US flags Guyana for not convicting human traffickers

Jul 20, 2022 News

– urges stricter enforcement of law

Kaieteur News – The United States has urged Guyana to increase its prosecution and convictions of human traffickers and pursue them under the Combating Trafficking in Persons Act of 2005, including for cases involving child victims.

US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken

It also wants Guyana to ensure security for victims, especially those
residing in government shelters, and their relatives. “Proactively screen vulnerable populations, including Haitian migrants and Cuban medical workers, for trafficking indicators, refer them to
services, and ensure potential victims are not deported without screening,” the US Government said in its latest Human Trafficking report released by the State Department on Tuesday.

Additionally, the US wants Guyana to formally approve and implement victim SOPs and fund specialised victim services, particularly for child, adult male, and Venezuelan victims in their native language, including for indigenous populations.
“Increase the number of Spanish speakers supporting anti-trafficking efforts; reduce delays in investigations, court proceedings, and pretrial detention of suspects; reduce the reliance on victims to serve as witnesses in prosecutions; ensure migrants wishing to change jobs are able to do so without relying on their previous employer,” were among some of the recommendations Washington made to Guyana which remains on the Tier 1 of the US watch list.

Tier 1, means that the Government of Guyana fully meets the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and continues to demonstrate serious and sustained efforts during the reporting period. According to the US the these efforts included identifying more victims and referring them to services, increasing investigations and prosecutions, drafting and funding a National Action Plan (NAP) for 2021-2025 with input from survivors, training diplomats, and conducting a campaign to inform migrants of the Spanish-language hotline.

According to the US Government although the government meets the minimum standards, it did not convict any traffickers for the first time in four years. It did not formally approve standard operating procedures (SOPs) to identify victims, provide sufficient security for trafficking victims at shelters, provide enough Spanish-language interpreters, identify any victims among the vulnerable Haitian population, or adequately oversee recruitment agencies.

Additionally, the US wants Guyana to formally approve and fund the 2021-2025 National Action Plan; reduce police abuses during raids and hold officers accountable. “Investigate trafficking cases in remote regions of the country and trafficking using online
platforms. Hold convicted traffickers, including complicit officials, accountable by pursuing significant sentences in court,” the report added. Guyana is also being urged to prohibit recruitment and placement fees charged to workers; increase the number of labour inspectors and fines for labour violations, enforce restitution
judgments for trafficking victims and undertake systemic monitoring of anti-trafficking efforts
and publish the results.

Meanwhile, in a message on the release of the report, US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken said everyone should be free. And yet, through force, fraud, and coercion, human traffickers violate this most basic right. “Traffickers’ exploitative practices affect every country in the world, including the United States, by diminishing and destroying our communities, sense of security, and the global economy. This year’s Trafficking in Persons Report turns the spotlight to more clearly illuminate the impact of human trafficking on our global community and on actions we can take as individuals, and as a society, to combat this deplorable crime everywhere it occurs, especially in the most at-risk communities,” Blinken said.

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