[ Human Trafficking, Country-by-Country ]

BOTSWANA (Tier 2 Watch List) – Extracted in part from the U.S. State Dept 2023 TIP Report - Botswana

The Government of Botswana does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so.  These efforts included investigating slightly more trafficking crimes; continuing to refer all identified victims to services; increasing cooperation with foreign governments to investigate and prosecute cross-border trafficking crimes; and seeking trafficking survivors’ input in drafting a new NAP.  However, the government did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts compared with the previous reporting period, even considering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, if any, on its anti-trafficking capacity.  The government did not initiate any new prosecutions or convict any traffickers.  The government did not amend the anti-trafficking law to remove sentencing provisions that allow fines in lieu of imprisonment.  The government identified fewer trafficking victims and remained without formal procedures to identify and refer victims to care, hindering overall protection efforts.  The government continued to rely on civil society to provide most victim services and did not report providing adequate in-kind or financial support for these efforts.  Government efforts to regulate labor recruitment agencies remained minimal, increasing Batswana migrant workers’ vulnerability to trafficking.  Therefore Botswana was downgraded to Tier 2 Watch List.

Prioritized Recommendations

Significantly increase efforts to investigate and prosecute trafficking crimes and seek adequate penalties for convicted traffickers, which should involve significant prison terms.

Amend the anti-trafficking law to remove sentencing provisions that allow fines in lieu of imprisonment.

Develop and implement formal SOPs for victim identification and referral to care, and train stakeholders on their use.

Systematically and proactively identify trafficking victims by screening for trafficking indicators among vulnerable populations, including individuals in the San community, cattle farm workers, migrant workers, refugees, and Cuban medical workers, and refer all identified trafficking victims to appropriate protection services.

Increase the availability of protection services – including short-term shelter, long-term housing, counseling, and medical care – for all trafficking victims, including by partnering with and allocating increased funding to NGOs that provide victim care.

Conduct comprehensive training for prosecutors and judges on the 2014 anti-trafficking law and hold workshops to foster collaboration and more effectively adjudicate trafficking cases.

Finalize, approve, and allocate dedicated resources to implement an updated NAP.

Provide specialized anti-trafficking training to labor inspectors to identify and report potential trafficking crimes to appropriate officials.

Train government-supported NGO shelter staff on victim-centered, trauma-informed care approaches and ensure trafficking survivors’ freedom of movement while residing in shelters.

Support the provision of legal identity documents among vulnerable populations, including Indigenous peoples, at-risk undocumented migrants, refugees, and stateless individuals.

Implement and consistently enforce strong regulations and oversight of labor recruitment companies, including by eliminating recruitment fees charged to migrant workers and holding fraudulent labor recruiters criminally accountable.

Conduct public awareness campaigns, particularly in rural areas.