Human trafficking is a modern-day form of slavery according to 2007 Trafficking in Persons Report
WASHINGTON, DC – “Trafficking in persons is a modern-day form of slavery, a new type of global slave trade.
Perpetrators prey on the most weak among us, primarily women and children, for profit and gain. They lure victims into involuntary servitude and sexual slavery.
Today we are again called by conscience to end the debasement of our fellow men and women. As in the 19th century, committed abolitionists around the world have come together in a global movement to confront this repulsive crime.
President George W. Bush has committed the United States Government to lead in combating this serious 21st century challenge, and all nations that are resolved to end human trafficking have a strong partner in the United States.” — Secretary Rice
The Bahamas
Limited data suggest a possible labor trafficking problem in The Bahamas. The Bahamas remains a special case for a second consecutive year, because the presence of large numbers of undocumented migrants in the country continues to raise concerns that there may be a significant number of trafficking victims in need of assistance.
To be more proactive, the government should consider enacting laws to prohibit all forms of trafficking in persons, particularly forced labor of adults, and expand training for officials to identify and investigate potential trafficking situations. Providing greater assistance and legal protections for trafficking victims is an additional goal.
Scope and Magnitude
The Bahamas may be a destination country for men, women and children trafficked for the purpose of labor exploitation. Approximately 25 percent of the country’s population consists of Haitian nationals, who are mostly in the country illegally. Of the 20,000 to 50,000 undocumented Haitian immigrants in The Bahamas, some may be subjected to conditions of involuntary servitude. Although these migrants arrive voluntarily in The Bahamas to work as domestic servants, gardeners, and in construction, local sources indicate that labor exploitation of these workers may be widespread; employers coerce them to work long hours for no pay or below minimum wage by withholding documents or threatening arrest and deportation. Some commercial sexual exploitation of women and minors also has been identified in the country.
Government efforts
The government has established an interagency Trafficking-In-Persons task Force, which participates in public conferences and anti-trafficking training. While reports of human trafficking in The Bahamas may be limited, the government has taken solid steps to prevent child labor and the commercial sexual exploitation of children by conducting outreach campaigns and establishing a national hotline for reporting abuse.
To further advance its anti-trafficking efforts, the government should acknowledge and investigate the potential scope of the problem and work with its legislature to pass a comprehensive law criminalizing all forms of human trafficking. Under current Bahamian law, Title X of its statute Law can be used to prosecute traffickers for sexual-exploitation offenses.
These provisions carry penalties up to eight years’ imprisonment, which are sufficiently stringent and commensurate with penalties for rape and other serious offenses.
While The Bahamas has well-developed civil labor laws that guarantee workers a minimum wage, maximum working hours and other legal protections, it does not criminalize slavery or forced labor practices. Moreover, migrant workers usually do not have access to labor protections under Bahamian law.
During the reporting period, the government did not actively investigate or prosecute any alleged trafficking cases. However, Bahamian judges and prosecutors participated in anti-trafficking training, and the government works closely with U.S. authorities on international law enforcement efforts.
Victim protection efforts in The Bahamas are extremely limited. The country has no specialized shelters for trafficking victims, although domestic violence services could be expanded to trafficking victims.
NGO’s and faith-based organizations working with undocumented migrants have expressed a strong desire to help trafficking victims. The government also has no formal procedures for identifying trafficking victims among vulnerable populations, such as persons detained for immigration violations. The Bahamas has not ratified the 2000 UN TIP Report.
