Sunday, September 5 2010

Government is moving to deal with the scourge of human trafficking in Trinidad and Tobago not only from the standpoint of TT being a country of transit and destination, but as a country of origin as well. This follows international bodies having given the country second-tier ratings on human trafficking.

Already, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the United States Department of State have reported that Trinidad and Tobago was a country of transit and destination and might very well be one of origin, National Security Minister, Brigadier John Sandy revealed on Thursday.

Although no irrefutable evidence has been presented to positively identify TT as a point of origin, nonetheless Government is correct in taking measures to pre-empt this. It is bad enough that criminal elements in the country have been profiting from hapless women and children being brought here and/or transshipped to other countries. As a result Trinidad and Tobago’s name has been sullied by the trade in which persons have either been kidnapped and brought here to work, very often as prostitutes, or tricked into coming here.

The converse may also be true. Is it possible that some of the young women, who were kidnapped within recent years in Trinidad and Tobago and never found, have been shipped to foreign countries and forced to work as prostitutes or as cheap labour? In the meantime, now that Government plans on taking steps to deal with the evil of human trafficking will there be renewed inquiries into each unsolved case of kidnapping of a young person?

Admittedly, it will be an uncomfortable situation for any parent or sibling of a young person kidnapped, over, say, the past ten years and not found. But it would be better to bring closure to each case, and should the person have been a victim of human trafficking predators, both to find the victim alive and bring the perpetrators to justice.

Trinidad and Tobago authorities, during the previous Government, have either been silent on the issue or refused to accept that it exists.

On Thursday, however, Sandy, at a post-Cabinet media briefing was blunt: “Statistical anecdotal data indicates that the offence of trafficking in persons is evolving in Trinidad and Tobago at an uncomfortable rate.” Later, he would add: “There have also been numerous reports circulating throughout foreign media concerning the trafficking of their nationals in Trinidad and Tobago.” But bad as it is the matter does not stop there. Indeed, Sandy would indicate to media personnel that within recent times in Trinidad and Tobago the disappearance of young people and women had been recognised. “And as such”, the National Security Minister advised media representatives at the briefing, “we thought that we should do something in respect of organising legislation in that respect.”

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar announced at the media briefing that her Government would move to table legislation to deal with the problem of human trafficking.

The Attorney General has been detailed to prepare the necessary legislation, following on Cabinet approving the acceptance of a policy framework to give effect to the United Nations Protocol “to prevent, suppress and punish trafficking of persons, particularly women and children”.

Sandy also said that United States and Venezuelan officials have evidence “that will prove that there is trafficking in humans, particularly females and young children”. The question arises: Why, then, was action not taken by previous administrations to deal with the disgusting trade? The situation did not suddenly arise, but a part of the problem had long been in the public’s view following on the arrests over the years of several of the Latin American women who had been here illegally and arrested and charged for prostitution or nude dancing.