Monrovia – Liberia has come under the spotlight for the second time for doing little to abolish human trafficking, especially under the George Weah’s administration, according to a recent human rights report.
The US Department report places Liberia on its Tier 2 Watchlist of human trafficking status.
The report suggests that the Liberian government does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking.
But Labor Minister, Moses Kollie has announced that government will take all necessary steps to “eliminate human trafficking”.
Speaking during a gathering on Friday, June 29 in Monrovia with members of the national task force, Minister Kollie welcomed the US State Department Report but emphasized the need that all member countries of the anti-human trafficking task force take necessary steps to combat not only human trafficking but all forms of trafficking in their respective countries.
As Chair of the National Taskforce on Anti-Human Trafficking, the Minister informed partners forming part of the discussion that President George Weah’s administration will not relent on dealing with those caught trafficking people.
As a result, the Labor Minister has instructed the national taskforce to work closely with the Legislature to put in place tougher measures that will curb human trafficking in Liberia.
As part of the measures, Kollie has also instructed the task force to put in place a new system with specific focus on awareness, prosecution and mitigation.
He said that the ministry is stepping up efforts to investigate would-be perpetrators of human trafficking, provide some services to victims and train people who are charged with the responsibility to identify trafficking cases.
The Labor Minister further used the gathering to applaud the recent quality verdict by the judge of the Criminal Court ‘B’ in Montserrado County against a foreign national who was sentenced to five years in prison for human trafficking.
He encouraged members of the Taskforce to bring to the attention of the Ministry of Labor or the Secretariat of the Taskforce, any case relating to trafficking which might have existed prior to the ascendancy of the Weah administration for swift action.
Also speaking during the meeting, the Political Officer at the United States Embassy near Monrovia, Sara Greengrass, said in order for Liberia to improve on her trafficking status, it needs to finalize on the renewal of the national action plan.
The national action plan, according to the ministry, is intended to create awareness across the country on the danger of human trafficking and to dedicate services in the form of proving logistics for the support of the Anti-Human Trafficking Taskforce.
By this means, Madam Greengrass wants efficient support to be given the anti-human trafficking hot-line.
In a related development, the Ministry of Labour in collaboration with its partners and members of the Anti-Human Trafficking Taskforce of Liberia has announced that it will for the first time celebrate the World Day against Human Trafficking on July 30, 2018.