Mozambique is a country of origin and transit for forced labor and sex trafficking. The principal destination for trafficked Mozambicans is South Africa. Mozambique is a transit country for nationals from Somalia and the Great Lakes region of central Africa, many of whom are reportedly headed for South Africa. Internally, people are trafficked from rural areas to cities, with the city of Maputo being the main destination for victims.

Sex Trafficking: According to a 2014 study funded by Save the Children, women and children are the main victims of human trafficking, used primarily for labor and sexual exploitation. A 2003 study by the International Organization on Migration (IOM) estimated that 1,000 Mozambican women and children were being trafficked to South Africa every year, mainly for sexual exploitation. The current number is likely much higher, since the 2003 number is dated and likely underreported. There have been more recent studies on trafficking in Mozambique, but they are limited in scope and acknowledge that more data is needed.

Within Mozambique, commercial sexual exploitation is prevalent in border towns and the urban regions of Beira, Maputo, Nacala, Nampula, and Tete. It occurs in bars, roadside clubs, restaurants, and at overnight stopping points along the southern transport corridor that links Maputo, Swaziland, and South Africa. One missionary reports that he has seen an increase in prostitution given the recent growth of Mozambique’s petroleum and coal industries, and the Mozambican police have roadblocks to check IDs, including those of children, though fake IDs are easy to procure.

Labor Trafficking: The use of forced child labor occurs in agriculture, mining, and market vending in rural areas, often with the complicity of family members. Mozambican men and boys are subjected to forced labor on South African farms and mines, or as street vendors, where they often labor for months without pay under coercive conditions before being turned over to police for deportation as illegal migrants. Mozambican boys migrate to Swaziland to wash cars, herd livestock, and sell goods; some subsequently become victims of forced labor. There are also reports of boys being trafficked to Malawi for farm work. South Asian smugglers who move undocumented South Asian migrants throughout Africa also reportedly transport trafficking victims through Mozambique.

Trafficking in Body Parts: There is also an increase in the trafficking of body parts, or organ harvesting, which typically involves the kidnapping and dismemberment of young children. This trade is both international (primarily to South Africa) and internal. Specific body parts such as genitalia, hearts, eyes, and skulls are believed to increase influence and wealth. These organs are also used in traditional medicine as superstitious cures for ailments like impotence, AIDS, and infertility. The more lucrative international business involves organ harvesting for transplantation.

Sources:
thenewhumanitarian.org
cic.nyu.edu
clubofmozambique.com
resourcecentre.savethechildren.net
unhcr.org
state.gov
unesdoc.unesco.org