01 Dec 2025

Assistant Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Mr Augustine Nyatanga, says border officials play critical role in combating human trafficking and smuggling.

Speaking at a one-day capacity building training for border officials in Francistown Thursday, Mr Nyatanga emphasised the critical role border officials played in national security, migration management and human rights protection.

The one-day capacity-building training, funded by the United Kingdom government, aimed to enhance border officials’ ability to detect and prevent human trafficking and smuggling.

Mr Nyatanga stated that border officials were the first line of defense against such crimes and their professionalism directly impacted the safety and protection of vulnerable individuals.

He highlighted the changing dynamics of human movement in Southern Africa, driven by climate change, employment opportunities and instability, which he said were exploited by traffickers and smugglers.

He noted that Botswana had made efforts to strengthen its response to trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants, but resource limitations had hindered the development of customised training for border officials.

He thanked the UK’s support in funding the training, which he said would enhance border officials’ skills in detecting trafficking, recognising suspicious travel patterns and referring victims.

The Mr Nyatanga further emphasised the importance of collaboration in addressing such crimes, stating that no country could tackle them alone.

He thus urged border officials to apply the skills gained during the training to create safer borders and protect human life and rights.

He said government remained committed to strengthening its legal and institutional framework to combat trafficking and smuggling and such training was part of a broader national strategy to build resilient front-line personnel.

For her part, National Safeguarding and Modern Slavery higher officer, Ms Louise Dayne highlighted the exploitative nature of human trafficking, where victims were recruited through abduction, coercion, grooming and other tactics.

Ms Dayne said trafficking was a form of modern slavery that affected individuals in various ways.

She outlined the five types of slavery, including labour exploitation, domestic servitude, sexual exploitation, organ removal and coerced criminality.

She said such forms of exploitation were often hidden from view, making it crucial for border officials to be vigilant and equipped with the necessary skills to detect and respond to potential cases. ENDS