Together with the Director of the Coordination Center on Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling Aruba (CMMA), Mrs. Jeanette Baars, Prime Minister Evelyn Wever-Croes addressed the topic of human trafficking during a press conference on Thursday, August 31st, as part of the Government of Aruba’s press conference. CMMA has been actively engaged in discussing this issue on several occasions to underscore its importance within our community. “Aruba is a vulnerable country to these types of abuses, and no citizen of our country wants these things to happen on our shores,” expressed the Prime Minister.

The focus of the press conference was on educating our youth and the role of parents in this regard. Last week, CMMA introduced a new component in the Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling education package. This campaign, ‘No Cay Den Trampa,’ is crucial for educating our youth and parents because there are concerns about the digital safety of our youth, who are highly active online.

Our youth are a highly vulnerable group, not only in Aruba but globally, when it comes to the phenomenon of online human trafficking. The use of online platforms is increasing among our youth. Children and young people are often recruited through social media and online dating platforms, where they provide detailed information about themselves, including their location and where they live, among other things. This information often falls into the wrong hands.

Moreover, the trend of sexual abuse and other forms of virtual abuse is growing. Youth post photos and videos, which are bought and sold worldwide. It is crucial for us in Aruba to pay significant attention to this issue, to the risks and dangers of the internet.

“We don’t want to issue an alert only to our youth, but today I want to make a special appeal to all parents. As parents, we want the best for our children. We want to protect and shield them from all the wrong things out there,” emphasized the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister stressed that communication between parents and children is essential. This applies to online matters such as the internet, WhatsApp, and other social media platforms as well. It can be observed that many children feel insecure or embarrassed and are reluctant to discuss these issues. “For this reason, it’s important for you, as parents, to monitor and if you notice a change in your child’s behavior, talk to them to find out what may be happening with them, hoping they will never become a victim of such incidents. Parents have an essential role to play in their children’s lives. CMMA also collaborates with teachers and social workers to raise awareness about these issues among our children.

CMMA’s campaign ‘No Cay Den Trampa’ aims to raise awareness among our youth and parents about the risks of the digital world. For more information about this campaign, you can visit CMMA’s website at www.cmaaruba.com.