At least 650 cases of human trafficking were registered by police in 2018, presenting more than 90% increase compared to the 355 cases of 2017.
The statistics were released by commissioner of police Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force, Moses Binoga, during a workshop on human trafficking reporting on Thursday
According to records by Internal Affairs ministry, internal and external human trafficking cases increased last year.
External trafficking cases catapulted to 505 last year down from 249 recorded in 2017. At least one hundred forty-five people were internally trafficked in 2018 compared to one hundred six cases of 2017.
“We intercepted four hundred seventy-seven females being trafficked and one hundred twenty-two males. This number was so big compared to three hundred fifty-three cases were received in 2017,” Binoga said.
Binoga said the ministry was facing a challenge of insufficient funds to bring back victims of human trafficking trapped in Middle East countries. He said money is usually spent on air tickets and fines for stranded victims.
“The existing processes and systems of assisting victims are not sufficient enough. For instance, no sufficient funds for paying fines and return air tickets for all the reported stranded victims in foreign countries,” Binoga said.
Another challenge Binoga cited is lack of sufficient government shelter to provide the required temporary support to victims after they have been rescued.
Enid Nambuya, Executive Director, Uganda Association of External Recruitment Agencies (UAERA), said several girls are being trafficked because they are tired of situation in their homes. Nambuya said girls go abroad even when they are not proud of the jobs they are doing.
“We have realized several girls choose to go abroad whenever they get challenges in their relationships. Many of them are mothers and have accepted to be trafficked because they want to go make and money for their children. Other just escape from the partners they are tired of,” Nambuya said.
Internal Affairs records show 286 out of 650 cases of human trafficking were taken to court in 2018. At least twenty-eight cases secured convictions including twenty-three suspects. The suspects were charged and convicted with aggravated trafficking in persons.
Other offences that suspect were charged with include, promoting trafficking in persons, conspiracy to trafficking in persons, attempt to traffic in persons and illegal recruitment.