BARBADOS?has narrowly escaped being downgraded to the level of Tier 3 because of a growing reputation as a human trafficking destination.
And Crime Stoppers Barbados is concerned about the findings which were recently published in the United States Human Trafficking Report on Barbados.
The report, released last Tuesday, said that for the fourth consecutive year Barbados had been placed on the US Department of State’s Tier 2 Watch List according to its Trafficking in Persons Report 2013 and narrowly avoided a downgrade.
In responding to the report, Crime Stoppers Barbados said it supported the call by the State Department for amendments to be made to Barbados’ 2011 legislation to prohibit international and domestic human trafficking through the island and make the penalties for these offences more stringent in line with the punishments handed down for rape and other serious crimes.
Crime Stoppers Barbados chairperson Julie Dash said Barbadians need to educate themselves about “modern day slavery” because it “could be happening in plain view”.
“We must be ever vigilant as we do not want to let such crimes flourish here behind closed doors and stain our reputation.”
Dash said there were signs to look out for, which could indicate that individuals were victims of human trafficking: evidence of control, intimidation or abnormal psychological fear; not being able to move or leave their job; having bruises or other signs of physical abuse; showing signs of malnutrition; and being frequently accompanied by another person who may be their trafficker.
The Crime Stoppers chairperson said that human trafficking was one of the areas to be discussed at the international conference to be held in Barbados later this year.
Contributors are CNN producer Leif Coorlim, producer of a number of documentaries on human trafficking; Agueda Marin, regional specialist on Counter Trafficking and Assisted Voluntary Returns of the International Organization on Migration; and Corinne Dettmeijer-Vermeulen, national rapporteur on trafficking in human beings and sexual violence against children in the Netherlands.
Barbadians can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-8477 to report any suspicious activity. Calls are free and anonymous. (JS/PR)
