Human Trafficking in [The Bahamas] [other countries]Street Children in [The Bahamas] [other countries]Child Prostitution in [The Bahamas] [other countries] |
Human Trafficking & Modern-day Slavery Commonwealth of the Bahamas [ Country-by-Country
Reports ] The Commonwealth
of the Limited data suggest
a possible labor trafficking problem in The Bahamas. The Bahamas remains a
special case for a third 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. While the government has been pro-active by collaborating with
IOM on a draft anti-trafficking bill and engaging in anti-trafficking
training efforts, a more effective government response would include
enactment of national anti-trafficking laws and greater efforts to protect
victims, particularly development of a pre-deportation mechanism to identify
possible trafficking victims among undocumented migrants and detainees.
Increased anti-trafficking training for government officials also would
assist the government’s efforts. Scope
and Magnitude. The Bahamas may be a destination and transit country for
men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and commercial
sexual exploitation. A large proportion of the country’s population consists
of undocumented Haitian immigrants, with estimates ranging from 30,000 to
60,000, some of whom may be subjected to conditions of involuntary servitude.
Although most of these migrants arrive voluntarily in The Bahamas to work as
domestic servants, gardeners, construction workers, and agricultural
laborers, many are reported to be exploited by Bahamian employers who can
coerce them to work long hours for no pay by withholding documents or
threatening arrest and deportation. Past media reports indicate that a
limited number of women and girls from Jamaica and other countries may be
trafficked to The Bahamas for commercial sexual exploitation. - U.S. State
Dept Trafficking in Persons Report, June, 2008 [full
country report] |
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CAUTION: The following links have been
culled from the web to illuminate the situation in the ***
FEATURED ARTICLE *** Human
Trafficking Concerns Persist The Bahamas is still in the early
stages of developing a clear idea of the extent to which human trafficking
goes on within its borders, but Social Services Minister Melanie Griffin
believes some Bahamians may unknowingly be participants in human trafficking. *** ARCHIVES
*** Bur of Democracy,
Human Rights & Labor - Country Reports
on Human Rights Practices - 2005 TRAFFICKING
IN PERSONS – Although
there are no laws that specifically address trafficking in persons, the law
prohibits prostitution and the procurement of persons for purposes of
prostitution either in or outside the country by force, threats,
intimidation, or the administering of drugs. There
were no specific reports that persons were trafficked within, to, or from the
country, but concerns were increasing. The lack
of a legal prohibition may have obscured trafficking within the vulnerable
illegal migrant communities. In June the International Organization of
Migration (IOM) issued a report on human trafficking suggesting a link
between irregular migration and forced labor for domestic servitude,
agriculture, and construction. In March IOM hosted an anti-trafficking
meeting and training that included government and civil society participants. Concluding
Observations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) - 2005 [61] The
Committee notes that the State party has not yet ratified the Optional
Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of
children, child prostitution and child pornography, and on the involvement of
children in armed conflict. Gov’t To Bring Human Trafficking Bill He said, "Such legislation
would provide specific protections for trafficking victims. These are
essential because only with those protections will victims feel comfortable
coming forward to identify employers who may have victimized them and to
assist in prosecution of traffickers." Gov’t Considers Human Trafficking Legislation In its analysis on The Bahamas,
the IOM concluded that overall, findings indicate that while there are cases
of trafficking in persons in The Bahamas, "in the strictest sense
fulfilling all aspects of the legal definition of human trafficking, these
are few." "For instances, although
irregular migrants may embark on their trip to The Bahamas voluntarily, the
vulnerabilities that motivate them in doing so render them susceptible to
exploitation in employment and living arrangements upon arrival in The Bahamas,"
the report read. "In quantitative and
qualitative terms, a picture emerges inferring that The Bahamas is fertile
for facilitating the criminal activity of trafficking human beings." Immigration
Officials Call Human Trafficking Report “Exaggerated” The Bahamas Department of
Immigration has weighing in on the ongoing human trafficking discussion,
conceding that, "The Bahamas may be viewed as a transit nation
unwittingly facilitating such criminal activity." IOM
Official Says Bahamas Not Ignoring Human Trafficking "I definitely believe that
there are individual cases where persons have been trafficked and exploited
in The Bahamas. We saw anecdotal evidence of that when we conducted our
exploratory assessment," Ms. Garrett said. "To then extrapolate that and quantify
that on any grand scale, we wouldn’t be able to do, however, US
Envoy Says No Evidence Of Human Trafficking In Bahamas Mr. Rood said, "All we’re
saying is that it may exist. All this report is saying is that we don’t know
if there is a trafficking issue in the Bahamas, but there’s a potential for
it and there’s a potential for it because of the large numbers of
undocumented people in the country that don’t have legal standing here." Human
Trafficking Concerns Persist The Bahamas is still in the early
stages of developing a clear idea of the extent to which human trafficking
goes on within its borders, but Social Services Minister Melanie Griffin
believes some Bahamians may unknowingly be participants in human trafficking. The Protection Project - Bahamas [DOC] FORMS OF
TRAFFICKING - Women and girls as young as 10 and 12 years of age are
reportedly targets for sex tourism in the Bahamas Trafficking in women and
children for sexual exploitation is a growing concern in the entire US Looks For Human
Trafficking In Bahamas "All
we’re saying is that it may exist. All this report is saying is that we don’t
know if there is a trafficking issue in the Bahamas Yet To Ratify
Human Trafficking Protocol The IOM says the protocol does
create common ground for counter-trafficking activities, but "lacks any
form of enforcement or monitoring mechanism, so it is difficult to gauge its
real effect upon the actions of signatory countries." Trafficking – a gateway into the sex trade “The experience was terrible,” Denise said. “I would not go back and I would not tell even my worst enemy to go. I had sleepless nights. I cried night and day when I was there and prayed that I could get back my money so I could come back home.” Freedom
House Country Report - Political Rights: 1 Civil Liberties: 1 Status: Free Human Rights Overview by Human
Rights Watch – Defending Human Rights Worldwide All material used herein
reproduced under the fair use exception of 17 USC §
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Human Trafficking in [The Bahamas] [other countries]Street Children in [The Bahamas] [other countries]Child Prostitution in [The Bahamas] [other countries]