IOM, working with UNICEF, has helped two teenage Kenyan victims of
human trafficking to return home from South Sudan.

In the first case of its kind handled by IOM South Sudan, the
teenagers, who were recruited in a rural Kenyan community for
domestic servitude and later forced marriage, escaped and were
referred to IOM and UNICEF by the Kenyan community.

Following IOM screening, they were referred to a safe house in
the South Sudanese capital, Juba.  IOM has since returned them
to Kenya, where they will receive shelter, counselling, education
and reintegration support to restart their lives.

Human trafficking has been identified as a growing problem in
South Sudan, with evidence that trafficking for forced labour and
the sex industry are particularly prevalent in the country’s
urban centres.

Young girls from rural areas and women who are internally
displaced are particularly vulnerable to trafficking for forced
labour as domestic servants.  

The US State Department’s 2012 Trafficking in Persons
(TIP) report placed South Sudan on its Tier 2 Watch List, citing
the country’s failure to convict and prosecute those involved
in human trafficking. Tier 2 indicates that South Sudan does not
fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of
trafficking, but is making significant efforts to do so.

According to South Sudan’s Ministry of Justice, the
country has drafted an Anti-Trafficking Bill. But there are
currently no existing policies or processes in place to combat the
trade and prosecute traffickers.

IOM is working closely with the Ministries for Interior, Justice
and Foreign Affairs and has trained over 170 immigration and police
personnel in the past 18 months. Border guards, immigration
officers and members of the South Sudan Police Service have
attended IOM training workshops on identifying and assisting
trafficking victims and prosecuting traffickers.

In the absence of legislation, IOM alerted border officials and
police officers to the range of crimes traffickers commit during
the act of deceiving, transporting and exploiting victims.

IOM has called on the international community to intensify
efforts to address the issue and has appealed for funding to
conduct an initial base-line assessment to determine the extent of
human trafficking both across the border into South Sudan from
neighbouring countries, and internally between rural areas and
urban centers.

The Government of South Sudan also needs technical assistance to
increase its capacity to identify and assist victims of human
trafficking, and to prevent the crime and effectively prosecute
traffickers. Public awareness campaigns are also needed to inform
the public about the issue and to inform victims about the
resources available to help them.

IOM works to combat human trafficking in 94 countries. Its
counter trafficking activities target prevention of the crime,
protection of victims and prosecution of traffickers.

For more information please contact 

Samantha Donkin

IOM Juba

Tel: +211922406728

Email: "mailto:sdonkin@iom.int">sdonkin@iom.int