TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS (TIP) REPORT: TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

UNCLAS PORT OF SPAIN 000194

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR G/TIP LPENA AND AROFMAN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ELAB KTIP KMAC KCRM KFRD KWMN PGOV PHUM PREF SMIG TD
SUBJECT: TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS (TIP) REPORT: TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

REF: STATE 002094


1. (SBU) In response to reftel, post submits the following
information regarding trafficking in persons in Trinidad and
Tobago.




2. (SBU) Point of Contact: Ebony Custis; (868) 822-5922 v; (868)
822-5984 f. Thirty seven hours of work total by POLoff and POL
Assistant.




3. (SBU) THE COUNTRY'S TIP SITUATION



-- A. What is (are) the source(s) of available information on human
trafficking? What plans are in place (if any) to undertake further
documentation of human trafficking? How reliable are these
sources?



Post's sources of information are generally reliable and include
officials from the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS); the
Ministry of Labor and Small and Micro-Enterprise Development; the
Ministry of Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs; the
Ministry of Social Development; the Attorney General's Human Rights
Unit; the Immigration Division of the Ministry of National
Security; the Director of Public Prosecutions; the Tobago
Secretaries of Tourism, Labor, and Community Development; the
International Labor Organization (ILO); the International
Organization for Migration (IOM); and Non-Governmental
Organizations (NGOs) such as Amnesty International, The Living
Waters Community, and Families in Action. The local press also
occasionally reports on issues involving human trafficking, but
these stories are often inaccurate, sensationalistic, misleading,
confuse trafficking and economic migrants, and generally lack
sufficient specificity and sourcing to judge their accuracy.



-- B. Is the country a country of origin, transit, and/or
destination for men, women, or children subjected to conditions of
commercial sexual exploitation, forced or bonded labor, or other
slave-like conditions? Are citizens or residents of the country
subjected to such trafficking conditions within the country? If
so, does this internal trafficking occur in territory outside of
the government's control (e.g. in a civil war situation)? From
where are people recruited or from where do they migrate prior to
being subjected to these exploitative conditions? To what other
countries are people trafficked and for what purposes? Provide,
where possible, numbers or estimates for each group of trafficking
victims. Have there been any changes in the TIP situation since
the last TIP Report (e.g. changes in destinations)?



Trinidad and Tobago (TT) generally is not a country of origin,
transit, or destination for severe cases of internationally
trafficked persons, and its citizens and residents likewise
generally do not fall victim to trafficking conditions within the
country.



There are reports of women entering Trinidad, primarily from South
America, both legally at ports of entry and clandestinely by boat
for the purpose of working as prostitutes or as domestic servants
without legal authorization, but there have been no cases built
proving that such women were brought to the country involuntarily
or served involuntarily while in the country. A number of these
women, after having been arrested and deported, reportedly return
to Trinidad again due to economic motives.



There have been no changes over the last year regarding the overall
TIP situation in Trinidad and Tobago from the perspective of
possible victims, but the government (GOTT) has taken specific
steps to enhance its capacity to detect potential trafficking,
prosecute any traffickers that would be identified, and protect
possible victims. These efforts are detailed elsewhere in this
response.

-- C. To what kind of conditions are the trafficking victims
subjected?



Because there is little evidence of trafficking, the conditions of
potential victims are difficult to ascertain. Immigration
officials report that some third-country national women believed to
be engaged in prostitution are seen moving freely about the islands
and frequently wire money to their homelands. When arrested, these
women usually request immediate deportation and often are able to
post bail in cash or via wire transfers. As noted above, officials
reported that they are aware of several women from South American
countries who have passed through ports of entry legally multiple
times after having been arrested and deported for prostitution on
various occasions.



-- D. Vulnerability to TIP: Are certain groups of persons more at
risk of human trafficking (e.g. women and children, boys versus
girls, certain ethnic groups, refugees, IDPs, etc.)? If so, please
specify the type of exploitation for which these groups are most at
risk (e.g., girls are more at risk of domestic servitude than
boys).



Speculatively speaking, women may be most likely to be at risk of
human trafficking by being lured to work as prostitutes or to work
in the tourism industry and then convinced to work as prostitutes.
However, government officials report that they have found no cases
where travel or identification documents are held by third persons.



Within the country, though not TIP-related, some minors engage in
sexual activity with men in exchange for money, and there have been
reports of mothers living on the margins of society who have sent
their daughters out to prostitute themselves in order to augment
household income, or who have sold their children for financial
gain or to support drug habits.



-- E. Traffickers and Their Methods: Who are the
traffickers/exploiters? Are they independent business people?
Small or family-based crime groups? Large international organized
crime syndicates? What methods are used to gain direct access to
victims? For example, are the traffickers recruiting victims
through lucrative job offers? Are victims sold by their families,
or approached by friends of friends? Are victims "self-
presenting" (approaching the exploiter without the involvement of a
recruiter or transporter)? If recruitment or transportation is
involved, what methods are used to recruit or transport victims
(e.g., are false documents being used)? Are employment, travel,
and tourism agencies or marriage brokers involved with or fronting
for traffickers or crime groups to traffic individuals?



Accurate assessment of trafficking methods is difficult because of
the paucity of trafficking activity here. Third-country nationals
who engage in prostitution largely appear to be "self presenting"
at ports of entry or to boat drivers along the South American
coastline who, from some points, can reach southeastern Trinidad in
30 minutes. One local newspaper story in 2009 reported that
Trinidadians, some who live in villages along the southwestern
coast, offer transportation inland to those arriving clandestinely.
There is also legal vessel traffic between southern Trinidad and
Venezuela, including the movement of people between villages for
short, legal visits, making it that much harder for authorities to
find both illegal immigrants and trafficked persons.




4. (SBU) SETTING THE SCENE FOR THE GOVERNMENT'S ANTI-TIP EFFORTS



-- A. Does the government acknowledge that human trafficking is a
problem in the country? If not, why not?



Government officials assert that human trafficking in and through
Trinidad and Tobago may exist in some form, perhaps centered in the

illegal sex trade, but if it does, it is extremely rare and in an
"embryonic state." Their actions are directed at assuring that
trafficking does not become a problem. Mindful that there is no
law on the books directly criminalizing human trafficking, the
government formed a working group in 2009 charged with developing a
legal framework consistent with TVPA minimum standards, and has
conducted training among multiple government agencies and
nongovernmental stakeholders to identify possible trafficking
victims and to provide them physical protection and social
services.



-- B. Which government agencies are involved in efforts to combat
sex and labor trafficking - including forced labor - and, which
agency, if any, has the lead in these efforts?



The GOTT has taken an inter-ministerial approach to a redoubled
effort to prevent human trafficking, with the Ministry of National
Security taking lead since all national security, border control
and law enforcement authorities are organized within the Ministry.
Other ministries having a stake in anti-trafficking efforts,
including preventing forced labor, include the Ministry of Social
Development, the Ministry of Labor and the Ministry of the Attorney
General.



-- C. What are the limitations on the government's ability to
address these problems in practice? For example, is funding for
police or other institutions inadequate? Is overall corruption a
problem? Does the government lack the resources to aid victims?

The most significant limitation on the GOTT's ability to address
trafficking issues is the lack of comprehensive legislation that
would make human trafficking a crime and would ensure protection of
trafficking victims. Under current legislation, prosecutors can
only charge alleged perpetrators of trafficking under other laws
related to immigration violations and kidnapping. A working group
was formed by the government in November 2009 to address
legislation, investigative techniques, and protection of victims.
The working group and its subcommittees has met regularly and
formed a policy document to guide the legislative process toward
enacting legislation consistent with TVPA standards.



-- D. To what extent does the government systematically monitor its
anti-trafficking efforts (on all fronts --prosecution, victim
protection, and prevention) and periodically make available,
publicly or privately and directly or through
regional/international organizations, its assessments of these
anti-trafficking efforts?



GOTT has no system for monitoring its anti-trafficking efforts. In
is anticipated that the Crime and Problem Analysis Branch (CAPA) of
TTPS will have responsibility for data collection and analysis
after comprehensive anti-trafficking legislation is enacted.



-- E. What measures has the government taken to establish the
identity of local populations, including birth registration,
citizenship, and nationality?


The domestic legislation of Trinidad and Tobago provides that every
child must be registered immediately after birth.


-- F. To what extent is the government capable of gathering the
data required for an in-depth assessment of law enforcement
efforts? Where are the gaps? Are there any ways to work around
these gaps?



CAPA collects and analyzes crime and investigation statistics, but
shortfalls in human resources sometimes hamper the collection and
analysis of timely and accurate information. The Advance Passenger
Information System (APIS) and the Exit Control System (ECS) improve
the government's capability of gathering data involving
third-country nationals and the movement of citizens from the
country, and the police maintain a relatively high rate of closing

missing persons cases.




5. (SBU) INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION OF TRAFFICKERS



-- A. Existing Laws against TIP: Does the country have a law or
laws specifically prohibiting trafficking in persons -- both sexual
exploitation and labor? If so, please specifically cite the name
of the law(s) and its date of enactment and provide the exact
language [actual copies preferable] of the TIP provisions. Please
provide a full inventory of trafficking laws, including
non-criminal statutes that allow for civil penalties against
alleged trafficking crimes (e.g., civil forfeiture laws and laws
against illegal debt). Does the law(s) cover both internal and
transnational forms of trafficking? If not, under what other laws
can traffickers be prosecuted? For example, are there laws against
slavery or the exploitation of prostitution by means of force,
fraud, or coercion? Are these other laws being used in trafficking
cases?



There is no formal legislation specifically prohibiting trafficking
in persons, but the GOTT established a working group in November
2009 to address trafficking issues that has drafted a policy
document to be used by the government in drafting legislation
consistent with TVPA standards.



Activities involving alleged trafficking currently must be
prosecuted as related offenses such as abduction, rape, unlawful
detention, money laundering, kidnapping, illegal adoption, murder
and corruption. Existing legislation that could be used to
prosecute crimes associated with human trafficking are the Offences
Against the Person Act 1925, the Children Act of 1925, the Children
Amendment Act, the Summary Offences Act, the Sexual Offences Act
and the Transnational Organized Crime Convention of 2007.



The law also mandates that teachers, parents and medical
practitioners report to the police all sexual crimes against
children if they reasonably believe that a sexual crime has been
committed.



The International Child Abduction Act of 2008 established a Civil
Child Abduction Authority that would protect children
internationally from the harmful effects of their wrongful removal
or retention and to establish procedures to ensure their prompt
return to the State of their habitual residence, as well as to
secure protection for rights of access. This is the required
implementing legislation to give effect to the 1980 Hague
Convention on the civil aspects of international child abduction.



-- B. Punishment of Sex Trafficking Offenses: What are the
prescribed and imposed penalties for the trafficking
of persons for commercial sexual exploitation, including for the
forced prostitution of adults and the prostitution of children?



There is no law for trafficking of persons for commercial sexual
exploitation. The offense of procuring a person for prostitution is
prohibited under Section 17(B) of the Sexual offences Act, which
carries a maximum prison term of fifteen years.

-- C. Punishment of Labor Trafficking Offenses: What are the
prescribed and imposed penalties for labor trafficking offenses,
including all forms of forced labor? If your country is a source
country for labor migrants, do the government's laws provide for
criminal punishment -- i.e. jail time -- for labor recruiters who
engage in recruitment of workers using knowingly fraudulent or
deceptive offers with the purpose of subjecting workers to
compelled service in the destination country? If your country is a
destination for labor migrants (legal/regular or
illegal/irregular),are there laws punishing employers or labor
agents who confiscate workers' passports or travel documents for
the purpose of labor trafficking, switch contracts without the
worker's consent as a means to keep the worker in a state of
compelled service, or withhold payment of salaries as means of

keeping the worker in a state of compelled service?



There is no law against labor trafficking offenses, and forced
labor is not considered to be practiced on any scale.

-- D. What are the prescribed penalties for rape or forcible sexual
assault?



The penalty for rape or forcible sexual assault is up to life
imprisonment depending on the nature of the offense.



-- E. Law Enforcement Statistics: Did the government take legal
action against human trafficking offenders during the reporting
period? If so, provide numbers of investigations, prosecutions,
convictions, and sentences imposed, including details on plea
bargains and fines, if relevant and available. Please note the
number of convicted trafficking offenders who received suspended
sentences and the number who received only a fine as punishment.
Please indicate which laws were used to investigate, prosecute,
convict, and sentence traffickers. Also, if possible, please
disaggregate numbers of cases by type of TIP (labor vs. commercial
sexual exploitation) and victims (children under 18 years of age
vs. adults). What were the actual punishments imposed on
convicted trafficking offenders? Are they serving the time
sentenced? If not, why not?



Police and Immigration authorities launched a joint investigation
in late 2009 into human trafficking allegations made by an
unidentified third-country national who has been taken into
protective custody until he or she can be safely returned home.
The government began extradition proceedings in February 2010
against an Iranian national wanted for human trafficking in the
Netherlands.

-- F. Does the government provide any specialized training for law
enforcement and immigration officials on identifying and treating
victims of trafficking? Or training on investigating and
prosecuting human trafficking crimes? Specify whether NGOs,
international organizations, and/or the USG provide specialized
training for host government officials.



Consistent with a recommendation made in the 2009 TIP report, the
government has increased training for police, immigration officers,
prison officials, Defense Force staff, and members of the Special
Anti-Crime Unit of Trinidad and Tobago (SAUTT) conducted by the
IOM. As part of their training, officers are sensitized to human
trafficking and smuggling and are introduced to basic techniques of
victim identification, investigative interviewing, profiling,
imposter detection and fraudulent document identification.



Manuals prepared by the IOM and paid for by the Department of State
outline procedures for combating trafficking and smuggling are
utilized by both the immigration authorities and the Trinidad and
Tobago Police Service.



The government's working group on trafficking issues launched in
November 2009 also made sensitization, training and public
awareness a mandate of one of the group's subcommittees, which
coordinated training in victim identification, interviewing and
services to a range of government offices and nongovernmental
stakeholders.


--G. Does the government cooperate with other governments in the
investigation and prosecution of trafficking cases? If possible,
provide the number of cooperative international investigations on
trafficking during the reporting period.



From Jan 26-27 2009, under the auspices of the IOM, representatives
of the government of Trinidad and Tobago met with representatives
of the government of Colombia in Bogota to discuss the issue of
human trafficking and economic/other migration. The session was

designed to facilitate dialogue and to strengthen coordination
mechanisms between the countries. Officials from various agencies
discussed human trafficking in the Caribbean within a Trinidad and
Colombia context, including issues such as identifying and
assisting victims of trafficking; methods to the detect any
trafficking networks that may develop between Colombia and Trinidad
and Tobago including traffickers' profiles and modus operandi as
well as law enforcement responses, investigations and prosecutions
through collaborative efforts; providing emergency shelter
assistance to victims and allowing victims to return home
voluntary; and the return and reintegration process in Colombia.


-- H. Does the government extradite persons who are charged with
trafficking in other countries? If so, please provide the number
of traffickers extradited during the reporting period, and the
number of trafficking extraditions pending. In particular, please
report on any pending or concluded extraditions of trafficking
offenders to the United States.



The Extradition (Commonwealth and Foreign Territories) Act governs
extradition between Trinidad and Tobago and declared Commonwealth
and other foreign territories under the Act. No traffickers were
extradited during the reporting period, but on February 10, 2010 an
Iranian male was ordered to be extradited to the Netherlands where
he is wanted for human trafficking.


-- I. Is there evidence of government involvement in or tolerance
of trafficking, on a local or institutional level? If so, please
explain in detail.



There is no evidence of government involvement in or tolerance of
trafficking on a local or institutional level.


-- J. If government officials are involved in human trafficking,
what steps has the government taken to end such complicity? Please
indicate the number of government officials investigated and
prosecuted for involvement in trafficking or trafficking-related
criminal activities during the reporting period. Have any been
convicted? What sentence(s) was imposed? Please specify if
officials received suspended sentences, or were given a fine,
fired, or reassigned to another position within the government as
punishment. Please indicate the number of convicted officials that
received suspended sentences or received only a fine as punishment.



N/A

-- K. For countries that contribute troops to international
peacekeeping efforts, please indicate whether the government
vigorously investigated, prosecuted, convicted and sentenced
nationals of the country deployed abroad as part of a peacekeeping
or other similar mission who engaged in or facilitated severe forms
of trafficking or who exploited victims of such trafficking.


N/A



-- L. If the country has an identified problem of child sex
tourists coming to the country, what are the countries of origin
for sex tourists? How many foreign pedophiles did the government
prosecute or deport/extradite to their country of origin? If your
host country's nationals are perpetrators of child sex tourism, do
the country's child sexual abuse laws have extraterritorial
coverage (similar to the U.S. PROTECT Act) to allow the prosecution
of suspected sex tourists for crimes committed abroad? If so, how
many of the country's nationals were prosecuted and/or convicted
during the reporting period under the extraterritorial provision(s)
for traveling to other countries to engage in child sex tourism?


Child sex tourism is not considered a problem in Trinidad and
Tobago and no prosecutions related to sex tourism were reported.




6. (SBU) PROTECTION AND ASSISTANCE TO VICTIMS

-- A. What kind of protection is the government able under
existing law to provide for victims and witnesses? Does it provide
these protections in practice?



Police and Immigration authorities worked jointly to investigate
claims of trafficking made in late 2009 by a third-country national
that was not currently residing legally in Trinidad and Tobago.
Immigration officials placed the individual in protective custody
while the investigation was pending. GOTT's TIP manual includes
guidelines for the protection of TIP victims as well as victim
assistance, and the newly formed working group on trafficking
issues has a subcommittee dedicated to the development of new
policies and procedures for victim protection and assistance.

-- B. Does the country have victim care facilities (shelters or
drop-in centers) which are accessible to trafficking victims? Do
foreign victims have the same access to care as domestic
trafficking victims? Where are child victims placed (e.g., in
shelters, foster care, or juvenile justice detention centers)?
Does the country have specialized care for adults in addition to
children? Does the country have specialized care for male victims
as well as female? Does the country have specialized facilities
dedicated to helping victims of trafficking? Are these facilities
operated by the government or by NGOs? What is the funding source
of these facilities? Please estimate the amount the government
spent (in U.S. dollar equivalent) on these specialized facilities
dedicated to helping trafficking victims during the reporting
period.



Counseling and shelter services provided by NGOs and partially
funded by the government should be equally available to trafficking
victims as to other victims of violence or dangerous circumstances.
The Immigration Detention Center was opened in November 2009 to
house adult male immigrants pending removal proceedings, and anyone
claiming to be the victim of trafficking would be placed in
protective custody.


-- C. Does the government provide trafficking victims with access
to legal, medical and psychological services? If so, please
specify the kind of assistance provided. Does the government
provide funding or other forms of support to foreign or domestic
NGOs and/or international organizations for providing these
services to trafficking victims? Please explain and provide any
funding amounts in U.S. dollar equivalent. If assistance provided
was in-kind, please specify exact assistance. Please specify if
funding for assistance comes from a federal budget or from regional
or local governments.



The government has not provided specific services to trafficking
victims, largely because such victims have not been identified.



Consistent with a recommendation included in the 2009 TIP report,
the government is developing policy guidelines to offer shelter,
protection, repatriation, assistance in replacing travel documents,
counseling and social services, medical services, and interpreter
assistance to any trafficking victims that might be identified in
the future.



The GOTT does not provide funding or other forms of support to
foreign or domestic NGOs for services to TIP victims, though some
NGOs may receive funding for related services. However, since
trafficking activities could be charged under other, related
criminal offices, victims of certain crimes under the Sexual
Offenses Act, for example, could receive benefits pursuant to the
Criminal Injuries Compensation Act No. 21 of 1999 that established
a system of state assistance for crime victims.


-- D. Does the government assist foreign trafficking victims, for
example, by providing temporary to permanent residency status, or
other relief from deportation? If so, please explain.


Because most foreign nationals arrested for prostitution or
immigration violations tend to seek expedited removal from the
country and do not allege that they were trafficked, the government

has not provided any particular relief from removal, but assistance
is provided to obtain airline tickets and travel documents.


-- E. Does the government provide longer-term shelter or housing
benefits to victims or other resources to aid the victims in
rebuilding their lives?



The government currently does not provide longer-term shelter or
housing benefits to victims nor do they provide other resources to
aid the victims in rebuilding their lives. These services are
offered by NGOs.


-- F. Does the government have a referral process to transfer
victims detained, arrested or placed in protective custody by law
enforcement authorities to institutions that provide short- or
long-term care (either government or NGO-run)?

There is no specific referral process.



-- G. What is the total number of trafficking victims identified
during the reporting period? (If available, please specify the
type of exploitation of these victims - e.g. "The government
identified X number of trafficking victims during the reporting
period, Y or which were victims of trafficking for sexual
exploitation and Z of which were victims of nonconsensual labor
exploitation.) Of these, how many victims were referred to care
facilities for assistance by law enforcement authorities during the
reporting period? By social services officials? What is the
number of victims assisted by government-funded assistance programs
and those not funded by the government during the reporting period?



One person was identified as a potential/potential trafficking
victim during the reporting period. The type of exploitation is not
known, neither is the person's home of origin, and the matter is
under investigation by both the police and Immigration Service to
see if this is really a trafficking case or some other type of
matter.


-- H. Do the government's law enforcement, immigration, and social
services personnel have a formal system of proactively identifying
victims of trafficking among high-risk persons with whom they come
in contact (e.g., foreign persons arrested for prostitution or
immigration violations)? For countries with legalized
prostitution, does the government have a mechanism for screening
for trafficking victims among persons involved in the
legal/regulated commercial sex trade?



GOTT's TIP investigation manual outlines best practices for victim
profiling and identification.



Consistent with a recommendation in the 2009 TIP report, the
government's trafficking working group has been working to
establish a formalized system to identify trafficking victims that
would include stakeholders such as hotel managers and staff.
Additionally, the government is in the process of establishing a
hotline to further improve the identification process.

-- I. Are the rights of victims respected? Are trafficking victims
detained or jailed? If so, for how long? Are victims fined? Are
victims prosecuted for violations of other laws, such as those
governing immigration or prostitution?



The rights of victims are generally respected, although the
government reports that no one, either a citizen or a foreign
national, charged with prostitution has ever alleged to have been
trafficked in any form. Regardless, the GOTT generally provides a
certified interpreter for questioning and those considered
vulnerable to violence are held in safe houses and returned to
their habitual residence as quickly as possible.

-- J. Does the government encourage victims to assist in the
investigation and prosecution of trafficking? How many victims
assisted in the investigation and prosecution of traffickers during

the reporting period? May victims file civil suits or seek legal
action against traffickers? Does anyone impede victim access to
such legal redress? If a victim is a material witness in a court
case against a former employer, is the victim permitted to obtain
other employment or to leave the country pending trial proceedings?
Are there means by which a victim may obtain restitution?



The GOTT encourages victims of all crimes to assist in any
investigation and prosecution. Although there have been no TIP
prosecutions, the GOTT has provided safety for detainees that have
offered testimony for alleged violations of the sexual offenses
act.


-- K. Does the government provide any specialized training for
government officials in identifying trafficking victims and in the
provision of assistance to trafficked victims, including the
special needs of trafficked children? Does the government provide
training on protections and assistance to its embassies and
consulates in foreign countries that are destination or transit
countries? What is the number of trafficking victims assisted by
the host country's embassies or consulates abroad during the
reporting period? Please explain the type of assistance provided
(travel documents, referrals to assistance, payment for
transportation home).

The GOTT through its partnership with the IOM has provided training
seminars on trafficking in persons and has sent GOTT officials on
training with the aim of enhancing the technical skills of service
providers and law enforcement officers. 195 Immigration officers,
240 police officers and 84 other officers from the Ministry of
National Security attended courses ranging from investigative
interviewing and evidence gathering to Train the Trainer. The GOTT
does not provide specific human trafficking assistance to its
embassies or consulates abroad.



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

The GOTT does not have an established system for providing
shelters, services, or any other resource for trafficking victims.
NGOs such as the Living Waters Community, which does receive some
government funding for its overall work, would provide these
services.



-- M. 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?


The NGO Living Waters Community provides shelter, medical services,
counseling, translation services to a wide range of mostly women
and children in dangerous situations.




7. (SBU) PREVENTION



-- A. Did the government conduct anti-trafficking information or
education campaigns during the reporting period? If so, briefly
describe the campaign(s),including their objectives and
effectiveness. Please provide the number of people reached by such
awareness efforts, if available. Do these campaigns target
potential trafficking victims and/or the demand for trafficking
(e.g. "clients" of prostitutes or beneficiaries of forced labor)?
(Note: This can be an especially noteworthy effort where
prostitution is legal.)



The government did not conduct any anti-trafficking campaigns
during the reporting period, but the Ministry of National Security
funded the distribution of drug trafficking awareness posters that
warned against the consequences of swallowing drugs for smuggling
purposes. The government may use that model for future anti-human
trafficking campaigns, and plans to implement a hotline.

-- B. Does the government monitor immigration and emigration
patterns for evidence of trafficking?

The Immigration (Advance Passenger Information) Act of 2008, allows
the government to monitor immigration and emigration patterns for
all passengers, but we are not aware that it has been used as a
method to determine any human trafficking patterns.


-- C. 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?



The government announced the formation of a task force in November
that meets on a monthly basis to enact legislation and practices
consistent with the 2009 TIP report, and a anti-trafficking "unit"
is being designed, likely within the Ministry of National Security
but with inter-ministerial collaboration.


-- D. Does the government have a national plan of action to address
trafficking in persons? If the plan was developed during the
reporting period, which agencies were involved in developing it?
Were NGOs consulted in the process? What steps has the government
taken to implement the action plan?



On September 30, 2009, the government announced the establishment
of an inter-ministerial task force to oversee the implementation of
a nine-month plan to prevent human trafficking in Trinidad and
Tobago. The task force is comprised of representatives from the
Ministries of Health, Labor, Attorney General, Foreign Affairs,
National Security (including Trinidad and Tobago Police Service,
Prison Service, Immigration Division, Special Anti-Crime Unit, and
International Affairs Unit),the Tobago House of Assembly, local
non-governmental, faith-based and community based organizations,
and the IOM.



The task force organized three subcommittees - one to draft policy
and legislation, one to develop protocols on information exchange
and victim assistance, and one to raise public awareness. Goals of
the task force include the criminalization of trafficking in
persons through prosecution and the prevention of the emergence of
trafficking as a significant problem in Trinidad and Tobago. The
task force is responsible for implementing and systematizing a
referral process to identify and assist victims, establishing a
hotline to field calls pertaining to human trafficking and
conducting a nation-wide information campaign.



-- E: Required of all Posts: What measures has the government taken
during the reporting period to reduce the demand for commercial sex
acts? (please see ref B, para. 9(3) for examples)



Commercial sex acts are illegal in Trinidad and Tobago. Those
involved in this crime are prosecuted under the Sexual Offenses
Act.

-- F. Required of all Posts: What measures has the government taken
during the reporting period to reduce the participation in
international child sex tourism by nationals of the country?


None. Child sex tourism is not identified as a problem in Trinidad
and Tobago or an offense committed by its citizens elsewhere.




8. (SBU) PARTNERSHIPS



Secretary Clinton has identified a fourth "P", Partnerships,
recognizing that governments' partnerships with other government
and elements of civil society are key to effective anti-TIP
strategies. Although the 2010 Report will include references
and/or descriptions of these partnerships, they will not be
considered in the determining the tier rankings, except in cases
where a partnership contributes to the government's efforts to

implement the TVPA's minimum standards.

-- A. Does the government engage with other governments, civil
society, and/or multilateral organizations to focus attention and
devote resources to addressing human trafficking? If so, please
provide details.



From Jan 26-27 2009, under the auspices of the IOM, representatives
of the government of Trinidad and Tobago met with representatives
of the government of Colombia in Bogota to discuss the issue of
human trafficking. The session was to facilitate dialogue and to
strengthen coordination mechanisms between the countries regarding
any incidents of human trafficking. The government also coordinated
training of officials from a number of agencies through the IOM,
and provides such training to nongovernmental stakeholder groups as
it worked with them on new policy and procedural guidelines through
the government's working group on trafficking.



-- B. What sort of international assistance does the government
provide to other countries to address TIP?



N/A
Kusnitz