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Human Trafficking & Modern-day Slavery In the early years of the 21st Century gvnet.com/humantrafficking/Belize.htm
Belize is a source, transit, and
destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of
commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor. The most common form of
trafficking in |
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CAUTION: The following links
have been culled from the web to illuminate the situation in ***
FEATURED ARTICLE *** Jacqueline Godwin for News Five, April 26,
2006 edition.channel5belize.com/archives/9445 [accessed 22 January 2011] SAID MUSA, PRIME
MINISTER
- “ ***
ARCHIVES *** The Department of Labor’s 2004 Findings on
the Worst Forms of Child Labor www.dol.gov/ilab/media/reports/iclp/tda2004/belize.htm [accessed 22 January 2011] INCIDENCE
AND NATURE OF CHILD LABOR - Human Rights
Reports » 2005 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2005/61716.htm [accessed 22 January 2011] TRAFFICKING
IN PERSONS
– During the year the government's efforts to identify trafficking victims
were weakened by inadequate investigation and inspection by authorities.
There were no reliable estimates of the extent of trafficking. There were
reports that women were trafficked to the country from neighboring countries
primarily for prostitution and nude dancing. Victims generally lived in
squalid conditions in the bars where they worked. Some bar owners reportedly
confiscated victims' passports. Agents of the bars and brothels lured women
and girls to the country, and they or taxi drivers along the border delivered
women to brothels. There were reports
of persons trafficked for labor purposes, including instances of Chinese
immigrants being forced to work in local Chinese-owned sweatshops and of
children working in activities such as shining shoes or selling newspapers at
kiosks. Members of the East Indian community also trafficked persons from Concluding Observations of the Committee on
the Rights of the Child (CRC) UN Convention on the Rights of the Child,
28 January 2005 www1.umn.edu/humanrts/crc/belize2005.html [accessed 22 January 2011] [67] The Committee
welcomes the adoption in 2003 of the Trafficking in Persons
(Prohibition) Act, which provides special protection for children, and the
subsequent establishment of a special Task Force to give greater effect to
the implementation of the Act, and notes the State party’s efforts to combat
sexual exploitation of children, for instance, through the “Stamp Out Child
Abuse” campaign. Notwithstanding these positive steps taken by the State
party, the Committee is concerned about the sexual exploitation of children,
child pornography and trafficking of children in Human Trafficking Concerns in the
Commonwealth Caribbean: the 2009 Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI)
[accessed 22 January 2011] 6. THE CARIBBEAN IN
FOCUS - 1. Belize is a
source, transit, and destination country for people (including children)
trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labour.
Internal trafficking for sexual exploitation is also a concern, especially
when poorer families often feel obliged or, pressured to compel girls to
engage in sexual activity in exchange for payment. 2. In 2008 Belize
was placed in Tier 2, however, the 2009 TIP Report has moved Belize into the
Watch List category largely in response to its failure to prosecute human
trafficking offences properly. The government of Belize has made significant
efforts to raise awareness and increase efforts of prevention and protection.
For example, there has been increased anti-trafficking training made
available for police and social workers. There are also government sponsored
residential care facilities available for victims of trafficking and the
government is supportive of local anti-trafficking NGOs. The prosecution of
offenders however remains inadequate and the Report found disturbing
incidences of official involvement in trafficking, often associated with
corruption. 3. Human
trafficking is prohibited under Belize domestic law by the Trafficking in
Persons Prohibition Act of 2003. Punishment for those prosecuted under this
act constitutes one to five years of imprisonment and a $5,000 fine. Tough as
these penalties are, they are not proportionate to penalties for other
serious criminal offences such as rape, which carries a penalty of eight
years to life imprisonment. The laws are also not adequately enforced and
there were no convictions last year despite a number of cases being brought
to trial. As it currently stands one prosecution was dismissed, two remain
pending and another pending appeal. Janelle Chanona, Reporting, News 5,
September 28, 2006 edition.channel5belize.com/archives/8483 [accessed 19 April 2012] The
Musa administration is tonight breathing a sigh of relief following an
announcement by the In June
Belize was one of six countries placed on a Tier Three list by the Organization team up to fight trafficking
in persons Love FM, August 21, 2006 takenwomen.webs.com/apps/blog/show/3330489-carmen-zetina-director-of-immigration-and-nationality [accessed 19 April 2012] Several
organizations have teamed up to fight trafficking in persons or human
trafficking in O.A.S. trains officials to fight human
trafficking Jacqueline Godwin, reporting, News 5,
August 01, 2006 edition.channel5belize.com/archives/8840 [accessed 19 April 2012] The training of
trainers session will arm the participants--mainly law enforcement
officials--with the information to help them be able to identify victims and
perpetrators of the crime. The police, customs and immigration officers are
then expected to include the training in their work place. This latest
initiative—aside from being the right thing to do--is also one more effort to
get Belize off the tier three list established by the U.S. Department of
State in its annual investigation into worldwide human trafficking. Is
progress being made? Police Commissioner Gerald Westby believes the answer is
yes. Annual Report Of Activities By The
Anti-Trafficking In Persons Section Of The Organization Of American States -
April 2005 To March 2006 [DOC] Inter-American Commission Of Women,
Organization Of American States, 27 March 2006 www.procuraduria.gov.do/PGR.NET/RemjaVI/Informes/Ingles.doc [accessed 22 January 2011] Immigration director’s cousin arrested for
trafficking News 5, July 28, 2006 edition.channel5belize.com/archives/8866 [accessed 19 April 2012] Esquivel's story is
that her employer, Zetina, had initially hired her to work in a restaurant.
But shortly after her arrival in Corozal, she was repeatedly asked to
sexually satisfy male patrons at the Caracol Bar. Esquivel claims she said no
to the requests, but that Zetina refused to pay her for her work. When she
went to a friend to get help, Esquivel says she was ambushed and beaten by
persons believed to be acting on her boss's behalf. Extra House businessman busted on alleged
human trafficking Angel Novelo, The Reporter, 30.06.2006 www.reporter.bz/index.php?mod=archive&act=view&article=1248 [Last accessed 22 January 2011] A There have been
widespread reports of several Indian and Chinese businesses operating across
the country known to bring these individuals in to work while witholding
their travel documents. P.M. rebuts News 5, June 07, 2006 edition.channel5belize.com/archives/9190 [accessed 19 April 2012] SAID MUSA, PRIME
MINISTER
- “That Belize is now lumped and almost put in a box so to speak with, Jacqueline Godwin for News Five, April 26,
2006 edition.channel5belize.com/archives/9445 [accessed 22 January 2011] SAID MUSA, PRIME
MINISTER
- “ Salvadoran child may be victim of human
trafficking News 5, April 28, 2006 edition.channel5belize.com/archives/9435 [accessed 19 April 2012] But what would a
small Salvadoran be doing in The Protection Project - The www.protectionproject.org/human_rights_reports/report_documents/belize.doc [accessed 2009] FACTORS THAT
CONTRIBUTE TO THE TRAFFICKING INFRASTRUCTURE - Throughout the Central American
region, “machismo” attitudes are prevalent, and women are often viewed as
sexual objects. Interfamily violence, the breakdown of families, and poverty
push young people to leave their homes and communities to search for better
lives. FORMS OF TRAFFICKING - Many of the
teenage girls and children trafficked into the country from neighboring
Central American countries are forced to work in domestic service, as bar maids,
and in prostitution. Freedom House
Country Report - Political Rights: 1 Civil Liberties: 2 Status: Free 2009 Edition www.freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2009/belize [accessed 26 June 2012] U.S.
Library of Congress - Country Study Library of Congress Call Number F2368 .G893
1993 lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/bztoc.html [accessed 22 January 2011] All
material used herein reproduced under the fair use exception of 17 USC § 107
for noncommercial, nonprofit, and educational use. PLEASE RESPECT COPYRIGHTS OF COMPONENT
ARTICLES. Cite this webpage as: Patt,
Prof. Martin, "Human Trafficking & Modern-day Slavery - |
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Torture in [Belize] [other countries]Human Trafficking in [Belize Street Children in [Belize] [other countries]Child Prostitution in [Belize] [other countries]