In July of 2014, news broke that seven Liberian girls had been trafficked into Lebanon under the guise of employment opportunities. As subsequent reports indicated, the girls had in fact been forced into prostitution instead of the housekeeper jobs they were promised. They were subjected to slavery and abuse by the residents to whom they were contracted for housekeeping.

The story has resurfaced, with the general narrative in the media being that the Liberian government has not shown any interest in assisting the girls. Ordinary Liberians, too, have a variety of reactions to the case.

Some expressed dismay at the treatment Liberians in other parts of the world receive, given the hospitality Liberians themselves extend to foreigners. University student Joseph Kollie articulated this view, “We are not wicked to other nationals, and their citizens are living the best of life here. We do not trouble them, and they marry our women without any hard time but when it comes to us, they mistreat us and take us as slaves.”

Some women saw the situation as a cautionary tale about seeking fortunes in unknown lands. “It is time that our friends see reason to stay in their only country and focus on their education, rather than running to countries they don’t know about,” Miatta Fufana stated.

Fufana continued, “Sometimes, you will see some of our friends traveling to China, Gambia, Nigeria, Ghana and Dubai with the hope that life will be better for them. You don’t know the people [in those countries’] lifestyles.”

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed its concern about the welfare of the girls. Boakai Kanneh, the deputy foreign minister for legal affairs, indicated that the government was in the process of finalizing flight arrangements. The ministry was collaborating with relevant stakeholders including the Ministries of Justice and Labor and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).