Home Affairs on police rescue of Malawian children from human

Source: SA News, 27/07/2016

The Department of Home Affairs has welcomed the arrest of three people
in Rustenburg, North West, on charges of human trafficking following
the rescue of 57 Malawian children and young adults by police
officers, over the weekend.


The vigilance of the South African Police Services in this regard is
commendable. It goes to show why the department has all along raised
alarm about this heinous crime calling on all to support government`s
efforts to combat it, for the sake of the vulnerable, especially
children, who are likely to fall victim to unscrupulous people.


The documentation of children may be perceived by some as unimportant
and inconvenient however it plays a critical part in giving children
identity and the rights that come with it. Those who are privy to the
modus operandi in modern slavery and human trafficking know that
documentation, or lack thereof, is where exploitation begins.


Birth certificates that share with officials the legal guardianship of
a child should not be undermined. They play a critical role in
eliminating possibilities for our ports of entry to be negligent or
implicit in child trafficking.


Government at large cannot make it easy for those who partake in this
inhumane criminal enterprise.


Home Affairs will continue to work relentlessly with other law
enforcement authorities in combating human trafficking and other
contravention of South Africa`s immigration law.


The department has recently announced several measures to improve the
management of movement into and out of the country, including the
establishment of a Border Management Agency and the launch of the
Green Paper on International Migration, which should lead to the
development of a more comprehensive policy. As it modernises its
systems and processes, Home Affairs will continue to support the
improvement of security and safety of citizens and other nationals in
the country.


The three undocumented persons were arrested after the truck they were
driving in was pulled over by two police constables who were on
routine patrol duty, and found on inspection, 57 people, including
children, from Malawi, in the truck.