Dear readers,
The EEPA team is pleased to present the 11th issue of the newsletter on Trends in Human Trafficking between the Greater Horn of Africa and Europe. Please feel free to forward this information to others or invite them to subscribe via this link. If you have information to contribute, do not hesitate to contact us.
A panel of experts on migration, human trafficking and smuggling, and the rise of mobile money services came together to discuss the changes they have seen emerging with the rise of COVID-19 and the growth of money mobile services within the criminal networks. However, the experts also agree that the pandemic presents a chance to reflect on the role of technology and the fight against human trafficking. The experts argue that protection should be key and that prosecution, in new and innovative ways, should focus on the quality of arrests, not quantity. Just as criminal groups take advantage of increased interconnectivity, so can the efforts taken to stop their exploitation.
The European Union (EU) has implemented sanctions on three entities that have violated the UN arms embargo in Libya. Additionally, two individuals have also been sanctioned, one individual for human rights abuses against migrants and refugees in the notorious human trafficking hub Bani Walid, and the other for supplying military equipment material to the country. The sanctions are the result of follow-up by the EU on Libya, which it states is part of its commitment to peace and security in the country. This article outlines some of the activities and statements of the EU in relation to Libya in the last month.