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SA kids smuggled to UK
11/02/2004 22:58 - (SA)
Philip de Bruin, Beeld
Johannesburg - South Africa is one of the most-popular countries in the world for international syndicates that earn millions of rands through human trafficking.
The country is popular both as a destination and transit route.
These and other shocking facts were released in a discussion document by the Law Commission.
The commission believes the situation is so serious it wants to table draft legislation before Justice Minister Penuell Maduna as soon as possible to have human trafficking declared a crime.
At present, members of syndicates who are arrested are charged with abduction or kidnapping.
The commission said human trafficking was on the increase worldwide because of sexual exploitation, forced labour and slavery, forced marriages, adoption and the removal of victims' organs.
Smuggling for organ transplants
The commission revealed that children and women were smuggled to South Africa from other African countries, including all South Africa's neighbouring states.
South Africa is also regularly used as a transit route for human trafficking to Europe, America and Canada.
Children from Africa, including South Africa, are being smuggled mainly into Britain to be swept up in a sort of slave-labour market.
The commission suspects also that hospital staff are involved in human trafficking for organ-transplant purposes.
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