Ms. Amina Bouayach, Chairperson of the National Human Rights Council (CNDH) , called for highlighting the contributions of those working on the frontline to end the crime of trafficking in persons.
She also called for dedicating a national tradition to honor all who works on the frontline to end this flagrant human rights violation and recognize the importance of their roles.
CNDH Chairperson noted that the current situation made it imperative to accelerate the development of a national strategy to combat this serious crime, in line with a participatory approach open to all actors.
Ms. Bouayach’ calls are part of the commemoration of the World Day against Trafficking in Persons (30 July) , which is celebrated this year in these exceptional circumstances of the Covid 19 pandemic.
In her statement, Ms. Bouayach also called for enhancing the participation of actors to rise awareness on this form of slavery, as part of combating this crime, especially in light of non-reporting cases of sexual exploitation (particularly against women and children) , forced marriage, and other crimes related to trafficking in persons.
It should be noted that the National Commission to Combat and Prevent Human Trafficking, of which CNDH is a member, has observed an increase in cases related to human trafficking crimes in Morocco since the enactment of Law No. 14-27 on combating human trafficking in late 2016.
Following available data, cases related to trafficking in persons crime increased, at the national level, from 17 cases in 2017 to 80 cases in 2018. In 2019, they doubled to 151 cases. In the last three years, 585 people were prosecuted in human trafficking cases, including 144 women and 84 foreigners.
As for victims of trafficking in persons, they reached 719 persons. 283 of them were subjected to sexual exploitation and 58 persons were exploited in begging, while 35 persons were subjected to forced labor. National search warrants issued against suspects in these cases amounted to 137, and 443 people were placed under police custody measures.
