The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) has confirmed the safe return of 23 South Africans rescued from Myanmar last week. Meanwhile, in Johannesburg, more than 50 foreign nationals recently escaped from a suspected human trafficking operation.
Speaking on VOC Breakfast, criminologist and Missing Children South Africa’s national coordinator, Bianca van Aswegen, highlighted the alarming rise in human trafficking. “Human trafficking is everywhere. South Africa is identified as a transit, import, and export destination for trafficking victims,” she explained.
“This means victims are being exploited within our borders, trafficked into the country, and taken out. The recent rescues, including victims from Ethiopia, underscore the severity of the crisis.”
Van Aswegen further warned that human trafficking has become the largest criminal industry globally, calling for urgent action to combat this escalating threat to vulnerable individuals in South Africa and beyond.
Listen to the full interview below:
VOC News
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