Human Wrongs Watch
By the International Organization for Migration*
N’Djamena, Chad, 8 August 2025 – In a country where legal frameworks are still taking root and taboos around human trafficking and exploitation run deep, Julienne Deyo stands as a determined force. A lawyer by training and justice advocate by conviction, she has been at the frontlines of the Chad’s fight against human trafficking since 2018.
Now Chair of the National Commission to Combat Trafficking in Persons and Director of Legal Affairs at the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, Madame Deyo leads with both a steady resolve and a heart marked by the suffering she’s witnessed.
“It started with the stories of young boys,” she recalls. “Children sold off to cattle herders, sent into the bush, far from their families, walking behind herds. Some were bitten by snakes and died alone. No one seemed to care. How can anyone stay unmoved?”
Madame Deyo’s focus is as much on the survivors as it is on building a foundation that prevents such abuse from happening again. Illustration: AI-generated image
Chad is a country of origin, transit and destination for thousands of migrants. In the Sahel, growing insecurity, regional tensions, climate shocks, and limited livelihoods continue to push people away from their ancestral lands in search of opportunity.
But instead of education or employment, many encounter forced labour or sexual exploitation, and some are trafficked under false pretenses.
In certain areas, traditional practices blur the lines between labour and exploitation. Elsewhere, limited resources for law enforcement and lack of awareness allow trafficking networks to operate freely.
Victims may be transported within Chad, across borders, or further along regional migration routes towards North Africa.
Some are lured by promises of domestic work, others by the hope of reaching distant cities or countries. Few understand the risks involved until it’s too late.
Madame Deyo knows that passion alone won’t dismantle trafficking networks. “It takes a system,” she says. “One that is coherent, independent, and equipped to act.”
Madame Deyo pushes forward the national response to trafficking in persons in Chad. Illustration: AI-generated image
Since 2018, she has worked in close partnership with international actors to lay that foundation. From the adoption of a national legal framework to the creation of a multisectoral coordination body, she has helped shepherd institutional reforms once thought out of reach.
In 2020, with IOM’s support, her office helped establish the National Commission to Combat Trafficking and the development of a National Referral Mechanism. In 2021, a nationwide consultation process led to the country’s first-ever National Action Plan to combat trafficking.
For the first time, Chad had a coordinated vision to address trafficking – one shaped by voices from government, civil society, survivors, and international partners.
This June marked two major milestones: the official adoption of the Action Plan by the Ministry of Justice, and a Council of Ministers decree institutionalizing the Commission.
But progress remains fragile.
Madame Deyo brings together partners to push for lasting solutions in Chad’s fight against trafficking. Illustration: AI-generated image
“Trafficking is still a hidden crime and most perpetrators face no consequences,” she says. “They’re not afraid of justice. They mock it.”
Some cases never make it to court. Others collapse under pressure, corruption, or fear. Even civil society organizations, she notes, face intimidation for speaking out.
“We need a justice system that can act freely,” she explains. “Too often, decisions are controlled by those with power behind the scenes.”
Despite these challenges, she draws strength from partnerships that endure. “The partners are with us – they show up,” she says. “But without stronger political backing, we remain blocked.”
Her message is clear: to eradicate trafficking in persons, we must work together to protect the survivors, prevent future cases, and sanction the perpetrators.
“These survivors deserve to be seen, to be believed, and to be protected. That’s why I do this.”
This story was written by Cynthia Kaze, Protection Officer with IOM Chad.
*SOURCE: The International Organization for Migration. Go to ORIGINAL: https://storyteller.iom.int/stories/she-fights-voiceless-chads-courts-and-corridors
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