Gov’t, CSOs reflect on blueprint to tackling human trafficking, migrant smuggling.

It was chaired by the Minister of Social Affairs, Pauline Irene Nguene.

With technical support from the International Organisation for Migration, IOM, the consultation was geared towards improving the effectiveness of public policies in the area of human trafficking and migrant smuggling. 

Minister Irene Nguene said the social phenomena are a major concern for the government. She said the State is determined to tackle it, taking into account its complexity and hidden nature within communities. 

“Cameroon as well as many other countries, is facing social vulnerabilities linked to population mobility. The incessant movements of the population may be due to economic, environmental, social or even security factors. The concerned people are particularly exposed to many risks such as abuse and exploitation of all kinds, trafficking; which require a sustained attention from us,” the minister explained. 

The member of government further sounded that young people are at risk for trafficking and exploitation in all their environments, be it in schools, families, churches, or communities. 

“Thus, during this period of school holidays, we should raise awareness to the proven risks that our children are facing, while so many of them are involved in income generating activities,” she alerted. 

She assured that government is taking actions on a permanent basis, to alleviate the issue of human trafficking and smuggling. 

“Although both the victims and their perpetrators are all compelled to the law of silence, there are a whole set of measures put in place by the government and its partners, in terms of prevention and repression of proven cases,” she stated.

Enter IOM Country boss

The Head of Mission for IOM Cameroon, Abdel Rahmane Diop, explained that Cameroon has been taking a number of plausible measure to curb the phenomenon with the country now classified in Tier 2 under the Global Trafficking in Persons report done by the US government. 

The UN official acknowledged that more effort is needed to address the remaining challenges. He mentioned strengthening prosecution of perpetrators and more data to better understand the situation and devise ways to handle it.

“One of the most important aspects is the victim protection. How do we better protect the victims? How do we enhance the way we support them for their integration after a case has been put in front of the national and international system?” stated.  

Rahamane Diop also reaffirmed the institution’s resolve to continue working with government and stakeholders to support Cameroon effectively combat the human trafficking. 

“We organised this consultation to be a thematic consultation because we are in the frame of supporting Cameroon to adopt its first national migration policy. We did a lot of consultation with stakeholders and we noticed that this topic of human trafficking was not deeply explored,” he stated. 

Search for greener pasture pull factor for trafficking

A human trafficking survivor, Rose Sanjoh Agbor, said after surviving the ordeal, she committed herself via her organization, Fund for Women in Development, FWID, based in Limbe, to rescue other victims for the past 10 years. 

“My organisation has been able to bring back 18 girls from Kuwait, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Ghana, and Libya…,” she said.

She explained that the search for greener pastures often lure victims into the dragnets of traffickers. Sanjoh said most of the victims end up in domestic servitude, sexual exploitation, and in the worst case as body part trafficking. 

“So all of these girls have one story. Everybody was going for greener pastures,” she added. 

It is worth noting that the national consultation was organised within the framework of the celebration of the International Human Trafficking Day observed every July 30. 

The 2026 theme: “Trapped behind the scam”, places emphasis on forced criminality in online cyber-fraud compounds.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3864 of Friday July 31, 2026