Human Trafficking in [Belize Street Children in [Belize] [other countries]Child Prostitution in [Belize] [other countries] |
Human Trafficking & Modern-day Slavery Belize [ Country-by-Country
Reports ] Belize is a source, transit, and
destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes
of commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor. Internal trafficking for
sexual exploitation is a problem, particularly in the form of poor families
who push their school-aged daughters— some as young as 12—to provide sex to
wealthy men in exchange for school fees, money, and gifts. This “sugar daddy”
phenomenon is practiced in Belize and other Caribbean countries, and often is
not recognized as a form of human trafficking by community members or
government officials. Some Central American men, women, and children who
migrate to Belize in search of work are subsequently subjected to conditions
of forced agricultural labor or prostitution. - 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 ***
FEATURED ARTICLE *** Belize
joins anti human trafficking network SAID MUSA, PRIME MINISTER - “Belize though a small multi-cultural Central American and Caribbean nation has already been shown to demonstrate various vulnerabilities, such as: easily accessible border crossings, a long coastline for maritime access and other institutional considerations. It is therefore incumbent on us to take preventative action to ensure that we do not become a haven for those who are intent on exploiting others.” ***
ARCHIVES *** U.S.
Dept of Labor Bureau of International Labor Affairs INCIDENCE
AND NATURE OF CHILD LABOR - Bur of Democracy,
Human Rights & Labor - Country
Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2005 TRAFFICKING
IN PERSONS – During
the year the government's efforts to identify trafficking victims were
weakened by inadequate investigation and inspection by authorities. There
were no reliable estimates of the extent of trafficking. There were reports
that women were trafficked to the country from neighboring countries
primarily for prostitution and nude dancing. Victims generally lived in
squalid conditions in the bars where they worked. Some bar owners reportedly
confiscated victims' passports. Agents of the bars and brothels lured women and
girls to the country, and they or taxi drivers along the border delivered
women to brothels. There were reports of persons
trafficked for labor purposes, including instances of Chinese immigrants
being forced to work in local Chinese-owned sweatshops and of children
working in activities such as shining shoes or selling newspapers at kiosks.
Members of the East Indian community also trafficked persons from Concluding
Observations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) - 2005 [67] The Committee welcomes the
adoption in 2003 of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Act, which
provides special protection for children, and the subsequent establishment of
a special Task Force to give greater effect to the implementation of the Act,
and notes the State party’s efforts to combat sexual exploitation of
children, for instance, through the “Stamp Out Child Abuse” campaign.
Notwithstanding these positive steps taken by the State party, the Committee
is concerned about the sexual exploitation of children, child pornography and
trafficking of children in Belize finally taken off Tier 3 human trafficking list [Sept 2006] The Musa administration is tonight breathing a sigh
of relief following an announcement by the United States government that
Belize has been removed from the list of Tier Three countries with regard to
Human Trafficking. In June Belize was one
of six countries placed on a Tier Three list by the Organization
team up to fight trafficking in persons Several organizations have teamed
up to fight trafficking in persons or human trafficking in Belize. Today
those agencies began a two-day workshop to look closer at the problem. We
spoke with Director of Immigration and Nationality, Carmen Zetina, says he does not see human trafficking as a grave
problem in Belize. O.A.S. trains officials to fight human trafficking The training of trainers session
will arm the participants--mainly law enforcement officials--with the
information to help them be able to identify victims and perpetrators of the
crime. The police, customs and immigration officers are then expected to
include the training in their work place. This latest initiative—aside from
being the right thing to do--is also one more effort to get Belize off the
tier three list established by the U.S. Department of State in its annual
investigation into worldwide human trafficking. Is progress being made?
Police Commissioner Gerald Westby believes the answer is yes. BELIZE - In Belize City, in conjunction
with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the OAS/CIM organized a two-day training seminar on combating
trafficking in persons on April 14-15, 2005. The seminar was attended by 60
representatives of Immigration director’s cousin arrested for trafficking Esquivel's story is that her
employer, Zetina, had initially hired her to work
in a restaurant. But shortly after her arrival in Corozal,
she was repeatedly asked to sexually satisfy male patrons at the Caracol Bar. Esquivel claims she said no to the requests,
but that Zetina refused to pay her for her work.
When she went to a friend to get help, Esquivel says she was ambushed and
beaten by persons believed to be acting on her boss's behalf. Extra
House businessman busted on alleged human trafficking A Belize City businessman of Extra
House supermarket was on Monday arraigned on charges of trafficking in human
cargo, namely six counts of illegally holding the travel documents of six
individuals of indian decent. There have been widespread reports
of several Indian and Chinese businesses operating across the country known
to bring these individuals in to work while witholding
their travel documents. P.M. rebuts U.S. criticism on human trafficking SAID MUSA,
PRIME MINISTER -
“That Belize is now lumped and almost put in a box so to speak with, Belize,
Venezuela and Cuba; I don’t think its pure coincidence. Because, when you
analyze the issue of human trafficking, we have done a lot in this country to
address this issue. Police, the immigration, people have raided constantly in
addressing this issue of prostitution for instance and the whole question of
human trafficking we’ve done a lot. But those who seek to judge us should
perhaps examine their own decadent societies before they come and pass
judgment on us.” Belize
joins anti human trafficking network SAID MUSA,
PRIME MINISTER -
“Belize though a small multi-cultural Central American and Caribbean nation
has already been shown to demonstrate various vulnerabilities, such as:
easily accessible border crossings, a long coastline for maritime access and
other institutional considerations. It is therefore incumbent on us to take
preventative action to ensure that we do not become a haven for those who are
intent on exploiting others.” Salvadoran child may be victim of human trafficking But what would a small Salvadoran
be doing in Belize unaccompanied? That's the scary question police are now
trying to answer. If you have any information that may assist authorities,
please contact the nearest police station or call 0-800-922-TIPS. The
Protection Project - Belize FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE
TRAFFICKING INFRASTRUCTURE - Throughout the Central American region, “machismo” attitudes are
prevalent, and women are often viewed as sexual objects. Interfamily
violence, the breakdown of families, and poverty push young people to leave
their homes and communities to search for better lives. FORMS OF TRAFFICKING - Many of the teenage girls and
children trafficked into the country from neighboring Central American
countries are forced to work in domestic service, as bar maids, and in
prostitution. Freedom
House Country Report - Political Rights: 1 Civil Liberties: 2 Status: Free Human Rights Overview by Human
Rights Watch – Defending Human Rights Worldwide U.S. Library of Congress
- Country Study All material used herein
reproduced under the fair use exception of 17 USC §
107 for noncommercial, nonprofit, and educational use |
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Human Trafficking in [Belize Street Children in [Belize] [other countries]Child Prostitution in [Belize] [other countries]