TIP SUBMISSION - ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 BRIDGETOWN 000264

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR G/TIP, G, INL, DRL, PRM, AND WHA/CAR
STATE PASS TO USAID/LAC/CAR-RILEY

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KCRM PHUM KWMN ELAB SMIG ASEC KFRD PREF VC XL
SUBJECT: TIP SUBMISSION - ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES

REF: 06 STATE 202745


1. (U) As requested in reftel, below are Post's responses to
questions regarding St. Vincent and the Grenadines for the
annual Trafficking in Persons Report.

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Para 27 - Overview
--------------


2. (SBU)


A. Is the country a country of origin, transit, or
destination for internationally trafficked men, women, or
children?

There has been no reports that St. Vincent and the Grenadines
is a country of origin, transit, or destination for
trafficked men, women, or children. However, no
investigations, studies, or surveys have been done. Both
government agencies and nongovernmental organizations were
unable to report even anecdotal evidence or performed studies
on the issue.


B. Please provide a general overview of the trafficking
situation in the country and any changes since the last TIP
Report (e.g., changes in direction).

There are prostitutes in St. Vincent, but it is unknown if
any of these women or any other sex workers, are victims of
trafficking. There were reports of 16 to 18 year-old
children participating in prostitution and pornography (age
of consent in St. Vincent is 16). There are also anecdotes
of children living away from home who are forced into a
sexual relationship with their caregiver with the knowledge
of their parents in exchange for "a better way of life."
There have been no changes since the last TIP report.


C. What are limitations on the government's ability to
address this problem in practice?

The government currently takes no initiative to face the
problem as there are neither official reports nor anecdotal
evidence that human trafficking exists in St. Vincent.


D. To what extent does the government monitor its
anti-trafficking efforts?

The government makes no efforts to monitor anti-trafficking.

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Para 28 - Prevention
--------------


3. (SBU)


A. Does the government acknowledge that trafficking is a
problem in the country?

No.


B. Which government agencies are involved in
anti-trafficking efforts and which agency, if any, has the
lead?

No agencies are directly involved with combating trafficking.


C. Are there, or have there been government-run
anti-trafficking information or education campaigns?

No.


D. Does the government support other programs to prevent
trafficking?

No.


E. What is the relationship between government officials,
NGOs, other relevant organizations and other elements of
civil society on the trafficking issue?

There is none, as trafficking is not recognized as a problem.


F. Does the government monitor immigration and emigration
patterns for evidence of trafficking? Do law enforcement

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agencies screen for potential trafficking victims along
borders?

No.


G. Is there a mechanism for coordination and communication
between various agencies, internal, international, and
multilateral on trafficking-related matters, such as a
multi-agency working group or a task force? Does the
government have a trafficking in persons working group or a
single point of contact? Does the government have a public
corruption task force?

No.


H. Does the government have a national plan of action to
address trafficking in persons? If so, which agencies were
involved in developing it? Were NGOs consulted in the
process? What steps has the government taken to disseminate
the action plan?

The government currently has no plan to handle trafficking in
persons.

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Para 29 - Investigations and Prosecutions of Traffickers
-------------- --------------


4. (SBU)


A. Does the country have a law specifically prohibiting
trafficking in person--both for sexual and non-sexual
purposes (e.g., forced labor)? If so, please specifically
cite the name of the law and its date of enactment. Does the
law(s) cover both internal and external (transnational) forms
of trafficking? If not, under what other laws can
traffickers be prosecuted?

There are no laws specifically addressing trafficking.
Prostitution and pimping are both illegal. Traffickers could
potentially be charged with immigration or labor violations.


B. What are the penalties for trafficking people for sexual
exploitation?

There are no specific laws against trafficking people for
sexual exploitation.


C. Punishment of Labor Trafficking Offenses: What are the
prescribed and imposed penalties for trafficking for labor
exploitation, such as forced or bonded labor and involuntary
servitude? Do the government's laws provide for criminal
punishment--i.e., jail time--for labor recruiters in labor
source countries who engage in recruitment of laborers using
knowingly fraudulent or deceptive offers that result in
workers being exploited in the destination country? For
employers or labor agents in labor destination countries who
confiscate workers' passports or travel documents, switch
contracts without the worker's consent as a means to keep the
worker in a state of service, or withhold payment of salaries
as means of keeping the worker in a state of service? If
law(s) prescribe criminal punishments for these offenses,
what are the actual punishments imposed on persons convicted
of these offenses?

The labor office has not heard reports of such cases, but
takes such matters seriously and is willing to work with
immigration officials to resolve any such cases if they were
to occur. According to the labor office, such cases might be
resolved with or without criminal charges, depending on the
magnitude of the offense. Slavery and forced labor are both
constitutionally prohibited.


D. What are the prescribed penalties for rape or forcible
sexual assault? How do they compare to the prescribed and
imposed penalties for crimes of trafficking for commercial
sexual exploitation?

The penalty for rape is generally 10 years to life
imprisonment.


E. Is prostitution legalized or decriminalized?
Specifically, are the activities of the prostitute
criminalized? Are the activities of the brothel
owner/operator, clients, pimps, and enforcers criminalized?

BRIDGETOWN 00000264 003 OF 005


Are these laws enforced?

Prostitution is illegal, as is facilitating prostitution,
such as pimping or running a brothel. A local NGO stated
that efforts to enforce the laws are too weak.


F. Has the government prosecuted any cases against
traffickers?

The government has not prosecuted any cases against
traffickers. If the Labour Department heard reports of any
such cases involving labor migrants, it would be willing to
prosecute if necessary.


G. Is there any information or reports of who is behind the
trafficking? For example, are the traffickers freelance
operators, small crime groups, and/or large international
organized crime syndicates?

N/A


H. Does the government actively investigate cases of
trafficking? (Again, the focus should be on trafficking
cases versus migrant smuggling cases.)

The government does not actively investigate cases of
trafficking, but is able to utilize undercover or covert
operations if necessary.


I. Does the government provide any specialized training for
government officials in how to recognize, investigate, and
prosecute instances of trafficking?

No.


J. Does the government cooperate with other governments in
the investigation and prosecution of trafficking cases? If
possible, can post provide the number of cooperative
international investigations on trafficking?

No.


K. Does the government extradite persons who are charged
with trafficking in other countries? If so, can post provide
the number of traffickers extradited? Does the government
extradite its own nationals charged with such offenses?

N/A


L. Is there evidence of government involvement in or
tolerance of trafficking, on a local or institutional level?

No.


M. If government officials are involved in trafficking, what
steps has the government taken to end such participation?
Have any government officials been prosecuted for involvement
in trafficking or trafficking-related corruption? Have any
been convicted? What sentence(s) was imposed? Please
provide specific numbers, if available.

N/A


N. If the country has an identified child sex tourism
problem (as source or destination),how many foreign
pedophiles has the government prosecuted or
deported/extradited to their country of origin?

Although there have been rumors of child prostitution, the
government has not prosecuted any cases.


O. Has the government signed, ratified, and/or taken steps
to implement the following international instruments? Please
provide the date of signature/ratification if appropriate.

a. ILO Convention 182 concerning the Prohibition and
Immediate Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of
Child Labor:

Ratified on April 12, 2001.

b. ILO Convention 29 and 105 on Forced or Compulsory Labor:

Ratified on October 21, 1998.


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c. The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of
the Child (CRC) on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution,
and Child Pornography:

Ratified the Convention on October 26, 1993, and accessioned
to the Protocol on September 15, 2002.

d. The Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking
in Persons, especially Women and Children, supplementing the
UN Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime:

Signed the Convention on July 24, 2002, but has not ratified
it. Signed the Protocol on November 20, 2002, but has not
ratified it.

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Para 30 - Protection and Assistance to Victims
-------------- -


5. (SBU)


A. Does the government assist victims, for example, by
providing temporary to permanent residency status, relief
from deportation, shelter and access to legal, medical and
psychological services?

St. Vincent has had no official reports of trafficking
victims.


B. Does the government provide funding or other forms of
support to foreign or domestic NGOs for services to victims?

The government does not fund NGOs that could support victims
of trafficking if any victims were identified.


C. Do the government's law enforcement and social services
personnel have a formal system of identifying victims of
trafficking among high-risk persons with whom they come in
contact?

No.


D. Are the rights of victims respected, or are victims
treated as criminals? Are victims detained, jailed, or
deported? If detained or jailed, for how long? Are victims
fined? Are victims prosecuted for violations of other laws,
such as those governing immigration or prostitution?

There are no reported victims.


E. Does the government encourage victims to assist in the
investigation and prosecution of trafficking?

N/A


F. What kind of protection is the government able to provide
for victims and witnesses? Does it provide these protections
in practice? What type of shelter or services does the
government provide? If there were victims, the government
would be able to provide counseling and legal referral
services.

There is currently no shelter for victims of gender-based
violence or any other shelters that normally could house
trafficking victims.


G. Does the government provide any specialized training for
government officials in recognizing trafficking and in the
provision of assistance to trafficked victims, including the
special needs of trafficked children?

No.


H. Does the government provide assistance, such as medical
aid, shelter, or financial help, to its repatriated nationals
who are victims of trafficking?

N/A


I. Which international organizations or NGOs, if any, work
with trafficking victims? What type of services do they
provide? What sort of cooperation do they receive from local
authorities? NOTE: If post reports that a government is
incapable of assisting and protecting TIP victims, then post
should explain thoroughly. Funding, personnel, and training

BRIDGETOWN 00000264 005 OF 005


constraints should be noted, if applicable. Conversely, the
lack of political will to address the problem should be noted
as well.

St. Vincent has limited resources affecting the ability of
the police officers, immigration officers, and social workers
to study and combat trafficking. Regardless, St. Vincent has
no recorded cases or anecdotal evidence of trafficking and so
has little will to address the potential problem.
OURISMAN