The UN Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons, Joy Ngozi Ezelio, traveled to several major cities in Egypt on a fact-finding mission for 12 days earlier this month. The UN Special Rapporteur, a Nigerian human rights lawyer, warned the Egyptian government of a growing threat of human trafficking in Egypt despite authorities’ efforts to fight against human trafficking.
The UN Special Rapporteur reminded authorities that trafficking in persons knows no borders and that every country is affected either as a source, transit, or destination country. The UN Special Rapporteur attributed part of this growing threat to a general lack of awareness and knowledge about human trafficking in the country and urged the government to take action to address this educational deficit. The lack of services in Egypt designed and available for trafficking victims, such as shelters and rehabilitation programs, was another concern for the UN Special Rapporteur.
Beyond recommendations and concerns specifically dealing with human trafficking, the UN Special Rapporteur stressed that larger issues believed to be the root causes of human trafficking, including poverty, unemployment, and gender discrimination, must be addressed first and foremost.
Compiled from: “UN Special Rapporteur on Trafficking Ends Visit and Warns of Increase in Human Trafficking in Egypt.” Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (21 April 2010).