Human traffickers target educated youth using job scams

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Educated young Ugandans are increasingly falling victim to sophisticated job scams orchestrated by human traffickers, prompting government and development partners to call for stronger public awareness, digital vigilance and international cooperation to combat the growing crime.

Speaking during the commemoration of the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons at the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) headquarters in Bugolobi on Thursday (July 30), the Internal Affairs Minister, Ephraim Kamuntu, compared the current wave of trafficking to the historical slave trade, saying the vice continues to rob the country of its people.

Minister of Internal Affairs Prof. Ephraim Kamuntu. (Photo by Richard Sanya)

"This reminds me of slave trade where slave traders would raid villages. Slave trade was a scar to our development," Kamuntu said.

Referring to this year's theme, "Trapped Behind the Scam," the minister said traffickers had changed their methods, making deception more sophisticated.

"It appears that this slave trade has not ended. This year's theme, 'Trapped Behind the Scam', speaks volumes about the evolving nature of this trend," he noted.

Kamuntu said understanding the root cause of human trafficking is essential to defeating it.  "Unless you know the underlying cause of the problem, you cannot fully diagnose and curb it."

He expressed concern that many educated young people are still unable to detect fraudulent recruitment schemes. "It is sad to see highly educated young people who cannot detect deception."

Minister of Internal Affairs Prof. Ephraim Kamuntu reading through the national report on countering trafficking in persons in Uganda. (Photo by Richard Sanya)

The minister acknowledged that trafficking networks continue to evolve and warned that the crime is unlikely to disappear without coordinated action.

"The Government of Uganda is very concerned by the number of young people, who are deceived and even sexually exploited," Kamuntu noted.

He observed that trafficking syndicates operate across national borders, making investigations and prosecutions increasingly difficult. "We need international partners to help dismantle these groups. Awareness of trafficking in persons must also be taught at a very early stage in life."

Kamuntu said he is often troubled by the large number of young Ugandans departing through Entebbe International Airport in search of employment abroad, arguing that improving skills development at home would reduce vulnerability to traffickers.

"We need to skill Ugandans in order to reduce the quest for jobs abroad. Slavery was a combined effort, which is why it was successfully abolished," he stated.

The event was organised by the Ministry of Internal Affairs through the Coordination Office for Prevention of Trafficking in Persons (COPTIP) in partnership with the Uganda Communications Commission, the Coalition Against Trafficking in Persons Uganda (CATIP-U) and other development partners.

Minister of Internal Affairs Prof. Ephraim Kamuntu and Permanent Secretary Lt. Gen. Joseph Musanyufu during the national commemoration event of the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. (Photo by Richard Sanya)

Representatives attended from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the European Union, Global Gateway, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the Human Trafficking Institute and the Uganda Child Rights NGO Network (UCRNN).

The European Union delegation was represented by Anton Garcia Alvara, while UNDP was represented by Abdourahmane Dia, the organisation's Operations Advisor. IOM was represented by Sarah Carl, the Head of Programmes and Policy Development.

Delivering remarks on behalf of CATIP-U, UCRNN Executive Director Damon Wamara called for greater vigilance against online recruitment scams.

"Traffickers use social media platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram, X and Instagram to lure victims through fake job opportunities. This requires a modern response," stated Wamara.

He called for increased investment in anti-trafficking interventions and appealed to technology companies to strengthen online safety measures and work closely with law enforcement agencies to detect fraudulent recruitment schemes.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs Permanent Secretary and Chairperson of the National Taskforce on Combating Trafficking in Persons, Lt. Gen. Joseph Musanyufu, commended development partners and civil society organisations for supporting Uganda's anti-trafficking efforts.

"The joint support from the European Union and UNDP has helped us to train stakeholders and strengthen public education. We are grateful for the support we have received," Musanyufu said.

He said whereas Uganda has made significant progress in combating trafficking, criminal networks continue to become more organised and technologically sophisticated, requiring stronger collaboration among government agencies, international partners and communities.

UCC Head of Legal Affairs Dr Abdulsalam Waiswa said digital technology has transformed the way traffickers target victims. "We are talking about people being lured by employment opportunities, yet for many young people, jobs abroad appear very attractive," he said.

The event also featured emotional testimonies from two young Ugandan survivors who requested anonymity. They recounted harrowing experiences after being trafficked to Thailand and Myanmar respectively, where they were detained, exploited and subjected to abuse before eventually returning home.

L-R: Moses Taremwa, Commissioner Anti-Human Trafficking Hilary Kulayige, Permanent Secretary Lt. Gen. Joseph Musanyufu, UNDP operations advisor Abdourahmane Dia, Minister of Internal Affairs Prof. Ephraim Kamuntu, Head of Programs and Policy Development IOM Sarah Carl, Alvaro Anton Garcia Head of Finance, Contracts & Audit Section EU and Waiswa Abudu Sallam pose for a photo after the national commemoration event of the world day against trafficking in persons. (Photo by Richard Sanya)

Their accounts left many participants visibly moved and reinforced calls for stronger prevention efforts.

The World Day Against Trafficking commemoration concluded with the launch of the Report on Trafficking in Persons and the National Action Plan on the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons in Uganda (2026–2031), a five-year strategy aimed at strengthening prevention, protection, prosecution and partnerships in the fight against human trafficking.