The government of Cameroon is stepping up measures to curb trafficking of young Cameroonian men and women to countries in the Middle East; Lejeune Mbella Mbella has told parliamentarians at the Hemicycle of the National Assembly in Yaounde. The external relations minister was Wednesday taking questions from the lawmakers during one of the question and answer sessions of the on-going June session of parliament.

Minister Mbella told the parliamentarians that the government of Cameroon is in talks with governments of some countries in the Middle East. He said Cameroon has requested some of the governments to provide information regarding the maltreatment of Cameroonians who travel to their countries for work.

He also said the external relations ministry, in collaboration with the General Delegation for National Security has set up  monitoring units in international airports in Cameroon. The units, he said, have already successfully blocked tens of Cameroonians from traveling to these region where many cases of human rights abuse and gender based violence have been reported. The security officers do not let citizens travel for work in these regions unless they present valid and appropriate employment letters, the minister told MPs.

He also called on the Members of Parliament to engage in sensitising citizens against traveling to the Middle East in search for jobs.It should be recalled that many Cameroonians who found themselves working as slaves in the middle east in 2015 were obliged to write several letters, begging on government to facilitate their return home.

Despite measures being by government to stop trafficking of humans to the region, urban cities of the country remain littered with dubious travel agents who promise to offer great jobs to young men and women to Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, etc .