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Minister Mupfumira

Samantha Chigogo Herald Correspondent
THE International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has pledged to continue supporting Government in bringing back trafficked Zimbabwean women from Kuwait, and is now providing counselling to those who have made it back to the country.

This comes as the leading inter-governmental organisation in migration has also called for the finalisation of the labour migration policy, saying the document was long overdue. After paying a courtesy call on Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Prisca Mupfumira in Harare yesterday, IOM chief-of-mission to Zimbabwe Ms Lily Sanya said migration should be safeguarded.

“We are here to reiterate that IOM is committing to work with the ministry to deal with migration issues particularly these current issues where we have Zimbabwean girls being trafficked to Kuwait,” she said.

“IOM has been working closely with the Government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who sent a request to us to try and get more information about the girls and confirm the numbers. We have been working with the girls, even during their return to ensure that they are received properly and provided with psychosocial support particularly counselling.”

Ms Sanya said the labour migration policy was the missing link in curbing human trafficking issues.

“We also reiterated the important point of ensuring that Zimbabwe gets their labour migration policy finalised because it provides the framework for managing migration issues in this country,” she said.

Ms Sanya said organised migration could boost the country’s economic endeavours.

Speaking at the same occasion, Minister Mupfumira said Zimbabwe was engaging the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to address human trafficking in Kuwait.