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/Kiribati.htm
Scope and Magnitude [June 2008] During
the last year, international organizations and NGOs expressed concerns that
internal trafficking of underage girls for the purpose of commercial sexual
exploitation by crews of foreign and local fishing vessels takes place
occasionally in Kiribati. It is reported that approximately 17 girls were
involved in commercial sexual exploitation in South Tarawa and Christmas
Island. There is anecdotal evidence that a few third parties, sometimes
including family members, facilitated commercial sexual exploitation of
minors. Crews from Taiwanese and South Korean fishing vessels reportedly
exploited underage girls on board for commercial sexual exploitation. - U.S.
State Dept Trafficking in Persons Report, June, 2008 [full country report]
… Also, check out this country
report, located in the more recent edition TIP Report
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CAUTION: The following links
have been culled from the web to illuminate the situation in Kiribati. 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 precursors of trafficking such as poverty and hunger. 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. *** ARCHIVES *** 2020 Country
Reports on Human Rights Practices: Kiribati 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/kiribati/
[accessed 13 June
2021] PROHIBITION OF
FORCED OR COMPULSORY LABOR The constitution and laws prohibit most
forms of forced or compulsory labor, with some exceptions regarding times of
emergency or “calamity.” The law prescribes penalties of fines and
imprisonment that are commensurate with those for similar serious crimes. The
government enforced the law, and there were no reports of forced labor. PROHIBITION OF CHILD
LABOR AND MINIMUM AGE FOR EMPLOYMENT Child labor existed primarily in the
informal economy. There were allegations of minors involved in sexual
activity with foreign fishing crews, receiving cash, alcohol, food, or goods
(see section 6, Children). Freedom House
Country Report 2020 Edition freedomhouse.org/country/kiribati/freedom-world/2020 [accessed 23 July
2020] G4. DO INDIVIDUALS
ENJOY EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY AND FREEDOM FROM ECONOMIC EXPLOITATION? There are few
economic opportunities in Kiribati, with most citizens engaged in subsistence
agriculture. Although forced labor and other exploitative working conditions
are uncommon, local women and girls are vulnerable to commercial sexual
exploitation, often involving the crews of visiting ships. In 2015, Kiribati adopted
the Occupational Safety and Health Act, which restricted children and
adolescents from a list of professions considered dangerous. That same year,
it adopted the Employment and Industrial Relations Act, which set the minimum
employment age for most work at 14 years and the minimum age for “hazardous”
work at 18. 2017 Findings on
the Worst Forms of Child Labor Office of Child
Labor, Forced Labor, and Human Trafficking, Bureau of International Labor
Affairs, US Dept of Labor, 2018 www.dol.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ilab/ChildLaborReport_Book.pdf [accessed 18 April
2019] www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ILAB/child_labor_reports/tda2017/ChildLaborReportBook.pdf [accessed 30 April
2020] Note:: Also check out this country’s report in the more recent edition DOL
Worst Forms of Child Labor [page 576] In 2017, Kiribati
made a minimal advancement in efforts to eliminate the worst forms of child
labor. The government established a mechanism for receiving labor complaints,
including child labor complaints. However, although research is limited, there
is evidence that children in Kiribati perform dangerous tasks in construction
and street vending. Existing laws do not identify hazardous occupations and
activities prohibited for children, and the government has not adopted a
national policy to combat the worst forms of child labor. Concluding
Observations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) UN Convention on the
Rights of the Child, 29 September 2006 www1.umn.edu/humanrts/crc/kiribati2006.html [accessed 12 October
2012] [42] ADOPTION - The Committee
notes the practice of “informal adoption,” but is concerned that in some
cases, the best interests of the child are not fully respected. The Committee
is also concerned that the absence of monitoring and regulations may result
in illegal domestic or intercountry adoption. The
Protection Project - The www.protectionproject.org/human_rights_reports/report_documents/kiribati.doc [accessed 2009] TRAFFICKING
ROUTES
– Despite a lack of specific evidence on
trafficking, ***
EARLIER EDITIONS OF SOME OF THE ABOVE *** Human Rights
Reports » 2006 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices 2009-2017.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/2006/78776.htm [accessed 9 February 2020] TRAFFICKING
IN PERSONS
– The law does not prohibit trafficking in persons, but there were no reports
that persons were trafficked to, from, or within the country. The Department of Labor’s 2005 Findings on
the Worst Forms of Child Labor [PDF] www.dol.gov/ilab/media/reports/iclp/tda2005/tda2005.pdf [accessed 28 November 2010] Note:: Also check out this country’s report in the more recent edition DOL
Worst Forms of Child Labor CHILD LABOR LAWS
AND ENFORCEMENT -
Part IX, Section 84 of the Employment Ordinance, Employment of Children and
Other Young Persons, sets the minimum age for employment at 14 years, and
children under 16 years are prohibited from industrial employment or jobs
aboard ships. Although there is no law specifically prohibiting the worst
forms of child labor in Kiribati, there are statutes under which the worst
forms can be prosecuted. The Constitution prohibits forced labor. 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 - |
