Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08BRIDGETOWN132
2008-03-03 16:07:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Bridgetown
Cable title:
TIP SUBMISSION - ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES
how-toVZCZCXYZ0134 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHWN #0132/01 0631607 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 031607Z MAR 08 FM AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6164 INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE RHMFIUU/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC
UNCLAS BRIDGETOWN 000132
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR G/TIP, G, INL, DRL, PRM, AND WHA/CAR
STATE PASS TO USAID/LAC/CAR-BOUNCY
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KCRM PHUM KWMN ELAB SMIG ASEC KFRD PREF XL VC
SUBJECT: TIP SUBMISSION - ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES
REF: STATE 2731
UNCLAS BRIDGETOWN 000132
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR G/TIP, G, INL, DRL, PRM, AND WHA/CAR
STATE PASS TO USAID/LAC/CAR-BOUNCY
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KCRM PHUM KWMN ELAB SMIG ASEC KFRD PREF XL VC
SUBJECT: TIP SUBMISSION - ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES
REF: STATE 2731
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.
--------------
Para 27 - Overview
--------------
2. (SBU)
A. Is the country a country of origin, transit, and/or
destination for internationally trafficked men, women, or
children?
There have 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 performed.
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 care-giver 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. 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.
D. 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.
E. To what extent does the government monitor its
anti-trafficking efforts?
The government makes no efforts to monitor anti-trafficking.
-------------- --------------
Para 28 - Investigations and Prosecutions of Traffickers
-------------- --------------
3. (SBU)
A. Does the country have a law specifically prohibiting
trafficking in persons--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 anti-trafficking in persons laws. Traffickers
could be prosecuted under immigration, prostitution, and/or
labor laws.
B. What are the prescribed 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 any 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?
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 law are too weak.
F. Has the government prosecuted any cases against human
trafficking offenders?
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. Does the government provide any specialized training for
government officials in how to recognize, investigate, and
prosecute instances of trafficking?
No.
H. 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?
Since no cases of trafficking have been detected in St.
Vincent and the Grenadines, the government has never felt the
need to cooperate in such investigations.
I. 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
J. Is there evidence of government involvement in or
tolerance of trafficking, on a local or institutional level?
No.
K. 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
L. N/A
M. 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.
-------------- -
Para 29 - Protection and Assistance to Victims
-------------- -
4. (SBU)
A. Does the government assist trafficking victims, for
example, by providing temporary to permanent residency
status, or other relief from deportation?
St. Vincent had no official reports of trafficking victims.
B. Does the country have victim care facilities which are
accessible to trafficking victims?
Yes, a local non-governmental organization, Marion House, has
victim care services that could be accessed by trafficking
victims.
C. Does the government provide funding or other forms of
support to foreign or domestic NGOs and/or international
organizations for services to trafficking victims?
The government does provide some funding to Marion House,
which could provide counseling services to trafficking
victims.
D. Do the government's law enforcement, immigration, and
social services personnel have a formal system of identifying
victims of trafficking among high-risk persons with whom they
come in contact?
No.
E. N/A
F. Are the rights of victims respected? Are victims
detained or jailed? 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 known victims.
G. Does the government encourage victims to assist in the
investigation and prosecution of trafficking?
N/A
H. 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?
In the event of a trafficking case, the government of St.
Vincent and the Grenadines has very limited resources for
protecting victims. There is no government shelter, though
Marion House offers counseling services. A home for abused
children was recently opened by a local Roman Catholic
charity, which could conceivably house victims of trafficking.
I. Does the government provide any specialized taining for
government officials in identifying trafficking victims and
in the provision of assistance to trafficked victims,
including the special needs of trafficked children?
The government has cooperated in the past with IOM in
providing specialized training in identifying and reaching
out to potential victims.
J. Does the government provide assistance, such as medical
aid, shelter, or financial help, to its nationals who are
repatriated as victims of trafficking?
N/A
K. 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
constraints should be noted, if applicable. Conversely, the
lack of political will to address the problem should be noted
as well.
The St. Vincent and the Grenadines Human Rights Association
(SVGHRA) will work with trafficking victims, if any are
identified. The SVGHRA can provide legal services and
limited aid. It is unknown what sort of cooperation they
would receive from local authorities in assisting trafficking
victims. Marion House can provide counseling services.
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 incentive to address the potential problem.
--------------
Para 30 - Prevention
--------------
5. (SBU)
A. Does the government acknowledge that trafficking is a
problem in the country?
No, since no cases of trafficking have ever been recorded in
the country.
B. Are there, or have there been government-run
anti-trafficking information or education campaigns conducted
during the reporting period?
There are no government-sponsored anti-trafficking campaigns.
C. What is the relationship between government officials,
NGOs, other relevant organizations and other elements of
civil society on the trafficking issue?
There is a somewhat strained working relationship between
government officials and NGOs on promoting human rights, and
there are no collaborations on TIP issues.
D. Does the government monitor immigration and emigration
patterns for evidence of trafficking? Do law enforcement
agencies screen for potential trafficking victims along
borders?
No.
E. 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?
There is no formal mechanism for collaboration across
agencies or departments within the government on TIP issues.
The government does not have a TIP working group or a public
corruption task force.
F. 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?
No.
G. What measures has the government taken during the
reporting period to reduce the demand for commercial sex acts?
None.
H. N/A
I. N/A
OURISMAN
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR G/TIP, G, INL, DRL, PRM, AND WHA/CAR
STATE PASS TO USAID/LAC/CAR-BOUNCY
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KCRM PHUM KWMN ELAB SMIG ASEC KFRD PREF XL VC
SUBJECT: TIP SUBMISSION - ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES
REF: STATE 2731
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.
--------------
Para 27 - Overview
--------------
2. (SBU)
A. Is the country a country of origin, transit, and/or
destination for internationally trafficked men, women, or
children?
There have 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 performed.
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 care-giver 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. 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.
D. 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.
E. To what extent does the government monitor its
anti-trafficking efforts?
The government makes no efforts to monitor anti-trafficking.
-------------- --------------
Para 28 - Investigations and Prosecutions of Traffickers
-------------- --------------
3. (SBU)
A. Does the country have a law specifically prohibiting
trafficking in persons--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 anti-trafficking in persons laws. Traffickers
could be prosecuted under immigration, prostitution, and/or
labor laws.
B. What are the prescribed 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 any 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?
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 law are too weak.
F. Has the government prosecuted any cases against human
trafficking offenders?
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. Does the government provide any specialized training for
government officials in how to recognize, investigate, and
prosecute instances of trafficking?
No.
H. 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?
Since no cases of trafficking have been detected in St.
Vincent and the Grenadines, the government has never felt the
need to cooperate in such investigations.
I. 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
J. Is there evidence of government involvement in or
tolerance of trafficking, on a local or institutional level?
No.
K. 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
L. N/A
M. 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.
-------------- -
Para 29 - Protection and Assistance to Victims
-------------- -
4. (SBU)
A. Does the government assist trafficking victims, for
example, by providing temporary to permanent residency
status, or other relief from deportation?
St. Vincent had no official reports of trafficking victims.
B. Does the country have victim care facilities which are
accessible to trafficking victims?
Yes, a local non-governmental organization, Marion House, has
victim care services that could be accessed by trafficking
victims.
C. Does the government provide funding or other forms of
support to foreign or domestic NGOs and/or international
organizations for services to trafficking victims?
The government does provide some funding to Marion House,
which could provide counseling services to trafficking
victims.
D. Do the government's law enforcement, immigration, and
social services personnel have a formal system of identifying
victims of trafficking among high-risk persons with whom they
come in contact?
No.
E. N/A
F. Are the rights of victims respected? Are victims
detained or jailed? 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 known victims.
G. Does the government encourage victims to assist in the
investigation and prosecution of trafficking?
N/A
H. 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?
In the event of a trafficking case, the government of St.
Vincent and the Grenadines has very limited resources for
protecting victims. There is no government shelter, though
Marion House offers counseling services. A home for abused
children was recently opened by a local Roman Catholic
charity, which could conceivably house victims of trafficking.
I. Does the government provide any specialized taining for
government officials in identifying trafficking victims and
in the provision of assistance to trafficked victims,
including the special needs of trafficked children?
The government has cooperated in the past with IOM in
providing specialized training in identifying and reaching
out to potential victims.
J. Does the government provide assistance, such as medical
aid, shelter, or financial help, to its nationals who are
repatriated as victims of trafficking?
N/A
K. 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
constraints should be noted, if applicable. Conversely, the
lack of political will to address the problem should be noted
as well.
The St. Vincent and the Grenadines Human Rights Association
(SVGHRA) will work with trafficking victims, if any are
identified. The SVGHRA can provide legal services and
limited aid. It is unknown what sort of cooperation they
would receive from local authorities in assisting trafficking
victims. Marion House can provide counseling services.
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 incentive to address the potential problem.
--------------
Para 30 - Prevention
--------------
5. (SBU)
A. Does the government acknowledge that trafficking is a
problem in the country?
No, since no cases of trafficking have ever been recorded in
the country.
B. Are there, or have there been government-run
anti-trafficking information or education campaigns conducted
during the reporting period?
There are no government-sponsored anti-trafficking campaigns.
C. What is the relationship between government officials,
NGOs, other relevant organizations and other elements of
civil society on the trafficking issue?
There is a somewhat strained working relationship between
government officials and NGOs on promoting human rights, and
there are no collaborations on TIP issues.
D. Does the government monitor immigration and emigration
patterns for evidence of trafficking? Do law enforcement
agencies screen for potential trafficking victims along
borders?
No.
E. 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?
There is no formal mechanism for collaboration across
agencies or departments within the government on TIP issues.
The government does not have a TIP working group or a public
corruption task force.
F. 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?
No.
G. What measures has the government taken during the
reporting period to reduce the demand for commercial sex acts?
None.
H. N/A
I. N/A
OURISMAN