{"id":19795,"date":"2012-03-26T09:50:35","date_gmt":"2012-03-26T13:50:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/?p=19795"},"modified":"2012-03-28T11:05:47","modified_gmt":"2012-03-28T15:05:47","slug":"bahamas-a-hub-for-human-trafficking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/2012\/03\/bahamas-a-hub-for-human-trafficking","title":{"rendered":"The Bahamas Is A Hub For Human Trafficking"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
Front row seated from left: Permanent Secretary, Ministry of National Security Carl Smith; Missouri Sherman-Peter, Ministry of National Security\u2019s Inter-Ministerial Committee; Minister of National Security, The Hon. Tommy Turnquest; U.S. Charg\u00e9 d\u2019 Affaires, John Dinkelman and Dir. of Public Prosecutions, Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Legal Affairs Vinette Graham-Allen flanked by members of the Ministry of National Security\u2019s Inter-Ministerial Committee.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

NASSAU, The Bahamas — Bahamian law enforcement and national security officials are continuing to put the necessary mechanisms in place to ensure that human smuggling operations do not go unpunished and\/or unnoticed in The Bahamas, Minister of National Security the Hon. O.A.T. \u201cTommy\u201d Turnquest said Friday.<\/p>\n

Mr. Turnquest said women and girls are \u201cdisproportionately represented\u201d among the millions of persons estimated to be victims of international human smuggling operations \u2013 an industry that continues to expand around the world and is estimated to generate profits in the \u201cbillions of dollars.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr. Turnquest said while no victim of trafficking in persons has been identified or has come forward in The Bahamas \u201cto date\u201d, law enforcement and national security officials are putting in place the necessary mechanisms designed to prosecute persons guilty of committing those crimes when they are found.<\/p>\n

The National Security Minister underscored one of the differences between human smuggling – or trafficking in persons and illegal immigration. He said while trafficking in persons involves \u2013 among other things \u2013 force or coercion and fraud, migrant smuggling is of a more voluntary nature.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven as we take action to meet our trafficking in persons obligations, we are mindful of the compelling challenges we face in the area,\u201d Mr. Turnquest said.<\/p>\n

Addressing a three-day Trafficking in Persons Workshop conducted by the United States Embassy, Nassau, Mr. Turnquest said The Bahamas has traditionally been, and continues to be, a target for significant illegal immigration.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are mindful, however, that in significant migratory flows there may very well be actual or potential victims of trafficking in persons and we do not underestimate this possibility,\u201d Mr. Turnquest added.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo cause people to work under inhumane conditions, in fear, and without due compensation is a fundamental violation of human rights. The destructive effects on the lives of victims of human trafficking are self evident,\u201d Mr. Turnquest added.<\/p>\n

The National Security Minister said the Government of The Bahamas has undertaken a \u201cwhole system\u201d approach to training and capacity building within the country\u2019s law enforcement, national security and public service sectors, in addition to non-governmental agencies and organisations.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Government of The Bahamas is cognisant that this is an area in which we can work in sealed compartments. Our approach is intended to make certain that officials of concerned ministries and agencies, and representatives of civil society, appreciate the full range of activities involved in successfully preventing, suppressing and punishing persons involved (in the business) of trafficking in persons.<\/p>\n

\u201cImportantly, it is to make certain that all are aware of the role that they must play in relation to the other so that our anti-trafficking initiatives are coherent and have the desired impact.\u201d<\/p>\n

Additionally, he said, Cabinet established an Inter-Ministry of Trafficking in Persons in 2011. Mr. Turnquest said the committee continues to make \u201cgood progress\u201d in their mandate to recommend action to strengthen the country\u2019s anti-trafficking initiatives.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust two days ago, the TIP Committee \u2013 together with the Women\u2019s Advisory Council and the Bureau of Women\u2019s Affairs of the Ministry of Labour and Social Development held a Public Forum on trafficking in Persons to raise awareness of this critical matter,\u201d Mr. Turnquest added.<\/p>\n

By Matt Maura
\nBahamas Information Services<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Illegal immigration and human trafficking has always been, and continues to be, a problem in the Bahamas.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":45,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_10223285771444175_51037792744":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[100,31,286],"class_list":["post-19795","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-headlines","tag-caribbean-2","tag-crime","tag-human-trafficking"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19795","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/45"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19795"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19795\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19795"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19795"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19795"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}