Explaining the rationale for the ultimatum, Dr Waziri-Azi said unscrupulous persons hide under the façade of being a travel agent, tour operator or recruiter of labour to deceive, defraud, and lure naïve victims to foreign countries for the purpose of exploitation which takes the form of sexual exploitation, forced labour, debt bondage, slavery and removal of organs.
The Regulation, which is fully operational, gives NAPTIP the powers to regulate, control and scrutinise all travels as categorised by the Regulation and ensure that the intent and purpose of embarking on such travels are genuine, and it is projected that this regulatory function will reduce incidents of human trafficking.
She further explained that the Regulation empowers the agency to charge an administrative fee for the issuance of Clearance Certificates. The fee, according to her, is to cover the cost of verification of documents submitted by the Applicants via https://tipclearance.naptip.The Trafficking in person Regulations, 2019, is in place to ensure that labour recruitment, travel agents, tour operations and operators of shelters and homes offering services for the rehabilitation of trafficked persons conduct their businesses within the ambit of the law and by extension stem the dreadful trend of human trafficking.All rights reserved.