While only on a small scale, The Bahamas has been identified by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) as an at-risk destination point for human trafficking.
“There certainly has been evidence on a small scale in which persons have either been trafficked through The Bahamas or actually [arrive in the country],” Ashley Garrett, project manager for Trafficking in Persons IOM Regional Office in Washington, D.C., told the Bahama Journal on Wednesday.
Human trafficking involves victims who are typically forced, defrauded or coerced into various forms of exploitation in which men, women and children are treated as inexpensive, expendable and profitable commodities used for the purpose of financial gain, according to officials.
A recent IOM Caribbean research report, which focused on seven countries including Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, the Netherlands Antilles, St. Lucia, Suriname and The Bahamas, pointed to this concern.
The research team reportedly conducted 40 key informant interviews regarding The Bahamas.
IOM researchers interviewed the Organization of American States representative and the Haitian ambassador to discuss trafficking in persons through The Bahamas.
“In New Providence, Abaco and Eleuthera, 18 percent, 2 percent and 50 percent of the key informants respectively were aware of forced labour situations,” the 263 page Exploratory Assessment of Trafficking in Persons in Caribbean Region report said.
“In The Bahamas, trafficked persons for forced labour are thought to be employed largely for domestic servitude, agricultural and construction purposes.”
Approximately 32 percent of the key informants from New Providence thought that forced domestic servitude existed.
One replied, “In a case of another friend (she) was forced to work again for little pay. She lived with the family working for three to four months now.'”
The comprehensive report added that an informant who was familiar with trafficking in The Bahamas believed that trafficked persons endure significant forms of abuse and exploitation and typically receive low wages, work long hours and are often forced to perform more duties than what was initially agreed.
Two other informants believed that the lack of proper documents makes trafficked persons vulnerable, often being threatened with deportation.
According to the report, when asked if the trade in human beings is linked to the demand for cheap domestic labour, many informants believed it was.
One informant answered, “Yes, definitely. For one, us Bahamians would not work for them under these circumstances – seven days a week, no day off and pay below the minimum wage. The law does not include domestic workers in its minimum wage category and people (employers) take advantage of this fact.”
Another informant stated, “There is a lot of that going on here. Exploiting them for cheap labour, for example, in construction. They work harder for less pay.”
Local immigration officials believe there may have been an attempt to traffic two young girls into The Bahamas just last week.
Officials said the minors arrived at Nassau International Airport from Jamaica unaccompanied by an adult.
Authorities however contacted the girls’ relatives back in Jamaica, and the pair was eventually returned home.
In an interview with the Bahama Journal on Wednesday, Director of Immigration Vernon Burrows noted that while human trafficking may not be a prevalent problem in The Bahamas, immigration officials would be naïve to believe that modern-day slavery in this country is not taking place at all.
He said his officers are being trained to detect possible trafficking through the nation’s borders.
“The best we can do is train all the agencies involved – immigration, customs and police as well as those persons involved in social services,” Mr. Burrows said.
Later this year, officials are expected to launch an information campaign to sensitize the public on possible cases of trafficking through The Bahamas.
Ms. Garrett said if left unaddressed, human trafficking could destabilize countries like The Bahamas.
“It is important to continue to understand that the trafficking of persons is a criminal activity, so it would undermine a community’s rule of law with criminal activities,” she explained.
“It looks to undermine the labour sector by having illegitimate and exploitative forms of labour. Certainly, you will begin to identify victims in need of assistance and all of these will lead to destabilizing the country.”
She added, “It is important to strengthen the tools that your law enforcement officials can have to be able to investigate crimes, identify victims and be able to prosecute traffickers and then because we definitely have identified some cases of trafficking, you want to be able to provide some level of assistance for victims.”
By: Macushla N. Pinder, The Bahama Journal
