Relocation and Trafficking-is there a link? Studies on Children and Youth in West Africa
Author(s): A. Hatløy
The presentation is based on several papers that investigate child relocation in relation to trafficking and exploitative work in the West African states of Burkina Faso, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Mali and Senegal. Moreover, it raises the question of whether the prevention of child relocation would increase or decrease the risk of trafficking. Three main forms of child relocation are identified: relocation to a kin's household, to access the work place and to access Muslim clerical education. Parents' motivations to send their children away correlate with the motivations of children. The presentation demonstrates that most of the children in West Africa work as farmers and some children do domestic or industrial work, although many child migrants end up working in the streets. For example, 89 percent of the child beggars in Dakar are Quaranic students. The presentation concludes that the exploitation of children and the worst forms of child labour take place regardless of relocation or methods of recruitment. Furthermore, increased border control does no provide a long-term solution for the eradication of trafficking. The presentation proposes that small-scale unions and organisations for street children be set up to improve the working conditions, knowledge and protection of child migrants.