NGOs, military and intelligence officers, gov’t officials involved in cross-border smuggling
A human trafficking network stretching from Asmara to Addis Ababa via Tigray and involving government officials, NGOs, and intelligence and military officers has escalated to new heights as tens of thousands of youth desperately grasp at the prospect of a better life abroad in the wake of war and economic stagnation.
Dozens of interviews conducted by The Reporter reveal that a large number of youth crossing the Eritrean border into Tigray, as well as those fleeing the war-torn region, have created fertile ground for an opportunistic and widespread human trafficking trade.
“From Atsbi Woreda alone, 1,200 youth left in a single month. This is not the largest figure. There are other woredas with higher numbers. There are a dozen or more youth who have lost their lives on trafficking routes from every town and village across Tigray,” the Director of a civil society organization (CSO) anonymously told The Reporter. Read more