More assistance needed for TIP victims in rural areas

Jul 03, 2016 News

The US Department of State in the 2016 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report has suggested that the government improves its efforts to fight TIP in areas outside of the Capital.
The report stated that “The government increased protection efforts but victim assistance remained insufficient, especially in areas outside the capital and for male victims, and the government continued to penalize some suspected trafficking victims.”
According to the report, “Resources devoted to victim protection remained inadequate; authorities did not consistently refer trafficking victims to services; and shelter and services for victims outside the capital, including in mining areas, remained non-existent.”
The report mentioned a case whereby one victim was made to sleep on the floor of a police station because shelter and services were unavailable. Additionally, the report noted that longer-term shelter and protection was not available to victims of trafficking.
The document went on to state that some identified victims were subjected to additional trafficking after identification or would have become homeless due to inadequate protective services. It was noted as a positive that there were donor-funded organisations which continued to provide some victim services, including in dangerous areas outside of the capital.
On June 14, last, First Lady Sandra Granger had made it known that the Government of Guyana will work towards protecting the country’s girls and women from being trafficked, specifically in the hinterland areas.
This was expressed during her address at the TIP Awareness Training Workshop for Officers. She urged the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission and the Guyana Forestry Commission to work with authorities to fight TIP. She noted that the officers of GGMC and GFC are the state’s eyes and ears in the interior locations.
She recognized that the officers of the two entities were in frequent contact with the miners and loggers in those areas and as a result would be preview to information that others wouldn’t.
Despite the mentioned criticisms, the US State Department noted that there were donor-funded organisations which continued to provide some victim services. These services were offered in dangerous areas outside of the capital. However, the Department believes more can be done.
The report commended the government for the work it has done to reduce the amount of reported victims in Guyana. The report credited the improvement in ranking to the country being able to convict a trafficker who was sentenced to three years in prison. The trafficker was also required to pay restitution to the victim. This represented the first time that a victim received restitution in Guyana.
The document acknowledged that the government of Guyana had modestly increased its law enforcement efforts. It recommends that the state should continue to vigorously investigate and prosecute sex and labour trafficking cases and to hold the culprits accountable for crime against humanity.
Guyana is no longer on the “Tier 2 Watch List”. It has moved up to “Tier 2”. The nation is now one spot away from becoming a Tier 1 country, which is a nation found to be in full compliance with the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA)’s minimum standards.

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