2007 Trafficking in Persons Report - Center for Women Policy Studies

Ordinance. During the reporting period, the government
convicted 65 traffickers under the Human
Trafficking Ordinance. The government began an
anti-trafficking investigation of 20 major traffickers
and also requested that Interpol issue arrest warrants
for 22 of its nationals accused of trafficking. In
addition, Pakistan filed cases against 21 government
officials for complicity in trafficking. Notably, in
February 2007, the Federal Investigations Agency
(FIA) began investigating a trafficking case involving
a current Federal Minister. Nonetheless, Pakistan did
not demonstrate increasing law enforcement efforts
against bonded labor or other labor forms of trafficking.
Although Pakistan has a significant bonded
labor problem — estimated at over 1 million victims
— the government did not provide evidence of
any investigations, prosecutions, convictions, or
sentences for bonded labor or involuntary servitude.
The government should strengthen law enforcement
efforts against such forms of trafficking, as well as
against the internal trafficking of boys and girls for
commercial sexual exploitation.
Protection
This year, the government took modest steps to
improve victim protection. The government requires
victims to assist in the investigation of trafficking
cases and permits foreign victims to work pending
the trial of their trafficker. Foreign victims reportedly
are not prosecuted or deported for unlawful acts
committed as a direct result of being trafficked, but
some victims may still be subjected to prosecution
for fornication, even as victims of sex trafficking.
The government does not provide victims with legal
alternatives to removal to a country where they
might face hardship or retribution. Government
officials routinely refer foreign victims to a shelter
operated by IOM; and, Pakistani victims can access
any of 276 government centers offering medical
treatment, vocational training, and legal assistance
to women and children. The government, however,
lacks protection services for male victims who can
neither access the IOM shelter nor the government
centers. The government does not provide assistance
to male or female victims of bonded and other forms
of forced labor. Pakistan should: ensure that victims
of trafficking are not punished; rescue and protect an
increased number of victims of sex and labor forms
of trafficking; and make available protection services
to all victims of trafficking.
Prevention
Pakistan made some progress in preventing trafficking
over the last year. In March 2006, law enforcement
officers from India and Pakistan formed
a working group to cooperate on cross-border
trafficking. Pakistan joined in a similar agreement
with Iran in June 2006. The government continues
to use technology to monitor airports for trafficking
patterns and victims. Pakistan has not ratified the
2000 UN TIP Protocol.
PANAMA (Tier 2)
Panama is a source, transit, and destination country
for women and children trafficked for the purpose
of commercial sexual exploitation. Colombian
women and children are trafficked to or through
Panama; some become victims of trafficking
for sexual exploitation after arriving in Panama
voluntarily. Some Panamanian women have been
trafficked to Jamaica for sexual exploitation. Rural
children in Panama may be trafficked internally to
urban areas for labor exploitation.
The Government of Panama does not fully comply
with the minimum standards for the elimination
of trafficking; however, it is making significant
efforts to do so. During the reporting period, the
government intensified its efforts to prosecute and
convict traffickers, and stepped up public awareness
campaigns and prevention efforts. The government
should commit more resources to law-enforcement
activities and victim protection, and consider
ending its “alternadora” visa program which facilitates
the migration to Panama of women in prostitution,
some of whom fall victim to traffickers.
Prosecution
The Government of Panama made modest progress
in investigating and prosecuting sex trafficking
crimes during the reporting period. Panama does
not prohibit all forms of trafficking, although its
Law 16 criminalizes trafficking for commercial
sexual exploitation, which prescribes punishments
of 3 to 10 years’ imprisonment; these punishments
are sufficiently stringent and commensurate with
those for other grave crimes. In early 2007, the
government obtained its first conviction under Law
16, resulting in a five-year sentence for the owner of
a nightclub. A second sexual-exploitation prosecution
is underway, and the government investigated
five other sex trafficking cases in 2006. In addition
to assigning three prosecutors in the Attorney
General’s Office to work on anti-trafficking cases,
the government provides anti-trafficking training to
all key criminal justice personnel: police and public
forces, judges, and prosecutors. The government
also works with other governments and Interpol on
international trafficking cases and extradited four
alleged pedophiles to the United States during the
reporting period.
P A N A M A
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