Stop human traffickers, Pope Francis says after Italy’s migrant shipwreck
Vatican CityReuters Pope Francis on Sunday called on authorities to stop human traffickers operating in the Mediterranean, as he expressed his sorrow over last week’s migrant boat disaster off Italy’s Calabrian coast, in which dozens of people were killed. “I renew my appeal to prevent such tragedies from happening again. May traffickers of human beings […]
After Italian migrant boat wreck, police arrest three alleged traffickers
Crotone, Italy Reuters Italian authorities arrested three people and were looking for a fourth suspect who they believe trafficked up to 200 migrants aboard a wooden boat that smashed apart on rocks off southern Italy on Sunday, killing at least 65 people. The coffins of the victims found were laid out in an indoor sports […]
Updated: Two Mexicans charged after death of 51 migrants in sweltering Texas truck
Updated: 4pm (AEST)San Antonio, Texas, USReuters At least 51 migrants have died after being trapped inside a sweltering tractor-trailer truck found abandoned in Texas, authorities said on Tuesday, as two Mexican nationals tied to the unprecedented smuggling tragedy were charged in US federal court. The deceased migrants, 39 men and 12 women, most of them […]
UN investigates reports of migrant mass graves in Libya
Geneva, SwitzerlandReuters UN investigators are seeking to verify reports of mass graves thought to contain the corpses of migrants at a trafficking hub in Libya, they said in a report on Monday that also documented incidents of rape, murder and torture. Libya is a major transit point for Africans seeking to make the perilous journey […]
“Alarming” number of babies being sold in Uzbekistan, anti-trafficking groups say
Tbilisi, GeorgiaThomson Reuters Foundation Anti-slavery groups have urged Uzbekistan to step up action to tackle baby trafficking after government figures revealed an “alarming” number of infants were being sold in the country. Uzbek authorities recorded 185 such cases during the past four years, the interior ministry said earlier this month, with officials citing difficult financial […]
Traffickers, smugglers exploiting COVID-19, Interpol warns after global crackdown
London, UKThomson Reuters Foundation Dozens of suspected victims of human trafficking were rescued and more than 200 people arrested in a global crackdown on smuggling and trafficking networks, Interpol said on Friday. The recent week-long operation involved authorities from 32 nations across several continents and led to the identification of 3,500 irregular migrants, the global […]
Bangladesh arrests dozens after migrant workers murdered in Libya
Dhaka, BangladeshThomson Reuters Foundation Bangladesh police have arrested more than 50 people accused of extorting money from people on false promises of jobs overseas in a major crackdown on human trafficking after 30 migrant workers were murdered in Libya. The series of arrests began after 30 migrants, including 24 Bangladeshi, were abducted and killed by […]
SOUTH AMERICA: IN PERU’S HIGHLANDS, STUDENT RADIO SHOW SOUNDS ALARM ON TRAFFICKING
ANASTASIA MOLONEY, of Thomson Reuters Foundation, reports from southern Peru…
Indian schoolgirl wins bravery award for thwarting trafficker
Chennai, IndiaThomson Reuters Foundation An Indian schoolgirl who won a bravery award after she helped a child escape a trafficker, is to become the inspiration for a new anti-slavery campaign, officials said on Tuesday. Carolyn Malsawmtluangi, from the north-eastern state of Mizoram, was honoured by the government on India’s Republic Day last week for “showing […]
Senegal launches online database to track the traffickers
Dakar, SenegalThomson Reuters Foundation A new online database of human trafficking cases will help Senegal crack down on a rampant crime that is little understood, highlighting hotspots and profiling crooks in a bid to curb the growing trade in people, the government said last week. The ‘Systraite’ system will collect information on victims, convictions, traffickers […]