The Tribune

THE BAHAMAS is still a destination, source, and transit country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labour and sex trafficking, according to a US state department report.

The country was classified as a “Tier 2” on the State Department’s 2013 Trafficking in Persons Report.

The report noted that while the government was making significant efforts, the country does not comply fully with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking.

It stated: “The government made tangible progress over the past year, implementing a victim-centred approach to addressing human trafficking.

The government achieved results in the proactive identification and assistance of trafficking victims and launched its first prosecution under its human trafficking law.”

The report noted that there has not been a reported conviction of a trafficking offender.

It read: “Migrant workers are especially vulnerable to involuntary servitude in The Bahamas, particularly the thousands of Haitians who arrive in The Bahamas largely voluntarily to work as domestic employees, labourers, and in agriculture.

“Other large, vulnerable, migrant worker communities are from China, Jamaica, and the Philippines. Children born in The Bahamas to foreign-born parents do not automatically receive Bahamian citizenship and face potential discrimination and vulnerability to trafficking due to their statelessness. Groups especially vulnerable to sex trafficking in The Bahamas include foreign citizens in prostitution or exotic dancing and local children under 18 engaging in sex with men for basics such as food, transportation, or material goods.”

Recommendations listed include: “Prosecute, convict, and punish trafficking offenders with jail time; use the new victim identification and referral protocol to identify more potential victims of forced labour and forced prostitution from within vulnerable groups and provide them with appropriate protection and assistance; make efforts to involve independent interpreters when conducting inspections of migrant worker labour sites, and conduct private interviews of workers to enhance their ability to speak openly and ensure their rights are protected; and ensure funding to NGO partners is adequate to provide appropriate assistance for human trafficking victims as outlined in the protocol.”