The Society of African Missions (SMA) and the Sisters of Our Lady of Apostles (OLA) have been working together on our response to the challenges coming from the recent migration of people to the West. As people run either away from wars and misery or towards greener pastures, many of them fall into different forms of real slavery like prostitution, cheap and dangerous labour, organ harvesting…etc.

This happens right under our nose, we see these men and women on our roads every day. The modern day slave traders are quite invisible. In the present situation, people pay and take all risks to get into slavery unlike the olden day slavery where the slave traders took the risks and did the paying.
Pope Francis set up a commission to work on modern day slavery last year. The General Councils of the SMA and OLA had a discussion recently with Cardinal John Onaiyekan, the Archbishop of Abuja who is a member of Santa Martha Group that is spearheading the battle.
“The Santa Marta Group is an alliance of international police chiefs and bishops from around the world working together with civil society in a process endorsed by Pope Francis, to eradicate human trafficking and modern day slavery.”

Here is the summary of the input of Card. Onaiyekan:

         1. Collaboration between the Church and the Police
While the Police arrests and punishes criminals and the Church cares for people in difficulty, their collaboration has proved to be not only complementary but also a breakthrough to handle the complex challenge.
The Catholic Church has got involved at the very highest level. The Pope himself participated in the first meeting of Santa Marta Group in Vatican. Some victims were also brought in for that meeting and the Pope met with them personally.
Police organisations of different countries have started getting involved. Not only the activity but even the formula of collaboration between the Police and the Church has been extended to many countries now.
         2. Paradigm shift
An FBI representative who was present in the meeting said that the war against modern slavery should be seen in the same line with wars against drugs and terrorism. The major paradigm shift is that the invisible traffickers become the targets now. The women on the road, are seen today as victims to be protected, liberated and cared for. The same thing goes for cheap and dangerous labourers. This change of attitude is decisive. People do not need to suffer any more in silence. The Police of different countries are trying now to share information more and strengthen networking.

        3. Major step – United Nations comes on board
A clear victory of the Santa Martha group is that the matter has been brought into the United Nations now and eradication of modern day slavery has been added as part of the goals for sustainable development. Target 8.7 of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) reads, “Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labour in all its forms”

        4. Delicate questions
There should be long-term solutions to these problems. There should be a minimum level of living standards in all countries. Peace and good governance are fundamental. Otherwise people will be obliged to move. The west is greener and migration is human. Europeans migrated to Australia and America in big numbers and there was no strong government to stop them.
When Syrian migrants came in big numbers, the doors of the west automatically opened. Should African migrants too come in such big numbers for the doors to open?
The world is often moved only in extreme situations. Should the ships that collect people who survive the sea journey go to Libya and pick them instead of allowing half of them to drown and saving the rest?

         5. Steps in Nigeria
The archdiocese of Abuja is planning to host a meeting of Santa Marta Group soon.
The Bishops of Uromi and Benin are the people of contact for Nigeria. While working on slavery in the west, there are also plans to concentrate on improving agriculture and providing more employment in Nigeria. When young men have jobs, women settle down more easily. Providing employment to men is part of the strategy to stop human trafficking.

At the level of SMA and OLA
We have many of our members working directly with victims and survivors of modern day slavery in different countries. We are working towards connecting them with various national and international bodies in Europe and Africa. Our network continues to enlarge to include many groups that are committed with a similar vision.

S. I. Francis Rozario SMA