The National Anti-Human Trafficking Taskforce of Liberia in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), says all is now set for the repatriation of 16 Sierra Leonean nationals trafficked to Liberia by Qnet.
The 16 persons include 14 males and two females were deceived and brought to Liberia in the name of processing their traveling documents for Malaysia for work.
Upon their arrival to Liberia, they were picked up and carried at the Qnet office and were asked to pay US$1,200 to process their documents to travel to Malaysia, thereby using Liberia as a transit point.
Meanwhile, the Chairperson of the National Anti-Human Trafficking Taskforce of Liberia, Charles Gibson has hailed the IOM for finalizing the repatriation process of the 16 Sierra Leoneans with reintegration package.
Minister Gibson said the Taskforce will officially remove the 16 persons from their safe home and turn them over to the IOM at a well-organized program three days before the repatriation.
According to Minister Gibson while in the custody of the IOM, the victims will be lodged in a five-star hotel in Liberia and will undergo series of medical examinations to ensure that they are in good health before returning to their country.
Minister Gibson added that he and other officials of the IOM will travel by road to Freetown, Sierra Leone for a formal turning over of the victims to authorities of the Sierra Leonean Government.
He encouraged the victims to wisely use the US$1,500 reintegration package to put them back on their feet when they get back home.
Chairman Gibson said it is the statutory responsibility of National Anti-Human Trafficking Taskforce to protect victims regardless of which country they come from adding, “We have protected you, prosecuted your perpetrators and is time to go back home; so, we want to do it in a grand style.”
The IOM Country Coordinator to Liberia, Mohammed C. Dialo, said his organization has been going through the process for months working with IOM office in Washington responsible for repatriation and the process has finally gone through.
According to him, the package of repatriation and reintegration to send back home the Sierra Leoneans is now on hand.
Mr. Dialo commended the Government of Liberia through the National Anti-Human Trafficking Taskforce for taking steps for rescuing and keeping the trafficked victims safely and for prosecuting those involved in the act.
The IOM Country Coordinator then acknowledged that Liberia is moving in the right direction as indicated by the US State Department Report on trafficking.
He noted that it is a collective effort noting that as for the IOM they are here to support the government’s efforts in such a manner and that the IMO’s TIP Secretariat from the Ministry of Labour and the Sierra Leone Embassy will work collectively in respect to the repatriation.
He said the IOM will provide the traveling tickets and three days before the repatriation, the sixteen victims will remove to a different location and medical examination on them will be carried out as well as COVID Test.
Also speaking during the meeting, the Deputy Ambassador at the Embassy of Sierra Leone near Monrovia, Jonathan Saffa, thanked the government and the IOM for efforts in ensuring that the 16 citizens of his country are repatriated and provided package for start off.
He thanked Minister Gibson and his taskforce for rescuing and providing protection for his citizens as well as prosecuting their traffickers and sentencing them to serve as deterrent.
