This case is recurring and might affect our national sovereigntyJakarta (ANTARA) - Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Mahfud MD highlighted the need for regional authorities to caution residents about the dangers of human trafficking at the village level.
"Human trafficking is a crime against humanity, and we must be attentive to it. Every country has the obligation to preserve order and familial harmony," Mahfud stated during the Human Trafficking Prevention and Handling Task Force National Coordination Meeting observed by online means here, Wednesday.
As the perpetrators of human trafficking often target poorer residents with low education and lacking literacy and information, regional authorities must intensify their efforts to warn residents about the dangers of human trafficking to those groups, he emphasized.
Poor economic conditions and limited job opportunities in their locality are the main factors that entice human trafficking victims, largely constituting women and children, to accept human trafficking perpetrators' offers, the coordinating minister pointed out.
"According to the women's empowerment and child protection ministry's data in the 2019-2021 period, of the 1,331 human trafficking victims, some 1,291, or equal to 97 percent, are women and children," Mahfud noted.
The low education factor compelled several people to work in sectors that they are not proficient at, he remarked, adding that it caused the victims to receive menial wages and be treated poorly.
Lack of literacy also benefits the perpetrators, who could easily offer bogus jobs to their victims and their families from social media, he added.
The minister pointed out that human trafficking victims are also prone to prosecution, as law enforcers could perceive them instead as illegal workers whose work permits and immigration documents are incomplete.
"Motivation (is crucial) to address economic issues, as without proper expertise and knowledge, they are prone to exploitation. This case is recurring and might affect our national sovereignty," Mahfud remarked.
He also urged regional authorities to partake in law enforcement against human trafficking and set up human trafficking handling task forces in respective regions to address the case properly.
"I encourage all members of regional task forces to intensify cooperation to eradicate human trafficking in Indonesia while respecting each other's duties. Our duties are different, but we have the same purpose," the coordinating minister remarked.
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Translator: Hreeloita DS, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Sri Haryati
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