A video on a teen migrant has been released as part of the new campaign "Briser le tabou," or breaking the taboo - against human trafficking in Tunisia. The campaign was launched by the Tunisian Forum on human rights (Ftdes) and the association of Lawyers Without Borders (Asf), Spanish NGO Novact,with the patronage of the European Union.
"My name is Manuel, I have been told that I am 13 years old. My parents are at home in Tabarka. Tabarka is very far, I don't even know if it is in the north or south, I have never been to school. I don't know anything about life except work. I only know the mop I use to clean the floor and I know how to fry onions in oil."
These are the touching words of a teen speaking in a campaign video that seeks to raise the public opinion's awareness on the risks of different types of trafficking. It includes two television and radio ads as well as events across Tunisia through September 2017.
Calling the campaign ''Breaking the taboo'' is meaningful, as taboos in Tunisia have to do with delicate issues such as the domestic slavery of minors, which is often socially acceptable although it is a crime under law. Victims are mainly children, women and people with disabilities.
Tunisia serves as the country of origin, destination and as a place of transit for human traffickers.f human trafficking. Victims are mainly children, women and people with disabilities. The first type of exploitation is the so-called domestic slavery and forced labor, followed by sexual exploitation and prostitution.
To combat the phenomenon, Tunisian Parliament on August 3, 2016, passed a law to prevent and fight human trafficking.The issue became a topic of discussion over the past few days after a video was published on the internet, showing a 12-year-old shopping for a woman at a supermarket. The images stoked public anger and prompted a prosecutor to open an investigation into child labor.
The legislation puts into practice some principles outlined in the 2014 Constitution on the preservation of human dignity and the physical integrity of people. The government in February this year set up a Commission for the fight against human trafficking (Ilctp) to implement the law. Offenders can receive sentences of up to 10 years in jail and fines of 50,000 euros.