The Namibian Police Force (NamPol) have reported of 26 young Namibian women who are stuck in Oman, Middle East due to possible human trafficking after leaving the country in search for employment and a better living standard.

Briefing the media here on Friday, NamPol’s Deputy Inspector-General for Operations, Joseph Shikongo said as of March 2022, NamPol has been investigating a case of possible human trafficking of about 26 reported women between the ages of 27 to 40 who left Namibia and are suspected to be in Oman.

Shikongo explained the women, of which only 17 names are known to the police, left the country after securing employment as domestic workers with a promised monthly salary of N.dollars 7 000.

He said the women secured the paid trips of about N.dollars 40 000 through a Namibian facilitator or agent.

Shikongo further explained that investigations established that the local agents of which some are known to be in Windhoek and Grootfontein recruit the women with a charging fee of N.dollars 8 000 to process the trip via neighbouring countries, especially South Africa.

“Upon arrival in Oman, the promised salary changed to a lesser amount equivalent to N.dollars 3 000 or less, and these misunderstandings between these women become disputes of poor working and living conditions, abnormal working hours and ill-treatment by the employer,” he noted.

Shikongo said the Namibians are struggling to return home as their employers are demanding payback of N.dollars 40 000 that was used to purchase the ticket and visa, while confiscating their passports and mobile phones.

“NamPol is concerned about these unfortunate developments in our society, we are appealing to the public to report incidents of such nature to the nearest police station. As a nation we cannot allow our women to be lured into these supposed lucrative criminal industries. Huge amounts are generated by traffickers and these so-called agents literally to sell our women where they are exploited to hard labour,” stressed Shikongo.

He noted that since 2010 to March 2022, a total of 77 cases including the recent 26 have been reported. Of these, 28 are under investigation, 26 were finalised, 17 are on the court roll and six with the Prosecutor-General.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency