Turks and Caicos Islands mentioned in State Department's Trafficking in Persons 2022 Report

Turks and Caicos Islands was mentioned three times in the US State Department's 2022 Trafficking in Persons Report, but the country has not been accused therein of human trafficking.

The report, which was released in July 2022, mentioned Turks and Caicos Islands in relation to Colombia, Haiti and Cuba.

In relation to Cuba, the report stated the members of the Cuban medical brigade who spent several months in Turks and Caicos Islands and other Caribbean countries to assist with fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, were the subjects of forced labour.

“There was a government policy or pattern to profit from labor export programs with strong indications of forced labor, particularly its foreign medical missions' program. The government continued to deploy Cuban workers to foreign countries using deceptive and coercive tactics and failed to address labor violations and trafficking crimes despite an increasing number of allegations from credible NGOs, former participants, and foreign governments of Cuban officials' involvement in abuses. The government failed to inform participants of the terms of their contracts, which varied from country to country; confiscated their passports, professional credentials, and salaries; and threatened medical professionals and their family members if participants left the program. In addition, Cuban law did not explicitly prohibit labor trafficking as defined in international law, and the government did not report having procedures to identify victims of forced labor,” the report said.

It added: “Some overseas departments or territories, such as the British Virgin Islands, French Guiana, Grenada, Montserrat, Martinique, and Turks and Caicos, may have Cuban workers who may have been forced to work by the Cuban government. Authorities employ workers through contracts with foreign governments and, in some countries, with international organizations serving as intermediaries or providing funds for their work.

According to the government, 75 percent of its exported workforce are medical professionals.”

The report said experts estimated the Cuban government collected $6 billion to $8 billion annually from its export of services, namely the foreign medical missions program.

“The government has stated the postings are voluntary, and some participants have also stated the postings are voluntary and better-paid compared to low-paying jobs within Cuba, where basic wages for a doctor are $55 a month. In almost all accounts, workers receive only a portion of their salary ranging from 5 to 25 percent, and these funds are retained in Cuban bank accounts—often in Cuban pesos rather than the hard currency the government is paid for their services, which are relinquished if the participant leaves the program,” it was stated.

The document said Colombia continued to operate a 24-hour anti-trafficking hotline, which in 2021 received 1,382 calls, of which 116 were possible cases of trafficking that were referred to for further action.

“Officials did not report how many led to criminal investigations or prosecutions. The AGO monitored a general hotline for citizens to report crimes (Line-122), and authorities indicated 21 calls were for trafficking crimes in 2021. The government operated a cellphone app where the public could report cases of trafficking in 2021; authorities identified Venezuelan victims in the country and Colombian victims in Mexico, Turkey, and Turks and Caicos. Reporting via the app was not anonymous and may have hindered reporting of crimes due to fear of reprisal.”

It was also noted that female foreign nationals, especially citizens of the Dominican Republic and Venezuela, are particularly at risk for sex and labor trafficking in Haiti, including on social media, adding that commercial sex typically takes place in upscale neighborhoods and resort areas to cater to foreigners.

“Sex trafficking also takes place at the Haiti-Dominican Republic border as Haitians, especially women and girls, seeking job opportunities are instead exploited in commercial sex in the Dominican Republic or for sex tourism. According to NGOs, international child sex tourism also occurs in Haiti, with the primary tourists being from the United States, Canada, and Europe.

Emerging practices include “bride-buying,” in which men pay between $100 to $200 to the families of girls as young as 14,” the document added.

“Traffickers also target children in private and NGO-sponsored residential care centers; Haitian children working in construction, agriculture, fisheries, domestic work, begging, and street vending in Haiti and the Dominican Republic; internally displaced persons (IDPs), including those displaced by natural disasters and gang violence; those who are stateless or at risk of becoming stateless; Haitian migrants, including those traveling to or returning from the Dominican Republic, The Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, Brazil, Mexico, or the United States; and LGBTQI+ youth often left homeless and stigmatized by their families and society.”

The report said risks to migrants significantly increased in 2021 as a function of mass repatriations and increased movement across the Haiti-Dominican Republic border and the high number of migrants attempting to journey to the United States from departure points in South America. Haitian adults and children are at risk for fraudulent labor recruitment and forced labor, primarily in the Dominican Republic, other Caribbean countries, South America, and the United States.

The Department of State said it prepared the report using information from U.S. embassies, government officials, non-governmental and international organizations, published reports, news articles, academic studies, consultations with authorities and organizations in every region of the world, and information submitted to a dedicated email.

It said that U.S. diplomatic posts and domestic agencies reported on the human trafficking situation and governmental action to fight trafficking based on thorough research that included meetings with a wide variety of government officials, local and international NGO representatives, officials of international organizations, journalists, academics, and survivors. U.S. missions overseas are dedicated to covering human trafficking issues year-round. The 2022 Trafficking in Persons Report covers government efforts undertaken from April 1, 2021 through March 31, 2022.

HAITI

The report said the Government of Haiti does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so. These efforts included adopting national standard operating procedures (SOPs) for victim identification and support, improving oversight of vulnerable children in orphanages, completing a new national action plan (NAP), conducting extensive anti-trafficking trainings, and collaborating with NGOs on victim identification.

“As reported over the past five years, human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Haiti, and traffickers exploit victims from Haiti abroad.

Most of Haiti's trafficking cases involve children in forced labor and sex trafficking in domestic service, commonly called restavek situations, in which children are often physically abused, receive no payment for services rendered, and have significantly lower school enrollment rates. In 2022, an NGO estimated that of those children in forced labor in domestic service (restavek situations), two-thirds are girls, mostly victims of sex trafficking, and one-third boys, mostly victims of labor trafficking. In 2021, NGOs estimated between 150,000 and 300,000 children worked in domestic servitude. Many children, and a majority of the boys, flee or are cast out of these situations and begin to live and/or work on the street, facing further risk of re-trafficking. The number of children in this situation likely increased in 2020. “Orphanage entrepreneurs” operate unlicensed orphanages that exploit children in trafficking.”

“In October 2021, an NGO estimated that 30,000 children were in approximately 750 orphanages, of which the government had at the time only licensed 35-50. Approximately 80 percent of children in orphanages have at least one living parent, who may place children in an institution deemed more likely to be able to care for them, and almost all have other family members. Female foreign nationals, especially citizens of the Dominican Republic and Venezuela, are particularly at risk for sex and labor trafficking in Haiti, including on social media. Commercial sex typically takes place in upscale neighborhoods and resort areas to cater to foreigners.”

It was noted that risks to migrants significantly increased in 2021 as a function of mass repatriations and increased movement across the Haiti-Dominican Republic border and the high number of migrants attempting to journey to the United States from departure points in South America.

“Haitian adults and children are at risk for fraudulent labor recruitment and forced labor, primarily in the Dominican Republic, other Caribbean countries, South America, and the United States. Cuban medical workers have had a continuous presence in the country since 1998 and may have been forced to work by the Cuban government…. A December 2020 survey found that many Haitians lacked basic knowledge about human trafficking and the resources available to get help; 71 percent of respondents were unable to differentiate between human trafficking and gender-based violence.”

THE BAHAMAS

The State Department said the Government of The Bahamas fully meets the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, but it did not initiate any new prosecutions, identified fewer victims, and did not comprehensively BAHAMAS, THE 103 implement its victim identification protocol, especially among at-risk groups including Haitian migrants.

“Traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in The Bahamas, and traffickers exploit victims from The Bahamas abroad. Traffickers recruit migrant workers, especially those from Haiti, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, the People's Republic of China (PRC), Costa Rica, Cuba, Colombia, Venezuela, the Philippines, and the United States through false offers of employment, through advertisements in foreign newspapers and social media; upon arrival, traffickers subject them to sex trafficking and forced labor, including in domestic service and in sectors with low-skilled labor. The profile of prosecuted traffickers has been primarily female in the past five years.”

“Individuals born to a non-Bahamian father in The Bahamas, to a female citizen, or to foreign born parents do not automatically receive Bahamian citizenship or documentation and are at heightened risk of trafficking.

Unaccompanied migrant children, individuals lured for employment, those involved in commercial sex and exotic dancing, irregular migrants, stateless persons, LGBTQI+ individuals (particularly from poor communities), and migrants displaced by Hurricane Dorian have been trafficking victims or are particularly vulnerable to trafficking. In particular, irregular migrants living in informal settlements on the Hurricane Dorian-ravaged islands of Abaco and Grand Bahama, as well as those who fled to New Providence after the storm, exist in what observers call “dark spaces,” which deter reporting abuse. In January 2022, the government signed an official agreement with the Cuban government to temporarily host 50 nurses to provide medical care during the pandemic. Cuban medical professionals may have been forced to work by the Cuban government. The high unemployment rate—reported to have exceeded 40 percent—resulting from the pandemic may have increased vulnerabilities for potential victims.”

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

The report said that as reported over the past five years, human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in the Dominican Republic, and traffickers exploit victims from the Dominican Republic abroad.

Dominican women and children, particularly from impoverished areas, were sex trafficking victims throughout the Dominican Republic, the Caribbean, South and Central America, Europe, the Middle East, and the United States. Foreign victims especially from Haiti, and from other parts of the Caribbean, Asia, and Latin America, were trafficking victims in the Dominican Republic.

“The Dominican Republic has the largest stateless population in the Western Hemisphere; a 2014 law created a mechanism to provide citizenship papers or a naturalization process to stateless persons, but the law has not been properly implemented, leaving at least 135,000 Dominicans of Haitian descent effectively stateless and vulnerable to trafficking. Experts noted an increase in the number of Venezuelan trafficking victims in the Dominican Republic since the onset of Venezuela's economic and political crisis. Cuban nationals working as doctors in prior reporting periods and baseball players may have been forced to work by the Cuban government,” it was stated.

It was also noted that the Dominican Republic is a destination for sex tourists primarily from North America and Europe for child sex trafficking, adding that sex trafficking of 15- to 17-year-old girls occurs in streets, in parks, and on beaches.

“Traffickers operating in networks continue to employ methods to mask their activities, including the use of catalogs to sell victims to potential clients, using private homes, rented private apartments, or extended stay hotels to house victims. The government reported its research in 2021 showed that during the pandemic, traffickers increasingly used online platforms for recruitment and exploitation. In cases of sexual exploitation of children, WhatsApp chats and social media are used to attract children and exploit them.”

BARBADOS

It was also noted that the government of Barbados does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so.

The government demonstrated overall increasing efforts compared with the previous reporting period, but did not meet the minimum standards in several key areas.

“As reported over the past five years, human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Barbados. Documented and undocumented migrants from Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, and Venezuela are at high risk for trafficking, although individuals from Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines are increasingly vulnerable. The government's strict entry protocols due to the pandemic caused a significant reduction in the number of people from source countries entering Barbados in 2021.

Cuban medical workers provided health services in response to the pandemic during the reporting period. Cuban athletic coaches work in the country. Cuban nationals in the country may have been forced to work by the Cuban government. Previously, traffickers operated as part of an organization; more recently, they appear to operate individually. Authorities have noted an increase in use of social media as a means of recruiting victims, which may have increased further due to the pandemic. Media reported research shared in March 2021 suggested that Barbadians are largely unaware about the extent of human trafficking in the country.
However, the government reported its 2021 survey revealed a high level of public awareness regarding trafficking.” the State Department said.

JAMAICA

The government of Jamaica also does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so. Convicted traffickers received suspended prison sentences and fines, penalties that were not on par with the severity of their crimes. Unlike last year, no victims were awarded restitution. The government did not provide adequate funding for trafficking victim protection services.

“As reported over the past five years, human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Jamaica, and traffickers exploit victims from Jamaica abroad. Sex trafficking of Jamaican women and children, including boys, reportedly occurs on streets and in nightclubs, bars, massage parlors,
hotels, and private homes, including in resort towns. Local observers believe sex trafficking operations have become more clandestine as a result of the pandemic. Traffickers increasingly use social media JAPAN 313 platforms and false job offers to recruit victims; local experts report the pandemic has accelerated this trend, as traffickers have adapted by seeking methods to recruit individuals, especially children, in their own homes.”

“Communities vulnerable to sex trafficking and forced labor include young women and children from poor households, child victims of sexual abuse, LGBTQI+ youth experiencing homelessness, residents of Jamaica's poverty-stricken areas effectively controlled by criminal “dons,” migrant workers, and workers in the informal sector, particularly on family farms and in markets and shops. Traffickers subject children and adults to forced begging and women and children to domestic servitude. Girls, sometimes coerced by family members, are subjected to sex trafficking by men who provide monetary or material payment to the girls or their families in exchange for sex acts; local observers report this form of child sex trafficking may be widespread in some communities. Many LGBTQI+ children face persecution and bullying in their homes or communities; those who flee these abusive conditions are highly vulnerable to sex trafficking.”

The report said that children from rural Jamaica, and possibly from other Caribbean countries, who are sent to live with more affluent family members or acquaintances sometimes become exploited in forced labor in private households, markets, or shops.

“Gang members may exploit children in forced begging or in forced criminal activity including as lookouts, armed gunmen, or couriers of weapons and drugs; there were reports that criminal organizations exploited children in forced criminal activity in lotto-scamming. Local observers identified increased risks of forced criminal activity for boys during the pandemic.

Many children are reported missing in Jamaica; traffickers exploit some of these children in forced labor or sex trafficking. Traffickers have exploited Jamaican individuals in sex trafficking and forced labor abroad, including in other Caribbean countries, Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom. NGOs and government officials report poverty-stricken families, or parents of children with behaviorial problems, often send children to live with relatives or acquaintances overseas in order to access additional opportunities or to avoid the juvenile justice system; some of these children become victims of sex trafficking or forced labor, including domestic servitude,” the report revealed.

“Jamaican women have reported being charged high recruitment fees, misled about their terms of employment, and compelled through threats to continue working in the United States' hospitality industry. Traffickers exploit foreign nationals, including migrants from South and East Asia, in forced labor and sex trafficking in Jamaica. There have been reports of forced labor of foreign nationals aboard foreign-flagged fishing vessels operating in Jamaican waters. Among the Cuban medical professionals the government contracted, some may have been forced to work by the Cuban government. NGOs and other local observers report children are subjected to sex trafficking in Jamaica's resort areas frequented by tourists. Endemic corruption and complicity, including within law enforcement, remain significant obstacles to anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts.”