Journalists Seek End To African Women Enslavement In The Middle East

• Enslavement

The Journalist Forum for Migration (JIFORM) on Thursday in Abuja tasked the AU to stop the slavery of countless African women in the Middle East through the horrible “Kafala’’ system.

Kafala is a system in the Middle East that encouraged the trading of migrants as slaves, Eko hot blog gathered.

JIFORM President, Mr Ajibola Abayomi, threw the challenge as a prelude to the marking of the 2020 International Migrants Day.

The International Migrants Day is celebrated globally every Dec. 18, as declared by the UN since Dec. 4, 2000.

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Abayomi said that the advocacy was necessary as the world mark the International Migrants Day 2020 to recognise the efforts, contributions and rights of migrants.

He said that a lot of governments, their officials, cabals and human traffickers had capitalised on the pitiable state of non-empowered citizens to exploit them.

He saluted the courage of migrants as economic developers and urged the AU to seek to abolish deathly work demands on Africans in the Middle East.

“AU must not close its eyes to the agonies of Africans sold to slavery in Qatar, Oman, Lebanon, Yemen, Saudi Arabia and others under the guise of seeking employment opportunities.

“AU should muster enough political courage to engage authorities in the Middle East region to abolish the deathly work being foisted on Africans and in alternative negotiate decent jobs for them.

“It is now imperative too to pay attention to those unfavourable economic policies across Africa that are direct drivers for irregular migration,’’ he said.

Abayomi further said that JIFORM would continue to lead advocacy on protection of all migrant workers and their family members.

He added that the forum would remain committed to the UN’s vision to mobilise political will and resources to address global problems associated with migration and refugee issues.

“As documented by the Global Commission on International Migration since 2005, the number of migrants increased from 75 million to about 200 million in 30 years.