Malawi in safer homes crisis
Anti-trafficking in persons expert Maxwell Matewere says Malawi faces an acute shortage of safe homes where survivors of human trafficking can be sheltered for protection and evidence.
He was speaking in Mponela, Dowa on Monday during a training organised by Plan International Malawi for the media and other stakeholders in the fight against trafficking in persons.
“Most of the times when we rescue victims, we are faced with the challenge of where to keep them for safety because the suspects might be hunting for them to kill them since they become government witnesses,” he said.
Currently, there are four safe homes in Malawi and Matewere said these are not enough considering the number of huma trafficking victims being rescued within and outside the country.
Mwanza district social welfare officer Mary Msingwa said her office receives many trafficked victims, but struggles to handle them due to lack of safer homes in the district.
“On average, we intercept 10 people being illegally transported to South Africa per month, and since we don’t have safe homes, the option is to find transport for them to go back to their respective homes which is not easy,” she said.
Msingwa said at times, victims are kept at Mwanza Police Station as they wait to organise logistics, a move she said creates high risk because crime suspects are also kept at the same police station.
Love Justice Malawi project manager Timeline Mkandawire said safe custody of human trafficking victims is a must if justice is to be served because they are targeted by perpetrators.
Plan International Malawi’s Enhancing Capacity and Coordination to Combat Trafficking in Persons project manager Alinikisa Mphongolo said the training was held to enhance the stakeholders’ coordination and effectiveness in the country’s fight against human trafficking.
