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GHOR (SW) – Noor Ahmad is the pseudonym of a young Ghor resident who was compelled by insecurity and poverty to migrate to Iran in search for a better life.
The traffickers had promised him a peaceful life in the distant land, luring him to embark on the thorny journey. He told Salam Watandar that after taking him to Pakistan via Nimroz, the human traffickers bundled some 25 people like him in a small cabin that could barely accommodate 10 people. He said many victims of the human trafficking lost their lives in this while and many more got serious ill.
But, this was not the end of his sufferings, in fact, just the start. He was compelled to walk for days and nights without food or water, until finally the Iranian border guards captured him. Noor said since he had no money with him, the Iranian guards first beat him, and later forced him to clean toilets.
The victim of human trafficking said prior to him, another migrant was compelled to do this job, but when he declined, he was whipped with gun and electric cables.
The National Remediation Mechanism for Assistance to Victims of Trafficking in Persons and Trafficking in Migrants (NRM) has been devised to fight trafficking and help the victims. This mechanism calls for identification of the victims and traffickers in light of the guidelines by the government and civil society based on the Anti-Human-Trafficking Law 2017.
Based on the NRM (responsibilities of the Ministry of Information and Culture) the public and private media should identify victims of human trafficking, and highlight the risks associated. “[The Ministry of Information and Culture is bound to] cooperate with corresponding institutions and ministries for the production of TV and radio content aimed at highlighting the impacts and reasons of human trafficking”.
It is the ragging insecurity and poverty that have compelled youngsters such as Noor Ahmad to bear threats, hunger and humiliation. Many such desperate youngsters have lost their lives during the deadly journey.
According to Abdul Ghafoor Ghafori, director refugees and repatriated affairs in Ghor, more than 1100 Afghan families have been deported from Iran to Ghor this year alone. He said minors are among those deported from Iran. Ghafori said many of these dejected families had sold their properties and livelihood before embarking on the journey, and are now broke, facing crippling poverty.
The local civil society believes many youngsters are unaware about the ramifications, and continue to flee from the province. The civil society activists believe blind trust in human traffickers means accepting threats, humiliation and persecution.
Mohammad Wazeer Noorani, head of the local civil society network, stressed he has worked hard to raise awareness about the negative impacts of such migration. He, however, asserted the local administration has failed to cooperation this regard.
Noorani went on to say the human traffickers are busy luring boys and young men in schools and religious seminaries.
Head of the Independent Human Rights Commission in Ghor, Mubarak Rezaey, informed SW the human traffickers and the Iranian border guards violate all international norms and human values in persecuting and exploiting Afghan migrants and refugees. He demanded the government should take the lead in educating the youth, and creating enabling environment for them so that they do not seek to migrate.
Rezaey added the desperate and vulnerable migrants such as Noor Ahmad lose control over their fate and body, and are always on the mercy of the traffickers and border guards.
Based on the Article 8 of the NRM, the AIHRC has the responsibility to draft education and awareness programs with regard to the human rights of the victims of human trafficking and trafficking of refugees.
ENDS
