Launch of the TANAHUT Annual Report
Combatting Human Trafficking in Tanzania

Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF) Tanzania, together with Tanzania Relief Initiatives (TRI) and the Tanzania Network Against Human Trafficking (TANAHUT), launched the first TANAHUT Annual Report on Human Trafficking in Tanzania. Speaking at the launch, Mr. Frank Gollwitzer, Resident Representative of Hanns Seidel Foundation Tanzania, described the report as an important milestone in strengthening the evidence base on human trafficking in Tanzania. He noted that the report represents an effort by Tanzanian civil society to systematically collect, analyse and bring together information on human trafficking from across the country.

Mr. Gollwitzer highlighted the importance of reliable and continuous data collection in understanding the changing nature of human trafficking. The report recorded more than 2,400 reported victims across Tanzania Mainland and showed significant changes in trafficking patterns, including the emergence of forced criminality alongside labour and sexual exploitation. “Human trafficking adapts. Its forms change, recruitment methods change, and vulnerabilities change. Our understanding  and our response therefore have to adapt as well,” he said.

Emphasising the importance of translating evidence into practical action, Mr. Gollwitzer stated that “data must lead to action.” He noted that reliable information can help identify vulnerable groups, guide government resource allocation, strengthen law enforcement responses and enable civil society organisations to design interventions based on evidence. He further stressed the need for stronger coordination and information sharing among government institutions, law enforcement, civil society organisations and other stakeholders.

Concluding his remarks, Mr. Gollwitzer described the first TANAHUT Annual Report as the beginning of a longer-term process to build a reliable evidence base for combating human trafficking in Tanzania. He congratulated TANAHUT, its member organisations, TIP monitors and all contributors to the report, while expressing particular appreciation to HSF's long-standing partner, TRI. He called for continued efforts to move “from information to understanding, from understanding to cooperation, and from cooperation to action.”