The webinar, attended by over 100 participants from Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Americas, underscored the global recognition of sport trafficking as a pressing issue. Speakers included high-profile representatives from international organisations such as FIFA, CAF, the United Nations, and prominent academic institutions, as survivor testimonies added a powerful human dimension to the discussions.

At the heart of the transformative event was the unveiling of the Global Thematic Report on Sport Trafficking, a comprehensive document meticulously designed to empower governments and organisations to confront the problem. By leveraging evidence-based analysis derived from the report, Mission 89 aims to provide insightful perspectives on the issue and offer action-oriented policy recommendations to drive meaningful change.

Delivering his keynote address, Prof. Dr. Michel Veuthey, Ambassador of the Sovereign Order of Malta stated, “How can we better prevent and combat human trafficking? We need a strong international legal framework, increased public awareness, and active engagement from law enforcement, judges and magistrates, researchers and academic institutions, the media, and the business community.”

Speakers at the webinar assessed policy gaps in United Nations conventions, African Union frameworks, and sports regulations, as well as weaknesses in agent regulations and sports academy licensing practices, and advocated for cross-border collaborations and support systems for vulnerable athletes.

Dr. Decius Hikabwa Chipande, Head of the African Union Sport Council (AUSC) Secrétariat: “Sports serves as a powerful vehicle for economic progress but is also exploited for other purposes. African Union is strongly committed to combat trafficking in the world of sports. In terms of region, on the African continent, irregular migration is a continental phenomenon affecting all african countries.”   

For more insights on the research findings, policy gaps and solutions, download the webinar report here. Mission 89 NFN Webinar Report

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Mission 89, in partnership with Loughborough University and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association UK branch (CPA UK), has released the first-ever comprehensive Global Thematic Report on Sport Trafficking, presenting a rigorous academic and policy-oriented analysis of human trafficking within the global sports ecosystem.

The report integrates a comprehensive literature review, interdisciplinary expert consultations, forensic analysis of documented trafficking incidents, comparative international policy assessment, including contributions from global experts. While highlighting the economic benefits of the sports industry, which is estimated to be between $471 billion and $1.4 trillion annually, the report sheds light on how this lucrative industry has become a magnet for traffickers exploiting vulnerable individuals, particularly young athletes from the Global South.

According to industry stakeholders, the absence of a specific definition for ‘sport trafficking’ has presented significant challenges in distinguishing the phenomenon from migrant smuggling, irregular migration, and other forms of human trafficking, thereby preventing targeted Interventions. In addition, the US Department of State has identified significant regulatory gaps within sport governing bodies. Even established regulations, such as FIFA’s prohibition on international transfers of minors, have revealed numerous loopholes and enforcement challenges.

The report introduces a scholarly and precise definition of sport trafficking, referred to as a systematic process of recruiting and exploiting individuals within the sporting domain, characterised by coercive mechanisms that compromise individual autonomy and fundamental human rights. It not only involves the direct exploitation of athletes but also extends to the myriad ways through which the industry can serve as a conduit for labour and sexual exploitation, especially during mega sporting events which attract increased demand for informal labour and entertainment services (that may involve trafficking for sexual exploitation).

For Dr Serhat Yilmaz, the Lead Researcher of the report and Senior Lecturer in Sports Law at Loughborough University, it is quite straightforward. “Without a precise, sport-specific definition of trafficking, we are dealing with inadequate legal protections, ineffective policy development, challenges in identifying and supporting victims, limited prevention strategies, and blurred legal distinctions that allow perpetrators to escape accountability. Therefore, our objective is to bring sport trafficking out of the shadows and into focused, actionable legal and social frameworks”, he explained.

The report also presents a typology of sport trafficking supported by case studies that are identified and developed through the research. This typology of sport trafficking, as another novel aspect of the document, provides an overview of the different types of trafficking evident in, through, and around sports. In each case, the existence of the type of trafficking is determined by the presence of the necessary constituent elements of the trafficking crime as per the definition of the UN Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Protocol.

“Aligned with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 8.7 and 16.2, the research provides a foundational scholarly contribution to understanding and mitigating trafficking vulnerabilities”, said Lerina Bright, Executive Director, Mission 89. “With a clear and specialised definition, we can provide clearer legal frameworks, guide more effective policymaking, improve victim support mechanisms, enable more targeted educational efforts and help the judiciary better recognize and address these specific trafficking cases.”

The report recommends that legislators and parliamentarians develop and implement domestic anti-trafficking laws that align with the TIP Protocol and relevant regional instruments. It advocates for a ‘non-punishment’ provision to protect trafficking victims, particularly migrant athletes, from criminal prosecution for actions stemming from their trafficking experiences. Experts also advocated for the introduction of a new recognised form of exploitation encompassing severe forms of economic exploitation in order to provide stronger protection for vulnerable athletes.

Policymakers should also adjust immigration frameworks for athletes to reduce trafficker exploitation opportunities and ensure recruitment follows international best practices for labour rights. In addition, building capacity through targeted training for identifying sport trafficking and improving data collection will be essential for raising awareness and addressing this critical issue.

The report identifies a range of different areas for improvement in efforts to combat sport trafficking and more effectively protect vulnerable athletes and aspiring athletes. They are consolidated as a set of recommendations for policymakers, law enforcement, prosecutors, the judiciary, service providers, and sport organisations. In this respect, the insight of this report, typologies, and interpretive guide provide support and guidance for these actors in pursuing the recommendations and supporting anti-trafficking efforts.

Accessibility and Engagement

• Full Report: Available for download on Mission 89’s website
• Academic Inquiries: globalreport-ST@mission89.org

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In 2009, Michael Afolabi Sodeke became a player’s agent and since then he has been involved in sports promotion and development from grassroots to the professional level. In 2018, he played a leading role in repatriating 10 football trafficking victims who were scammed and left stranded in Cape Verde by a fake agent with the promise of a trial in Europe.

He is the C. E. O of Anfield-Lane Integrated Services, which includes Anfield-Lane Soccer School and Anfield-Lane Sports Promotion. Michael founded Football Intermediaries Association of Nigeria (FIAN), an association responsible for unifying all registered intermediaries in Nigeria. FIAN has recorded some major achievement under his leadership, highlights of which include affiliation with the European Football Agent Association (EFAA) and a campaign against human trafficking through football.

We had a chat with him on his role as a football agent and his thoughts on human trafficking in the name of sports.

Questions:

1. Why did you decide to become a football agent?
2. What do you like most and least about being an agent?
3. In your opinion what are the three characteristics of a good agent?
4. What are three things that young players and their parents should be aware of before signing a contract with an agent or agency?
5. It has been reported that up to 15,000 young footballers are trafficked out of West Africa annually (Poli, 2010) on false pretenses to play professionally in Europe. What do you make of this?
6. Do football agents have a role to play in safeguarding young players from exploitation?
7. What do you make of the new agents’ regulations set by FIFA? What would you like to see changing?
8. What education could be useful to agents to do their work even better?
9. Which aspect of your work as a football agent makes you the proudest?

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Ellen Chiwenga has been working in the world of football for more than 15 years, learning step by step all the aspects of the game, from grassroots football development to global business development and transfers. She is a FIFA Football Match Agent, as well as a member of the Association of Football Agents (AFA), the International Association of FIFA Licensed Football Match Agents (FIFMA), and Women in Football (WIF) from Zimbabwe.

Driven to create change in a male-dominated industry with the ambition to promote diversity and equality in the game, she is the only female Football Match Agent in England and the only female African Football Match Agent in the world. As part of her duties, Ellen legally represents athletes by checking their contracts and negotiating their employment. She is responsible for communication between the managers and individuals she represents to ensure that both sides are satisfied and also arranges international matches among teams belonging to different Confederations, such as friendly matches and tournaments between national teams or clubs.

Her work has been recognized with several awards. She was named Personality of the Year at the 2017 Zimbabwe Achievers Awards and the African Woman of the Year in Football in 2018. That same year, she became an Ambassador of FC Karachi in Pakistan. In August 2019, Ellen Chiwenga was appointed Global Goodwill Ambassador of Bring Hope Humanitarian Foundation (BHHF), a charity organisation that delivers humanitarian aid and medicines to internal displaced people, refugees, and people in need around the world. In November 2019, Ellen received the prestigious Football Black List Award for her outstanding work in football. She is a member of the ‘Right to Play’ Partnerships Committee and in January 2020 was awarded the Medal of Knight of the Order of Lafayette. In May 2020, Ellen became advisor at FIFA Ethics and Regulations Watch (FERW). Earlier this year, Ellen Chiwenga announced her intention to run for the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) presidency in the 2022 election.

We had a chat with her on her role as a football agent.

Why did you decide to become a football agent?

I grew up in Zimbabwe hearing about football all the time as my two uncles were working with clubs and the football association. Above all, I love football because of its power to inspire and drive change in the lives of boys and girls. When I moved to the UK, my own experience taught me how difficult it can be for a young person to adapt to a new environment, sometimes in a totally different country. This is how why I decided to become an agent. I like to take care of players because I know that my daily work has an impact on their wellbeing. By helping them adapt and feel well in the club and mentally, I make sure that they deliver great performances on the pitch. Football is the science of people and I like these interactions, not just with the player but with the clubs’ staff, other agents, the community and the fans.

Which aspect of your work as a football agent makes you the proudest?

Managing a player is like being a mother taking care of her child. I like to see them grow as individuals, and flourish as players. There is often a lot of expectations from the fans and media, as well as large sums involved in transfers at a young age. It is not always easy for players to resist the pressure and make sense of all this. There are countless stories of great talents who never fulfill their potential. Therefore, it is a source of pride to see one of your players developing into a nice, confident and respectful individual with good values that will guide them for a lifetime. Also, to see young boys and girls make their dreams come true as professional players after years of hard work, commitment and sacrifice fills me with tremendous joy for them and their family.

What are some of the misconceptions about football agents?

One of the biggest misconceptions in the public and media is that football agents exploit the system and make a lot of money on transfers. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Agents are a key part of the football ecosystem. They are ambassadors who detect talents, promote and advise players, facilitate discussions with clubs, and help them find the best opportunities. People take a partial view based on the very few top agents who negotiate the transfers of world-class players. They merely represent the top of the iceberg and reality is that many agents struggle to make a decent living with players in lower divisions and smaller clubs. Also, there is no magic formula to be certain that a young talented player will sign a professional contract in the future. This is a risk that the agent has to take. What many people also forget is that an agent doesn’t just come and go after taking a commission on transfers. An agent continues to take care of his/her player after the transfer, and this is a 24/7 job.

What advantages does a female agent have in an industry that is dominated by men?

Speaking about my own experience, I would say that a woman football agent takes a different perspective, more long-term and comprehensive than men. While most men would focus in details on the qualities of a player – statistics, technical skills, strength, speed, stamina, etc. – I like to engage with the player and discuss topics such as which position he prefers, the system he feels more comfortable with, or what type of coach he likes. Regarding potential transfers, we discuss elements like the city, the region, the teammates, and if he thinks he would fit into the culture of the club. I know that the living and working environment is very important for the development of a player, for him to strive in his new club, so we take the time to address all these topics. A man might not take the same approach.

In your opinion, do you think that the majority of agents are aware of the issue of human trafficking in football? If yes, then why do you think human trafficking continues in football? If no, why not? What could be done to improve awareness among agents?

We have all heard the sad stories of human trafficking in football and how so-called ‘agents’ are taking advantage of impoverished families and children in developing countries by luring them with false promises of lucrative careers abroad. However, most agents working with professional clubs in the top leagues of Western countries only see the faces of the young players who have signed or are about to sign their first professional contract. The problem of human trafficking in football has to be tackled directly at the source, in countries where poverty leads many families to believe the narrative of corrupted individuals. It is worth noting that those individuals are not ‘agents’, since official agents are required to be registered by their Football Association (FA) and go through police check if working with minors. Therefore, it is the role of governments, municipalities, Ministries of Sports, and Football Associations in developing countries to lead the charge against human trafficking in football by educating local populations about this danger. FIFA also has a large role to play by initiating an international campaign on the subject, and by making sure that part of the funds it sends to the FAs of poor countries is used to fight against this global issue.

What role can football agents play in preventing the trafficking of young footballers?

Whenever they travel to less developed countries and poorer areas of the world in order to scout potential players for clubs, agents should take the opportunity to speak with local club managers, football academies staff, and football authorities about this important subject. They should also raise this matter with coaches and make sure that their message is relayed to the kids, and even better, their parents. Together with their FAs, football agents could work to produce information leaflets and stickers that could be distributed to the relevant populations at home and during their trips. Education and knowledge are the first powerful barrier to eradicate trafficking.

Are there any special considerations for female football players who sign with agents? Are any specific measures taken to safeguard them from exploitation?

Females are more vulnerable, and with the growth of the women’s football across the globe – which is a great improvement – it will also become more dangerous. Unscrupulous individuals will try to take advantage of the situation by luring young girls with tales of riches with a football club in Europe, the US or China. The first line of defense is the family. With more girls around the world attracted by the passion of football, it is important for the parents and family to acknowledge it and support them in their journey. Taking interest, asking questions, attending training and watching games is the surest way to understand who is evolving around your daughter and take action to prevent any kind of exploitation before it happens.

What do you make of the new agents’ regulations set by FIFA? What would you like to see changing?

I strongly welcome the decision of FIFA to reintroduce the mandatory licensing system for agents. Having had literally anyone being able to act as agent for players did nothing good for the game, and makes me wonder why it was abandoned in the first place. This will raise professional standards, and bring more transparency with the creation of a FIFA Clearing House. Regarding the more sensitive issue of a cap on commissions, I believe that the market is always better regulated by itself. Temptations to distort, in any sector, the natural equilibrium of the market always create unintended externalities and incentives for some actors to get around the legislation, which is exactly what everyone wants to avoid. But overall, the return of the licensing system represents a great opportunity to inform and educate agents about the issue of human trafficking and the risk of exploitation by fake agents at grassroots level.

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The complete reform package is a product of an extensive consultation process with many relevant stakeholders, and includes the six following measures:

1. Establishment of a cap on commissions to avoid excessive and abusive practices;
2. Limitation of multiple representation to avoid conflicts of interest;
3. Reintroduction of a mandatory licensing system for agents to raise professional standards;
4. Creation of a FIFA Clearing House to guarantee better financial transparency;
5. Establishment of an effective FIFA dispute resolution system to address disputes between agents, players and clubs;
6. Disclosing and publishing all agent-related work in transfers, to increase transparency, improve the credibility of the transfer system and support the implementation of new regulations.

Mission 89 welcomes the new regulations as they aim to improve the professional standards of agents and protect the wellbeing and rights of the minors involved in football. These regulations are not specifically designed to prevent the trafficking of children in and through football, rather they attempt to bolster the transparency of transactions and prevent fraud and money laundering in football. However, it is through the reintroduction of the mandatory agents’ licensing system that these measures also provide a useful tool for holding agents accountable for potential abuse of minors in their care. This not only speaks to the issue trafficking in football but also provides the international community an important opportunity to propose complimentary measures to expand protections for the youth.

To this end, Mission 89 believes that the following complimentary educational and technological measures could potentially create an even more robust regulatory system that addresses and tackles child trafficking in football:

1. Establishment of a mechanism that also hold clubs accountable for transactions involving agents and minors to ensure that all parties prioritise the interest and safety of the child;
2. An Evidence-based Special Safeguarding and Child Protection Education for Clubs, Players and Parents on how to deal with agents;
3. Include modules in FIFA’s new regulation of football agents’ 2020 curriculum to educate coaches and technical staff about safeguarding and child protection issues, and to certify their training;
4. Establishment of accountability mechanism that make agents and clubs more accountable for players aged 18 years and/or under, who fail their trials at clubs;
5. Granting better access to information for professional and amateur players with the use of easily accessible technology (apps or websites);
6. Organise and/or support promotional activities during large events that inform on human trafficking and the risk of exploitation by fake agents at grassroots/recreational level; and
7. Development of a harmonized FIFA dual-career program that empowers players (amateur and professional) with capacities that will serve them beyond the Game, thereby minimising the opportunity for exploitation.

Written by: Faisal Paktian

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The progress shown by African national teams in international competitions since the 1990s as well as the outstanding careers of African football icons such as Didier Drogba, Michael Essien and Nwankwo Kanu, to name a few, has fueled the desire of thousands of young West Africans to try to make it to “the top”.

While some footballers have been able to follow in their more famous predecessors’ footsteps, a disturbing by-product of this fascination with Europe’s football leagues has also been on the rise. This worrying phenomenon is known as “football trafficking” – for a more comprehensive definition of the term, see Esson and Drywood (2018).

The growth of African football has not gone unobserved. This has triggered a reaction, some clubs have been looking out for younger and younger “raw” talents to be “purchased” at a low cost, with the hope of turning them into established players to be sold at a higher price thus generating a big profit. On the other hand, the number of aspiring footballers craving to pursue a professional career in European football has also dramatically increased. Unfortunately, this demand and supply situation has created thriving grounds for exploitation of young talent.

Alarmed by the “race to young talent”, national and international institutions and sports governing bodies have taken restrictive measures. For example, FIFA introduced Article 19 of its Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players, which states that international transfers of players are only permitted if the player is over the age of 18, unless their parents move to the country in which the new club is located for reasons unrelated to football, the player is aged at least 16 and the transfer happens within the European Union or the player lives no further than 50km from a national border and the club with which the player wishes to be registered in the neighbouring association is also within 50km of that border.

The goal of Article 19 is to put a limit to the frequent cases of fraud and abandonment linked with the movement of underage players as outlined in the “10 step guide to football trafficking” (Esson 2015).

Playing football at the best possible stage – Europe – per se is not the only motivation drawing large numbers of would-be footballers from the Global South. Research conducted on over 100 underage Ghanaian footballers revealed that they viewed migrating to a well-paid European league, where a player would get the maximum return on their ability, as the embodiment of self-reliance and entrepreneurialism (Esson and Drywood: 2018).

In other words, football is seen as a way of improving families’ social and economic status, a situation that is mostly perceived as impossible to achieve by staying in the country of origin.

Global South to North migration does not only pertain to football, although research in other sports is lacking.

With the aim to finding a way to balance two fundamental principles of the Convention on the Right of the Child, i.e adherence to the best interests of the child and the child’s right to participate in decisions regarding their future, further research into the migration of youth related to sports is needed as well raising the awareness of all the players involved, two activities in which Mission 89 has always been fully engaged in order to tackle the issue of the exploitation of young athletes.

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The Mirror quoted FIFA’s former head of security, ex-Interpol agent Chris Eaton, who said: “There are thousands of African ­children and youths tricked and even trafficked to European countries.

“They are all being attracted by the Premier League. English clubs have launched campaigns to stop this sort of crime, but it has not been matched by the Confederation of African Football or FIFA.

“They are failing in their moral duty. They talk about the dream, but so often the dream turns into a nightmare.”

The report referred to an investigation into a Paris-based passport forger whose fake documents were found on a player who moved from Mali to France,  who  was promised trials at one of Europe’s top clubs.

The young player was trafficked overland to Paris by Lebanese smugglers where he discovered the promise was a scam and was left unable to pay for a trip back home. Investigators who picked him up found jewellery and mobile phones on him, suggesting he had been forced into slavery for a criminal network.

Mission 89’s Matthew Hall is quoted in the report:  “This is football’s dirty little secret.”

“It’s as simple as a man turning up in an African village wearing a white linen suit and promising a professional career.

“Quite often it never materialises and these people are left abandoned.”

Read the full Sunday Mirror report by clicking here.

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The report, published in The Guardian, reveals an investigation carried out by the compliance unit of FIFA’s transfer matching system flagged 25 player cases in which it thought Chelsea may have transgressed FIFA regulations. The Guardian reports that the TMS investigation has forwarded  its findings to the disciplinary committee, “which is searching for further examples in a forensic look at the club’s academy”.

Read the full report in The Guardian by clicking on this link.

Chelsea FC has denied the allegations and claims to comply with all FIFA statutes and regulations when recruiting players.

Mission 89 states that this report reinforces the need for watertight compliance by professional football clubs with FIFA regulations that govern the movement of players under the age of 18 years old.

Mission 89 calls for strict enforcement of existing regulations by governing bodies and states that professional clubs and football’s governing bodies must place the broader welfare of minors above short-term recruiting goals.

Mission 89 notes that Bertrand Traoré, the under-age player from Burkina Faso whose status at Chelsea FC was brought to the attention of FIFA’s TMS, has since left the club and is now signed with Olympique Lyonnais in France.

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It is a complex issue that involves exploitation of young athletes and at its worst examples is defined as human trafficking.

Just like a typical football match there are many forces in play and many individuals with specific roles that, when combined, create different outcomes. Money is a driving factor.

Young players want to improve the economic situation for themselves and their families and promises – many of them false – are seen as a circuit breaker.

Agents and academies want a piece of the money merry-go-round that revolves around professional football, especially in Europe and Asia.

Clubs at every level don’t want to miss out on the next big thing – whether for success on the field or success in making money selling players to other clubs.

Article 19 of FIFA’s regulations on the status and transfer of players states that international transfers of players are only permitted if the player is over the age of 18, yet loopholes and grey areas allow rules to be exploited or ignored.

Mission 89’s Matthew Hall was interviewed on Football Nation Radio to discuss the organization’s work in challenging these issues and how it plans to advocate, educate, and change the game.

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A report from the BBC explains how young players as young as 14 years old ended up in Laos – far from the bright lights of the UEFA Champions League. The case is an obvious example of how FIFA’s Article 19, which in part states that, “international transfers of players are only permitted if the player is over the age of 18.” is often ignored and how fake academies exploit young players and their families.

The report explains how underage boys traveled from Liberia to Laos with the promise of a professional contract with one of the country’s top clubs, Champasak United. One boy alleged that his teammates had not received contracts to play for the club. The conditions for the players were described as “like slave work”.

The Laotian club denied any wrongdoing and after pressure from FIFA and FIFPro, the international football player’s union, released 17 teenagers from the original party. Demonstrating the complexity underlying many trafficking issues, six minors chose to remain in Laos.

Read and watch the BBC report by clicking here.

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