region, traffickers will continue to lure unsuspecting youth and women with irresistible offers.

Since human trafficking has become a regional and global challenge, it requires concerted efforts and prohibitive regulations, among other interventions, to contain. Youth should be suspicious of people promising jobs abroad without giving details of employers or destination, among others.

It is important for people interested in jobs abroad to cross-check to verify authenticity of the employer, and report any suspicious people with dubious job offers.