More people engaging in sexual exploitation or forced labour are being caught and arraigned by the Malta Police, Vice-Squad Police Inspector Joseph Busuttil said.
“The fact that there is more awareness and increased surveillance, coupled with the fact that both the previous government and the present one have given this issue more importance, all could be contributing factors to the increase in persons being caught.”
Inspector Busuttil was replying to questions made by this newsroom whether cases involving human trafficking or exploitation in Malta were on the rise.
The inspector was one of a number of speakers present during ProjectStop – a human trafficking awareness conference held yesterday organised by Culture International Foundation – an NGO. The NGO had been registered in Malta in 2012 and such projects are spearheaded by Alec Douglas Bvumburah who is the chairman. The one-day conference was held at the University of Malta residence in Lija.
Inspector Busuttil pointed out that countries across the EU, including Malta, have imposed harsher penalties on those caught trafficking humans or exploiting them in some way or other.
In the past, individuals who are found guilty could get away with a suspended sentence but nowadays, such persons are given effective jail terms, the inspector explained.
He said that at least, opposed to other countries, no cases of organ harvesting by criminal gangs have ever been reported in Malta.
Other speakers during yesterday’s event included Acting President of Malta Dolores Cristina, Joyce Damato from the Ministry of Home affairs, University of Malta law student Margaret Ann Cusack, Sr Margaret Gonzi on behalf of RENATE Italy, and Tanja Contino from the International Organisation for Migration, among others.
Another issue which cropped up during the conference, which was raised by a person in the audience, is the fact that African migrants stand waiting for hours on end outside the Marsa open centre waiting to be picked up by building contractors. He also questioned whether they were being paid as little as 0.25c per hour in turn for their work and therefore were being exploited as a result.
Replying to the question, Ms Contino said that this phenomenon is present in southern European countries.
“It’s no secret that migrants are waiting to be picked up by contractors,” she said, adding that “what you have witnessed or heard is taking place in Marsa is a fact,” she said.