The Tribune

By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Chief Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas will join the global initiative to observe World Day Against Trafficking in Persons (WDTP) on July 30.

The Ministry of National Security's Inter Ministry Trafficking In Persons Committee (TIP) announced on Friday the country will join a host of nations to commemorate the day under the theme: ‘Responding to the trafficking of children and young persons’.

In a press conference Susanne Knowles, chairperson of the TIP committee, revealed the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime selected this particular theme because “almost a third of trafficking victims were children.”

“World Day Against Trafficking in Persons serves to bring attention to the urgent need of raising awareness to the situation of persons who are victims of trafficking and to the promotion and protection of their human rights,” Mrs Knowles said.

“It is also a day to concentrate on the importance of working to combat trafficking in persons,” she added.

Asserting human trafficking is a “form of modern day slavery” which profits off the exploitation of vulnerable people, Mrs Knowles also characterized the criminal practice as “dehumanizing”.

She explained that while human trafficking is “primarily a transnational crime”, it is also possible for the practice to be carried out in the victim’s own country.

Mrs Knowles also referred to figures from the International Labour Organisation, which reported that human trafficking “accrues more than $32 billion annually.”

The two main types of human trafficking practised in the country are sexual and labour trafficking.

Stating the government takes a “victim centred and human rights based approach” to fight the issue, she revealed the majority of traffickers and victims in the country hail from the Caribbean, South and Central America and Asia.

Mrs Knowles added that the government annually allocates one hundred thousand dollars to the care of trafficking victims.

“The Bahamas has made immense progress since the enactment of its legislation –Chapter 106 Trafficking in Persons Prevention and Suppression in 2008—which criminalizes sex and labour trafficking with prescribed penalties ranging from three years to life imprisonment,” she said.

“For the past four years The Bahamas has maintained its TIER 1 status a status given to countries whose governments fully meet the Trafficking Victims Protection Act’s minimum standards."

The TIP Inter Ministry and the TIP Task Force will act as the “overseers and architects” of anti-trafficking efforts in the country.

The committee revealed that this year, they plan to introduce a number of initiatives to shine more light on the severity of the issue.

Using both “traditional and non-traditional platforms”, digital media boards will be used to promote anti-trafficking messages.

Mrs Knowles said ads have already been designed and displayed on six boards in the International Arrivals lounge of the Lynden Pindling International Airport to date.

Trafficking in Persons Brochures and book marks also will be dispersed to the public throughout New Providence, and members of the public are asked to use the hash tag #EndTraffickingInPersons on social media.

The TIP committee will also facilitate anti-human trafficking campaigns in local schools during September and October to ensure that the children also understand the issue.

Mrs Knowles said: “Many times persons are enslaved and they’re not even aware and we’re hoping that with the awareness raising that will occur, persons will self identify, and other persons who are in the situation will be able to identify those person that are in it.”

She added that the fact that victims have not been identified doesn’t mean that the problem is non-existent.

“The reason why we are venturing out with our awareness is to make sure those persons who have not yet been identified will be so that they can get the necessary help that they need," Ms Knowles said.

Sonovia Coakley-Knowles, assistant director of the Department of Social Services explained that a common tactic of human traffickers is to withhold the documents of their victims as a way to “maintain control.”

“They really don’t know where they are, they don’t know anybody, and they have no form of identification if they can even move if they have an opportunity to sometimes to escape the situation,” Ms Coakley-Knowles said.

The TIP Committee believes that spreading public awareness on the issue can help fight against it.

Mrs Knowles suggested that with “increased visibility” traffickers “won’t be able to hide.”

“In heightening TIP awareness, we hope that a more informed populous will lead to transformed behaviours and this transformation will lead to a greater involvement,” Mrs Knowles said.

Encouraging the public to report any suspicious activities to the authorities, Mrs Knowles added: “The work to combat Trafficking in Persons starts with awareness. Observance of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons aids in shining light on this pervasive criminal issue of the 20th century.”