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Human Trafficking & Modern-day Slavery

Poverty drives the unsuspecting poor into the hands of traffickers

Published reports & articles from 2000 to 2025                      gvnet.com/humantrafficking/Antigua&Barbuda.htm

Antigua & Barbuda

Like other countries in the region, Antigua's economy was severely hit by effects of the global economic recession in 2009. The country suffered from the collapse of its largest private sector employer, a steep decline in tourism, a rise in debt, and a sharp economic contraction between 2009 and 2011. Antigua has not yet returned to its pre-crisis growth levels. Barbuda suffered significant damages after hurricanes Irma and Maria passed through the Caribbean in 2017  [The World Factbook, U.S.C.I.A. 2021]

Description: Description: Description: Description: Description: Antigua&Barbuda

Antigua and Barbuda is a destination country for women trafficked from Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic for the purposes of sexual exploitation; it may also be a destination country for women trafficked for the purposes of forced domestic servitude. - U.S. State Dept Trafficking in Persons Report, June, 2009    Check out a later country report here or a full TIP Report here

 

CAUTION:  The following links have been culled from the web to illuminate the situation in Antigua & Barbuda.  Some of these links may lead to websites that present allegations that are unsubstantiated or even false.  No attempt has been made to validate their authenticity or to verify their content.

HOW TO USE THIS WEB-PAGE

Students

If you are looking for material to use in a term-paper, you are advised to scan the postings on this page and others to see which aspects of Human Trafficking are of particular interest to you.  Would you like to write about Forced-Labor?  Debt Bondage? Prostitution? Forced Begging? Child Soldiers? Sale of Organs? etc.  On the other hand, you might choose to include possible precursors of trafficking such as poverty. There is a lot to the subject of Trafficking.  Scan other countries as well.  Draw comparisons between activity in adjacent countries and/or regions.  Meanwhile, check out some of the Term-Paper resources that are available on-line

Teachers

Check out some of the Resources for Teachers attached to this website.

*** FEATURED ARTICLE ***

Assessing human trafficking in Antigua and Barbuda

UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT), Antigua And Barbuda: National Urban Profile, 2011

[accessed 11 September 2014]

[page 21]

The victims identified by the US in Antigua and Barbuda’s case were women trafficked from Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic, for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced domestic servitude.   The report further stated that well-financed businessmen who act as pimps and brothel owners traffic women into the four main, illegal brothels that operate in Antigua, as well as to private residences that operate as brothels

In its assessment of Antigua and Barbuda, the TIP 2009 Report indicated that brothel managers confiscated passports and threatened women with deportation until they repay the brothel owner for travel and other expenses. Pointing to systemic causes, the report further stated that some victims trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation had been given work permits as "entertainers" to legally enter the country.   The reality is that victims enter the country both legally and illegally. They hold legitimate documents authorising them to work in various fields

However, it is important to note that not all women and men brought in to Antigua and Barbuda or transported throughout the Caribbean to work within the sex trade are victims of human trafficking. For many, sex work is a choice, albeit a quite complicated and socially and economically complex one.

 

*** ARCHIVES ***

2020 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Antigua and Barbuda

U.S. Dept of State Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, 30 March 2021

www.state.gov/reports/2020-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/antigua-and-barbuda/

[accessed 10 May 2021]

PROHIBITION OF FORCED OR COMPULSORY LABOR

The law prohibits all forms of forced or compulsory labor. The government effectively enforced the law when specific complaints were filed. The Office of National Drug and Money Laundering Control Policy investigates cases of trafficking in persons, including forced labor allegations. The law prescribes penalties of 20 to 30 years’ imprisonment and significant fines. Forced labor occurred in domestic service and the retail sector, particularly in family-owned businesses.

PROHIBITION OF CHILD LABOR AND MINIMUM AGE FOR EMPLOYMENT

Laws contain definitions that collectively prohibit the worst forms of child labor, but specific details are not in any single statute. The government enforced child labor laws effectively, and there were no reports of child labor law violations during the year.

Freedom House Country Report

2020 Edition

freedomhouse.org/country/antigua-and-barbuda/freedom-world/2020

[accessed 23 July 2020]

G4. DO INDIVIDUALS ENJOY EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY AND FREEDOM FROM ECONOMIC EXPLOITATION?

Antigua and Barbuda is a destination and transit country for the trafficking of men, women, and children for the purposes of forced labor and sexual exploitation. Government efforts to address the problem are inadequate, but progress is being made, according to the US State Department’s 2019 Trafficking in Persons report. Compulsory labor is prohibited by law. Gender stereotyping and discrimination can make employment challenging for women. Mental health services require improvement and physically disabled people are stigmatized and underemployed.

In September 2019, the Industrial Court ruled against Antigua and Barbuda’s Department of Immigration, confirming that it has been breaching the rights of its workers for at least the last two decades, during which time the department did not paid employees for sick days, holidays worked, and overtime.

Security minister calls for regional conference on human trafficking

Antigua Observer News, 9 June 2012

antiguaobserver.com/security-minister-calls-for-regional-conference-on-human-trafficking/

[accessed 11 September 2014]

During his remarks, Dr Cort focused on the victims of human trafficking, saying that there was a need to reorient our thinking and view of persons who are victims of trafficking and there was a need to put measures in place to look after these victims.

IOM Regional Coordination Officer Rui Oliveira Reis, in his remarks, said that the IOM recognised that Antigua & Barbuda is committed to combating human trafficking, and as such, they have seen significant progress on the island. He said the IOM would continue to support the island in this area, as well as other areas such as boarder management control and labour and migration.

The Protection Project - Antigua [DOC]

The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), The Johns Hopkins University

www.protectionproject.org/human_rights_reports/report_documents/antigua.doc

[accessed 2009]

FORMS OF TRAFFICKING – Available data suggest that trafficking occurs primarily for the purpose of prostitution. Sex tourism is also part of the trafficking infrastructure in Antigua and Barbuda.   There are reports of trafficking in children for commercial sexual exploitation and pornography. In 2001, the police arrested and charged four people in connection with an ongoing investigation into an alleged child prostitution and pornography ring. Girls as young as 13 were allegedly being sexually exploited. The ring was discovered after one of the girls was forced to have an abortion.

*** EARLIER EDITIONS OF SOME OF THE ABOVE ***

2017 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices

U.S. Dept of State Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, 20 April 2018

www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/2017/wha/277301.htm

[accessed 12 March 2019]

www.state.gov/reports/2017-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/antigua-and-barbuda/

[accessed 24 June 2019]

PROHIBITION OF FORCED OR COMPULSORY LABOR

The law prohibits all forms of forced or compulsory labor, but there were reports of forced labor, including in domestic service and the retail industry. The government effectively enforced the law. The government amended the labor code to allow the labor inspectorate authority to enter residences to investigate allegations of forced or compulsory labor.

The Office of National Drug and Money Laundering Control Policy investigates cases of trafficking in persons, including forced labor allegations. Authorities removed at least one individual from a forced labor situation during the year. The law prescribes penalties of 20 to 30 years’ imprisonment with fines not to exceed $400,000 XCD ($148,150). These penalties were sufficiently stringent to deter violations.

Human Rights Reports » 2008 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices

U.S. Dept of State Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, February 25, 2009

2009-2017.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/2008/wha/119144.htm

[accessed 17 March 2020]

TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS – There are no laws that specifically address trafficking in persons, and there were occasional reports of trafficking in women to the country. There were a number of brothels, which were staffed mostly by women from various Caribbean countries who traveled to the country as "entertainers" or "dancers." In some cases brothel owners reportedly retained their documents to exert influence over the victims. However, authorities usually deported the women immediately, before information on possible trafficking could be obtained.

There were two known cases during the year in which persons were trafficked to the country to work in local brothels. Authorities deported one victim and the other voluntarily returned to her home country with the support of the Bureau of Gender Affairs.  In neither case were charges brought against the brothel owners.

All material used herein reproduced under the fair use exception of 17 USC § 107 for noncommercial, nonprofit, and educational use.  PLEASE RESPECT COPYRIGHTS OF COMPONENT ARTICLES.  Cite this webpage as: Patt, Prof. Martin, "Human Trafficking & Modern-day Slavery – Antigua & Barbuda", http://gvnet.com/humantrafficking/ Antigua&Barbuda.htm, [accessed <date>]