Observatory warns of Cabo Verde's vulnerability to human trafficking and advocates for stronger prevention

City of Praia, 21 October (Inforpress) – The acting president of the National Observatory on Human Trafficking today warned of Cabo Verde's vulnerability to this crime and called for strengthening prevention, training and institutional cooperation as pillars in combating it.

Speaking to Inforpress, on the sidelines of a lecture on “Human Trafficking in Cabo Verde: Current Situation and Challenges”, as part of the 2025 Justice Days, José Luís Vaz stressed that, despite the low number of confirmed cases, the country faces a real risk that requires “permanent vigilance”.

"Between 2015 and 2025, we received 19 reports of suspected cases, but only one resulted in a final conviction. Several of the reports were dismissed due to a lack of sufficient evidence to establish the crime of human trafficking," he explained, adding that "this should not be a reason for complacency or passivity."

According to José Luís Vaz, the low incidence of judged cases should not be seen as “a reason for satisfaction or passivity”, and may be related to underreporting, resulting from the population’s lack of knowledge about the phenomenon.

CM/CP

Inforpress/End