Region 4 is the TIP capital of Guyana

Mar 26, 2018 News

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– Ministerial Task Force

“Danger lies closer than you think,” is the blub on the book—‘Groomed’—written by Casey Watson. It is a very relevant message to the people of Guyana, most of whom reside in Georgetown.
Many Guyanese associate the Trafficking In Person (TIP) scourge as one mostly perpetuated against the people of far flung areas, especially indigenous communities. However, according to the latest annunal report of the Ministerial Task Force on TIP, the reality is very different.
The task force reported that most of the victims of TIP in Guyana were taken from Region 4. Also, in many cases the perpetuators of the TIP crime were known to and in some instances, related to the victims.
The report stated, “The majority of incidences of alleged trafficking in persons from 2014-2016 occurred in Region 4 with 44.2 percent followed by Region 7 with 22.3 percent. Other notable locations were Region 8 (9.1 percent), Region 1 (6.6 percent) and Caribbean Countries (5.6percent). It should be noted, however, that Region 4 is the most densely populated Region in Guyana with approximately fifteen (15) times the population of Region 7, thirty-one (3l) times the population of Region 8 and twelve (12) times the population of Region 1.”
In 2016, there were 98 alleged victims of TIP stemming from 38 reported cases. This was higher than figures quoted for years 2014 and 2015. The years 2014 and 2015 had 18 cases each.
Of the 38 cases reported in 2016, 30 were sent for legal advice and 19 TIP chares were laid.
These cases involved 55 alleged perpetrators, up from 32 in 2015 and 26 in 2014.
The report stated that for the years 2014-2016, each year has seen an increase in the number of alleged victims TIP in Guyana. It is the contention of the Task Force that much of the increase in reported cases can be attributed to the increase in awareness among the general populace.
Females dominated reports on TIP from 2014 to 2016 with 89.3 percent while alleged male victims accounted for 10.7%.
The stats show that persons between ages 12-18 were the most vulnerable age group in Guyana followed by the 19-25 age groups.
The general trend was a decrease in the prevalence of alleged TIP victims with the older age groups strongly suggesting that younger individuals were most vulnerable to the crime. However, the report noted that each of the age groups recorded alleged victims, suggesting that no one was immune.
The majority of the victims of trafficking in persons in Guyana were of Mixed Race with 52.3 percent of alleged victims falling in this ethnic group. The Mixed Race group, as recorded in Police statistics, was made up largely of individuals from Latin American countries, such as the Dominican Republic, Brazil or Venezuela. This ethnic group was followed by the Indigenous with 24.9%.
The report also stated that, “police figures indicated that in 2015 the majority of alleged victims
trafficking in persons in Guyana were from overseas with 52.5 percent. That figure was 38.8percent in 2016, mostly represented by individuals from the Dominican Republic and Brazil. The entire 2014-2016 period saw 40.6 percent of alleged victims originating from overseas.
Guyanese alleged victims from 2014-2016 originated primarily from Region 4 (18.8% of total
number of victims), followed closely by Region 1 (15-7 percent). In 2016, more alleged victims’
from Region 1 (19.4 percent) than Region 4 (15.3percent) whereas the converse was true for the
receding two (2) years.”
Trafficking in persons, otherwise known as ‘human trafficking’ or ‘modern day slavery’, is a
global concern and it affects males and females, young and old and people from all walks of life. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Global Report on Trafficking in Persons 2016 stated: “A total of 63,25i victims were detected in 106 countries
and territories between 2012 and 2014”. These figures show that trafficking in persons is a far reaching crime that needs to be addressed on a global scale.
Therefore, the implementation of programmes geared at prevention of the crime is necessary in order to sensitize prospective victims and dissuade would-be offenders.
In this regard, many international organizations – including the United Nations Organization of American States, INTERPOL have crafted programmes aimed at combating trafficking in persons
The United States of America also, published periodic Reports on the matter on which it ranks countries on different tiers depending on the quantity and quality of countries’ efforts to combat trafficking in persons in compliance with international standards
In the most recent United States Trafficking in Persons Report, Guyana was elevated to Tier 2, with the Report stating that Guyana did “not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking: however, it is making significant efforts to do so.”
The report stated that the “Government of Guyana takes these Tier Placements seriously and desires for Guyana
to be placed on Tier in the near future, which would require increased efforts and concrete results. The 2017-2018 National Plan of Action for the Prevention and Response to Trafficking in Persons released in January, 2017 is an important stepping stone in this regard
and this, the 2016 Report, highlights the foundational activities carried out in the lead up to its implementation.”

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