Summary
In this report by Amnesty International, the issue of the security of refugees and asylum seekers in Shagarab refugee camps, which are located in the eastern parts of Sudan, is raised. Specifically, the report indicates that such victims are kidnapped from their camps and trafficked to the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt where they are held captive for ransom or human trafficking purposes (Amnesty International 3). While in captivity, the victims of this atrocious act are subjected to untold suffering to force their relatives to pay the ransom. If the demanded ransom is not paid, the victims are trafficked into various parts in the Middle East where they are forced to engage in various inhumane activities, such as prostitution and slavery.
Analysis
The main point raised in this article is that of the lack of security in Shagarab refugee camps, which allows human traffickers to kidnap refugees and asylum seekers and demand ransom. The main questions that arise from this reading include – what is the role of governments where refugees are hosted in providing security to these people? Should such governments be held responsible when refugees are kidnapped and exposed to inhumane conditions? Why does the international community fail to intervene under such circumstances when kidnappings occur?
I agree with this article’s argument that the government of Sudan has failed, whether deliberately or due to administrative shortcomings, to protect refugees in Shagarab refugee camps. According to this report, the traffickers have taken advantage of the government’s lack of interest to address this social vice of kidnapping people for ransom or human trafficking purposes. This article challenges the conventional thinking held in many readings that once people escape their countries or regions for various reasons and become refugees in other places they are secure. On the contrary, this report shows that without the commitment of the involved authorities, refugees face even greater threats to their lives once in refugee camps as shown in this article.