[ Human Trafficking, Country-by-Country ]

CHAD (Tier 3) – Extracted in part from the U.S. State Dept 2023 TIP Report

The Government of Chad does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so, even considering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, on its anti-trafficking capacity; therefore Chad was downgraded to Tier 3.  Despite the lack of significant efforts, the government took some steps to address trafficking, including prosecuting trafficking cases and launching an inter-ministerial committee to enhance protections for migrant workers and reduce vulnerabilities to trafficking.  However, the government did not identify any trafficking victims or convict any traffickers for the second consecutive year.  The government did not consistently implement its SOPs on victim identification to screen vulnerable populations for trafficking indicators.  The government did not operationalize its National Anti-Trafficking Commission and did not conduct anti-trafficking awareness campaigns.

Prioritized Recommendations

Investigate and prosecute trafficking crimes, including complicit officials, and seek adequate penalties for convicted traffickers, which should include significant prison terms. 

Train officials to use the SOPs for victim identification and National Referral Mechanism (NRM) for referral to care to proactively identify and refer trafficking victims to services, including among vulnerable populations such as child laborers, Cuban healthcare professionals and People’s Republic of China (PRC) nationals employed at worksites affiliated with the PRC’s Belt and Road Initiative. 

Formally inaugurate and staff the National Committee to Combat Trafficking in Persons (NCCTIP) and include civil society in its activities. 

Increase efforts to train judicial and law enforcement officials on the anti-trafficking law, including case investigation and the distinctions between human trafficking and migrant smuggling. 

Establish a specialized anti-trafficking unit in the Judicial Police to ensure officers effectively investigate suspected trafficking crimes under the country’s 2018 trafficking law. 

Develop, adopt, and implement a new comprehensive National Action Plan (NAP). 

Include anti-trafficking training for all new magistrates and prosecutors attending the Ministry of Justice’s training college in N’Djamena. 

Create a mechanism to proactively screen for trafficking indicators in the labor recruitment process and consistently enforce strong regulations and oversight of labor recruitment companies and hold fraudulent labor recruiters criminally accountable. 

Beginning in N’Djamena, continue to use local community radio stations to raise public awareness of human trafficking, and incorporate the High Islamic Council, tribal leaders, and other members of the traditional justice system into sensitization campaigns. 

Develop national-level data collection on trafficking crimes

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