Human Trafficking

Polisario benefitting from deadlock in negotiations on the Sahara to drift into human trafficking

Speaking at the 11th Session of the UN Human Rights' Council in Geneva, Mr Moulay Ahmed Mghizlate, a member of the Royal Consultative Council on Saharan Affairs (CORCAS) illustrated how the Polisario is profitting from the deadlock in discussions on the Sahara by turning to human trafficking.

Intervening in a panel on the theme "the global economic crisis and its impact: implications on migration and development", Mr Mghizlate revealed how clandestine immigrants are not only victims of the world-wide economic crisis, but also the beneficiaries of networks created by separist groups like the Polisario.

Mr Mghizlate described how these separatist movements encourage such phenomena as a means of self-enrichment, as can be seen with the Polisario, which profits both from the current political deadlock over the Sahara and its involvement in the trafficking of human beings.

Citing reports by many specialists in this field, Mr Mghizlate showed how the Polisario's involvement with the trafficking of clandestine immigrants has worsened.  He warned the international community about the risks which such developments would create and particularly the repercussions this would have on the stability of the region and the whole periphery of the Euro-Mediterranean area.

June 2009