Jamaican authorities rescue human trafficking victims
More than a dozen people, half of them female, were smuggled from other Caribbean countries and as far as India.
KINGSTON, Jamaica, Wednesday April 20, 2011 – National Security Minister Dwight Nelson says the police’s Trafficking in Persons Unit rescued 14 human trafficking victims, including a minor, who were smuggled from Panama, Guyana, the Dominican Republic, and India between September 2010 and last month.
He says seven of the victims were female.
Nelson spoke about the work of the Unit as he sought to assure that the government was committed to eliminating the problem of human trafficking in the country.
“The Government of Jamaica rejects this dastardly form of criminality and we are prepared to participate in every programme, and be part of every effort to break the back of this problem. The chilling truth is that human trafficking is a crime against humanity,” he said.
Nelson said that even though Jamaica’s standing has improved from a Tier three to a Tier two ranking in the US Department of State’s Annual Trafficking in Persons Report, the Government would not be satisfied until the country is ranked at the highest level, Tier one.
He said that adequately tackling the problem of trafficking in humans not only requires a multi-sectoral, but a multi-national response, given its complex nature.
“Given the multiple and complex forms of human trafficking , Jamaica needs to arm itself with relevant information and anti-trafficking tactics to lower and eventually eradicate this crime,” the Minister asserted.
Senator Nelson said that despite limited resources, the Government has begun the refurbishment of shelters and provided other supporting mechanisms to assist victims of human trafficking.
He said that legislation enacted by the Government, such as the Child Care and Protection Act, the Offences Against the Person Act, the Aliens Act, and the Labour Officers Act are also important in the thrust to address trafficking in persons.
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