IOM reunites 51 trafficked Ugandan children with their families
Listen /
More than 50 trafficked children in Uganda have been returned to their extended families, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported on Tuesday.
The children, who were from Karamoja, one of the poorest regions in Uganda, had been forced to beg on the streets.
IOM said the youngsters are among the thousands of minors trafficked from rural parts of the country to urban areas, particularly the capital, Kampala.
Agency spokesman Chris Lom explained that these types of returns can be complex.
"This has essentially been a six or seven month process which involves extensive interviewing and research in order to ensure that these kids are not re-trafficked by their families, many of whom of course have handed them over to extended family members and people they trusted because they thought that they would get a better chance in Kampala." (Duration: 19″)
IOM hopes to publish research on what it calls the "trafficking corridor" between northern Uganda and the capital by the end of the year.
