SLAVERY: Thousands of people passing through Libya are sold into slavery.
By: Delaney Norris, Staff Writer
Most people in the United States want to believe that slavery was ended the day the 13th Amendment was signed. Although the United States had abolished slavery in the nineteenth century, this inhumane practice still exists in other parts of the world. Places like Libya still have an illegal slave trade where innocent African refugees are being auctioned like objects. According to the U.N’s International Labor Organization, as many as three times the amount of people are currently being forced into servitude than the amount captured and sold in the transatlantic slave trade, which lasted 350 years.
In 2017, CNN released footage of Africans being sold into slavery. Many of these people are refugees, whose lives are being sold for as little as $400. Thousands of people pass through Libya each year to start a new life for themselves in Europe. But coastguards have become stricter due to increased illegal immigration and fewer boats have been able to pass from Africa to Europe. Because of this, more people are smuggled on other boats to avoid coastguards. But some of these smugglers are not trying to help these illegal immigrants, but sell them into slavery.
An example of an immigrant who had dreams of starting a new life in Europe was a man named Sunday Iabarot. Iabarot left Nigeria and planned to buy a ticket for a smuggler’s boat. Unfortunately, the moment he entered Libya he was captured by armed men and taken into a stable filled with other African immigrants. Once there, Iabarot attempted to escape three times. Because of this, his captors branded his face with the number three using a hot knife. For the rest of his life, Iabarot has managed to escape the slave trade and now lives in a shelter in Benin City, Nigeria, but he will live with the reminder of his time in the slave trade because of this crude mark. From 2012 to 2017, over 650,000 immigrants dreaming of a better life have been forced into slavery, some with even more brutal experiences than Iabarot.
There is a way to help. Petitions have been made to give these innocent people the freedom they deserve. Libya is being forced to pay attention to the situation already. The completed petition will put more pressure on Libya to end the trade. 500,000 signatures are needed and it is currently at almost 470,000 signatures. It only takes a signature and email to help make a change. You can also consider making a donation to help fund this fight for equality. Please consider using your privilege and freedom to help those who can no longer help themselves.