2007 Trafficking in Persons Report - Center for Women Policy Studies

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A new public awareness campaign launched by the Government of Brazil, the poster reads: “If someone offers you lodging, food, and clean clothes outside the country, be wary.” And below: “Don’t be the next victim. Be wary of fantastic offers of work abroad.” 214
SPECIAL CASES S P E C I A L C A S E S THE BAHAMAS Limited data suggest a possible labor trafficking problem in The Bahamas. The Bahamas remains a special case for a second consecutive year, because the presence of large numbers of undocumented migrants in the country continues to raise concerns that there may be a significant number of trafficking victims in need of assistance. To be more proactive, the government should consider enacting laws to prohibit all forms of trafficking in persons, particularly forced labor of adults, and expand training for officials to identify and investigate potential trafficking situations. Providing greater assistance and legal protections for trafficking victims is an additional goal. Scope and Magnitude. The Bahamas may be a destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purpose of labor exploitation. Approximately 25 percent of the country’s population consists of Haitian nationals, who are mostly in the country illegally. Of the 20,000 to 50,000 undocumented Haitian immigrants in The Bahamas, some may be subjected to conditions of involuntary servitude. Although these migrants arrive voluntarily in The Bahamas to work as domestic servants, gardeners, and in construction, local sources indicate that labor exploitation of these workers may be widespread; employers coerce them to work long hours for no pay or below the minimum wage by withholding documents or threatening arrest and deportation. Some commercial sexual exploitation of women and minors also has been identified in the country. Government Efforts. The government has established an interagency Trafficking-in-Persons Task Force, which participates in public conferences and anti-trafficking training. While reports of human trafficking in The Bahamas may be limited, the government has taken solid steps to prevent child labor and the commercial sexual exploitation of children by conducting outreach campaigns and establishing a national hotline for reporting abuse. To further advance its anti-trafficking efforts, the government should acknowledge and investigate the potential scope of the problem and work with its legislature to pass a comprehensive law criminalizing all forms of human trafficking. Under current Bahamian law, Title X of its Statute Law can be used to prosecute traffickers for sexual-exploitation offenses. These provisions carry penalties up to eight years’ imprisonment, which are sufficiently stringent and commensurate with penalties for rape and other serious offenses. While The Bahamas has well-developed civil labor laws that guarantee workers a minimum wage, maximum working hours, and other legal protections, it does not criminalize slavery or forced labor practices. Moreover, migrant workers usually do not have access to labor protections under Bahamian law. During the reporting period, the government did not actively investigate or prosecute any alleged trafficking cases. However, Bahamian judges and prosecutors participated in anti-trafficking training, and the government works closely with U.S. authorities on international law enforcement efforts. Victim protection efforts in The Bahamas are extremely limited. The country has no specialized shelters for trafficking victims, although domestic violence services could be expanded to trafficking victims. NGOs and faith-based organizations working with undocumented migrants have expressed a strong desire to help trafficking victims. The government also has no formal procedures for identifying trafficking victims among vulnerable populations, such as persons detained for immigration violations. The Bahamas has not ratified the 2000 UN TIP Report. BARBADOS Limited available data suggest the possible existence of a trafficking in persons problem in Barbados. Although there remains a lack of reliable statistical information from either the government or international organizations, the government has been proactive with both the prevention of trafficking and prosecution of traffickers. To be more effective, however, the government should consider drafting and enacting laws to prohibit all forms of human trafficking and developing national procedures for victim protection, including pre-deportation screening of undocumented immigrants for signs of victimization. Scope and Magnitude. Anecdotal information suggests that Barbados may be a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation, but there is no evidence yet of a significant number of trafficking victims. Some trafficking of minors into prostitution is allegedly facilitated by victims’ families. Uncorroborated reports indicate that women and girls from Guyana, the Dominican Republic, and other Caribbean islands are trafficked to Barbados for sexual exploitation in strip clubs and brothels, as well as for domestic servitude. According to the IOM, some economic migrants may have been deceived by fraudulent offers of legitimate jobs and placed in debt-bonded prostitution after their travel documents were confiscated. S P E C I A L C A S E S 215
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Trafficking in Persons Report June
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Dear Reader: Two hundred years ago,
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VICTIM PROFILES The victims’ test
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I N T R O D U C T I O N “There re
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I N T R O D U C T I O N INDIA Forc
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I N T R O D U C T I O N A Western m
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I N T R O D U C T I O N To compile
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I N T R O D U C T I O N KENYA/ GERM
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I N T R O D U C T I O N “Human tr
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I N T R O D U C T I O N 18 NIGERIA/
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I N T R O D U C T I O N Criminal Pu
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I N T R O D U C T I O N Confiscatio
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I N T R O D U C T I O N Kyrgyz Repu
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I N T R O D U C T I O N UKRAINE/ IT
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I N T R O D U C T I O N Children Ex
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I N T R O D U C T I O N POLICY APPR
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I N T R O D U C T I O N Products Ma
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I N T R O D U C T I O N The Plight
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GLOBAL LAW ENFORCEMENT DATA I N T R
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C O M M E N D A B L E I N I T I AT
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H E R O E S A C T I N G T O E N D M
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T I E R P L A C E M E N T S TIER PL
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C O U N T R Y M A P S CHINA MONGOLI
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C O U N T R Y M A P S MOROCCO TUNIS
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C O U N T R Y M A P S CANADA U. S.
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50 COUNTRY NARRATIVES
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A L G E R I A 52 trafficked onward
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A R G E N T I N A Prosecution The g
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A R M E N I A 56 ARMENIA (Tier 2 Wa
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A U S T R I A seas. Australia, as c
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B A H R A I N 60 BAHRAIN (Tier 3) B
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B E L A R U S 62 no efforts to prot
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B E L I Z E / B E N I N 64 BELIZE (
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B O S N I A A N D H E R Z E G O V I
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B R A Z I L 68 remained lacking. In
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B U R K I N A F A S O 70 ing invest
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B U R U N D I 72 trials lacking tra
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C A M B O D I A success in combatin
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C A N A D A 76 CANADA (Tier 1) Cana
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C H A D 78 tion, the government als
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C H I N A 80 CHINA (Tier 2 Watch Li
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C O S TA R I C A 82 The Government
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C R O AT I A 84 and girls are traff
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C Y P R U S 86 American tourists ev
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C Z E C H R E P U B L I C 88 convic
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D E N M A R K 90 including child so
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D O M I N I C A N R E P U B L I C 9
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E C U A D O R abandonment process,
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E L S A LV A D O R to assist in inv
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E T H I O P I A 98 trafficking; how
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F I N L A N D 100 and subsequent co
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G A B O N 102 Prosecution The Gover
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G E O R G I A 104 should: increase
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G H A N A 106 in red light district
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G U AT E M A L A 108 The Government
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G U I N E A - B I S S A U 110 servi
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H O N D U R A S 112 particularly in
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H U N G A R Y 114 ficking. Sex traf
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I N D I A significant problem. Over
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I N D O N E S I A Though states hav
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I R A N medical clinic in its shelt
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I TA LY 122 Prior to passing the ne
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J A P A N 124 Prosecution The Gover
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J O R D A N 126 ing efforts in Thai
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K E N Y A 128 victims to NGOs. In 2
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K U W A I T 130 Equality and Family
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K Y R G Y Z R E P U B L I C / L A O
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L E B A N O N 134 of commercial sex
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L I B Y A 136 suspected trafficker
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L U X E M B O U R G approximately 7
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m a c e d o n i a 140 countries whe
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M A L A W I 142 20 children were se
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M A L I 144 establish a government-
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M A U R I TA N I A 146 The Governme
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M E X I C O 148 15 years’ impriso
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M O L D O V A 150 ing victims, Mexi
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M O N T E N E G R O 152 announced p
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M O Z M B I Q U E 154 result, poten
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T H E N E T H E R L A N D S Protect
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N I C A R A G U A 158 Reform Act fo
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N I G E R I A 160 ing, Niger should
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N O R W A Y 162 The D.P.R.K. regime
Page 166 and 167: P A K I S TA N 164 anti-trafficking
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Page 170 and 171: P H I L I P P I N E S 168 The Gover
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Page 188 and 189: S P A I N 186 Protection Government
Page 190 and 191: S U D A N 188 in trafficking. There
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Page 194 and 195: S Y R I A 192 Protection The govern
Page 196 and 197: TA J I K I S TA N 194 of traffickin
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Page 204 and 205: U K R A I N E 202 trafficking; howe
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Page 208 and 209: U Z B E K I S TA N UZBEKISTAN (Tier
Page 210 and 211: V I E T N A M job service centers a
Page 212 and 213: Z A M B I A 210 months’ to three
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Page 218 and 219: S P E C I A L C A S E S Government
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Page 230 and 231: T R A F F I C K I N G V I C T I M S
Page 232 and 233: I n t e r n at i o n a l P e a c e
Page 234 and 235: I n t e r n at i o n a l P e a c e
Page 236 and 237: G L O S S A R Y GLOSSARY OF ACRONYM
Page 238: Hagar Foundation provides day-care
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2007 Trafficking in Persons Report - Center for Women Policy Studies

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