With more than 20 million people today trapped in human trafficking, also called modern slavery, it is a crime that happens almost everywhere and affects virtually everyone. Yet many still think of human trafficking as an issue affecting only other people, in other countries. The truth is it affects you; it affects us all. And it exists, throughout the region, including on the islands of Curaçao, Aruba, Sint Maarten, and in the United States.
Victims of human trafficking, whether of sex trafficking or forced labour, come from a variety of backgrounds, and their stories often begin with aspirations for a better life and a lack of options to fulfil them. Traffickers exploit this reality. In particular, people seeking employment opportunities – at home or abroad – face the risk of fraudulent and abusive recruitment that can lead to human trafficking.
The 2016 Trafficking in Persons Report, released by Secretary Kerry on June 30, highlights these risks and the actions governments, businesses, and consumers can take to combat human trafficking. Each of us can make a difference.
Governments – including the U.S. government – must continue to combat human trafficking in all its forms through strong law enforcement efforts and effective victim protection, as well as with policies to prevent trafficking.
For the first time, Sint Maarten has been highlighted as a Tier One country in the Secretary’s Trafficking in Persons report, meaning that the Government of Sint Maarten fully met the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking during the reporting period. In 2015, the government conducted one of the largest human trafficking investigations in Sint Maarten’s history, which led to the arrest of six suspects on charges of human trafficking; the rescue of 14 sex trafficking victims; and, following close cooperation with authorities in the Dominican Republic, identification of 35 additional victims previously employed by the brothel.
The government continued to implement a victim-centred approach for providing services to identified trafficking victims and increased efforts on awareness programmes to prevent human trafficking.
This is an extraordinary moment for the advocates, law enforcement officers, and government employees of Sint Maarten, who are working tirelessly every day to prosecute traffickers, protect victims, and prevent human trafficking. Their work and coordination has made this possible, and we applaud their efforts. But the work is far from over, and there is still much more to be done.
Individuals also have an important role to play in the fight against human trafficking. Report suspicious activity to law enforcement and educate yourselves about the signs of human trafficking. Be a conscientious and informed consumer. For more information on what you can do to help fight human trafficking, please visit the State Department’s website: http://www.state.gov/j/tip/id/help/.
U.S. Consul-General Margaret D. Hawthorne
