Banissa MP Ahmed Hassan has petitioned the National Government to crack down on human trafficking networks luring unemployed Kenyan youth abroad under the guise of lucrative job opportunities.
Speaking before the National Assembly, Hassan cautioned that trafficking has transformed into an organized international crime enterprise that subjects unsuspecting victims to severe abuse, forced labor, and captivity.
In a formal statement requested from the Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security, the MP sounded the alarm over a growing trend where young jobseekers are targeted on digital platforms, funneled through regional corridors, and ultimately stranded in Libya.
Hassan noted that criminal cartels increasingly leverage digital platforms to target desperate jobseekers with lucrative promises of employment abroad. Once lured, victims are funneled through regional trafficking routes overland through Kenya, Uganda, and South Sudan before arriving in Libya, where they face severe human rights violations.
“Once in Libya, victims are reportedly subjected to forced labor, extortion, and unlawful detention. Traffickers frequently hold them captive while demanding heavy ransoms from their families,” Hassan informed Parliament.
He raised particular concern over the involvement of an infamous criminal network known as ‘Magafe,’ emphasizing that its activities pose a growing threat to regional security through organized transnational crime.
The MP warned that these illegal operations leave vulnerable young Kenyans exposed to systemic exploitation and violence, while inflicting immense emotional trauma and financial ruin on families forced to raise funds to secure their relatives’ release.
“The activities of these trafficking syndicates are causing immense distress to affected families while escalating the threat posed by transnational organized crime,” he stated.
In his submission to Parliament, Hassan demanded a comprehensive response from the government outlining specific measures to identify, investigate, and prosecute individuals and cartels involved in the recruitment and exploitation of Kenyan citizens.
Specifically, the lawmaker requested clarity on concrete steps taken to dismantle human trafficking networks including the notorious Magafe ring, actions being taken by Kenyan diplomatic missions abroad to trace and safely repatriate trapped citizens, post-rescue assistance available to returning victims such as legal aid and psychological counseling, and Kenya’s long-term strategy to enhance cross-border security collaboration with transit countries and international agencies.
