The Government’s Anti-Trafficking Taskforce has imposed a moratorium on the externalization of labor for Liberians seeking domestic service employment.
The 90-day Moratorium is geared towards protecting Liberians seeking domestic employment service abroad from abuses and growing financial burden.
Speaking with over 25 survivors from Oman yesterday, the Minister of Labor, Charles H. Gibson, mentioned that it has become evident to the Anti-Trafficking Taskforce that several individuals or entities are involved in the recruitment of Liberians for employment to foreign countries without a license from the Ministry of Labor.
According to him, it has been determined that such acts are being carried out by unscrupulous individuals and entities against vulnerable members of the public who are in desperate search of employment opportunities in foreign countries and that such acts are in violation of both the Anti-Human Trafficking Law of Liberia and the Labor law of Liberia.
He added that it has been determined that the aforementioned acts have resulted in hundreds of Liberians being trafficked to the Middle East, Asia and other parts of the world, thus subjecting them to untold hardship and harm including, but not limited to forced labor, servitude, slavery, slavery-like practices, sexual abuses and other forms exploitation (as set forth in Article 1, section 1, Para.104 of the revised Act to ban Trafficking in person within the Republic of Liberia).
Minister Gibson added that the aforementioned have cost, and will continue to cost reputational inconveniences and financial burden to the Government of Liberia, trauma to the relatives and friends of the victims, as well as physical and psychological injuries and financial loses to the victims.
He intoned that this order shall exist for persons or entities who legally obtain written clearance from the Ministry of Labor either individually or through a registered and licensed employment Agency to ensure that those travelling outside of Liberia for employment do not fall to criminal gangs, individuals or entities that will exploit their labor and subject them to acts such as extraction of human parts, sex, trafficking and other forms of exploitation.
“During the 90- day period of this Moratorium, the Government of Liberia through NATT shall liaise with line Ministries, Agencies and departments of governments, local and international partners, foreign governments and domestic and foreign employment agencies to put in place a legal and policy regime to foster externalize labor for all categories of workers, especially unskilled workers,” he maintained.
“This regime when put in place shall provide adequate protection for Liberians seeking employment abroad specifically on issues such as wages, the physical and phycological safety of the person, and health care or insurance and guaranteed repatriation at the end of employment services,” Labor Minister said.
Meanwhile, he maintained that any individual, group of individuals or entities caught in breach of this standing order shall be denied exit from Liberia and subjected to possible prosecution under the revised act to ban trafficking in person within the Republic of Liberia.
One of the victims, Dudu J Fahnbulleh, explained that she got in contact with a guy identified as Daniel Flomo from Paynesville who explained to her that there was a job at Oman to empower young people and at the same time send them to school.
According to her, she immediately processed her documents and was able to get to Oman, adding that when she got there it was not easy, because she had to cater to 10 families and at the same time cleaning 10 bathrooms.
She explained further that on November 27, her boss lady she works for at Oman took her to a hospital for surgery even though she was not sick, and that the hospital gave her juice, but as soon as she drank it, she became unconscious, but when she gained consciousness, she couldn’t remember anything, only t that she saw three marks on her stomach.
She added that when she asked her boss what was going do, the lady told her that she doesn’t have any right to ask her because she is a slave that was bought for USD2, 500, and that she had to continue doing her work.
“I ran from the house and was in the street for one week and when I came across some of my friends we sought shelter in an unfinished building and ate from garbage for one week when we met a Philippian who works at trafficking and helped us get back to Liberia through the Government of Liberia.