The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) will today Tuesday 11th August 2020 repatriate 61 out of the 87 Sierra Leoneans trafficked to Senegal. The Sierra Leone Ambassador to the Republic of Senegal, Alhaji Brima Elvis Koroma – with support from the Government of Senegal, UNHCR, UN-Women, the EU, and IOM – is undertaking the repatriation of the trafficked Sierra Leoneans. Out of the 87 initially arrested, the Embassy of Sierra Leone in Dakar has verified 61 that are Sierra Leoneans and are willing to return. They have now been transferred to a hotel in Dakar awaiting their return today.
In accordance with COVID-19 health regulations, IOM is conducting the COVID test on all 61. Only those proven negative will be allowed to board the chartered airline – ASKY that will depart Dakar today. On Wednesday 24th June 2020, news reached the Sierra Leone Embassy in Dakar that the Faidherbe Police Search Brigade in Dakar arrested 87 Sierra Leoneans and dismantled a vast network of migrants on the largest trail of human trafficking in the country.
The police were able to locate three houses – in Diamaniodio, Medina and Malika – with close to 35 migrants. Among the 87 apprehended were 72 women and 15 men, who were said to have paid between $600 to $700 (equivalent to 350.000 to 400,000cfa) each. Ambassador Koroma expressed appreciation to the Government of Senegal for their show of magnanimity during the arrest of the Sierra Leoneans unto the repatriation stage, and assured the Government of Sierra Leone’s continued bilateral relation between the two countries. OG/11/08/2020
By Ophaniel Gooding