The majority of us believe, or like to believe, that slavery was a thing of the past. Many would claim that slavery is no longer ongoing.
Terrifyingly, this statement is completely false.
After a disturbing video surfaced on the Internet of a man being auctioned off, it’s been confirmed that humans are for sale in Libya. People’s lives are being sold at a starting price of $400. When something like this is happening, you’d expect to see it all over the news with journalists covering every part of the story. The sad truth of it is that this crisis is getting little to no awareness. In fact, not a lot of people even know it’s happening. The Libyan slave trade is taking place in nine locations throughout the country. Migrants are being held by smugglers to be sold at an auction. In November 2017, CNN released a report on the slave trade and handed over evidence to the International Criminal Court.
Many migrants, like the ones pictured above in a UN-operated camp, end up in the hands of illegal slave dealers.
The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, stated that the footage shows “egregious abuses of human rights”. On November 22, France’s president, Emmanuel Macron called the issue a crime against humanity (meaning a deliberate act that causes human suffering or death on a large scale) and called upon the UN Security Council to deliberate the human trafficking crisis in Libya.
The slave trade is something that needs international help and awareness. This is an imperative issue to educate people on! Too much of what happens beyond North America never gets enough coverage by popular media, and this makes crises less known by the rest of the world, resulting in fewer people trying to help. A growing international awareness is important to help combat this return of slavery.
5 Ways We Can Help
- Bring awareness! This crisis has been under wraps and not a lot of people know what’s going on. Do your research, know what you’re talking about and spread the facts!
- Contact your representatives! Contact @UN using Twitter and urge them to make discussing Libya a priority.
- Supporting anti-slavery efforts! Donate to Free the Slaves, Anti-Slavery International, and Save The Children!
- The International Organization For Migration! Support them as they fight for human rights of migrants in Libya.
- Shop Slave-Free! Shop smart. Use this guide from End Slavery Now to identify some companies that aren’t participating in the use of slave labour to advance their sales.
