Photo credit: feminspire.com

East African Legislative Assembly has passed a motion that prevents trafficking of persons, protects victims of crime of trafficking and prosecution of the culprits of trafficking in persons in East Africa.

The motion has been moved by Uganda’s EALA representative Dora Byamukama and seconded by EALA Burundi MP Frederick Ngenzebuhoro during a session chaired by the EALA Speaker Dan Kidega. Byamukama  says that the East African Member states have signed into the protocol to prevent, suppress, and punish trafficking in persons, especially women and children, which supplements the convention against transitional organized crime.

She says that trafficking of persons is a grave abuse of human rights and is caused by several issues which include; poverty, underdevelopment and unemployment because it promises the culprits a better life and better opportunities.

Former EALA Speaker Margret Nantongo Ziwa says trafficking of persons contributes a lot to underdevelopment of East African countries. The State Minister for East African Community Shem Bagaine says the immigration department needs to be strengthened to prevent the issue of trafficking in persons in East Africa.