Trafficking in Trinbago

The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (Trinbago) is situated in the southern Caribbean, just off the coast of Venezuela. Its location makes it a popular trans-shipment point for illegal activities such as narcotics and arms and ammunition stemming from South America and bound for North America.

The islands are also a destination country for various illicit activities. One such activity is Trafficking In Persons or human trafficking. International agencies have identified that persons have been trafficked into and within Trinidad and Tobago for the purposes of sexual exploitation, forced labour and domestic servitude.

The recent explosion of the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela has led to a massive influx in nationals of that beleaguered nation into Trinidad and Tobago. An estimated 40,000 Venezuelans now reside there, many arriving through illegal and unauthorized ports of entry. Since only 16,000 of them registered with the government under a May 2019 amnesty, tens of thousands of them are ineligible for legal employment and therefore vulnerable to trafficking and exploitation in the "underground economy".

Unfortunately, some of the Venezuelan females have been trafficked into the sex trade due to the strong male demand for commercial sex in the twin-island republic. Some of the Venezuelan men work diligently in construction and related fields. while others are swept into the criminal underworld, where their military training is highly valued.

The Trafficking In Persons Act of 2011 (Chap. 12:10) only took effect on 2nd January 2013. Therefore, the crime is a relatively new one and there are many misconceptions about it among law enforcement, civil society organisations and the wider society.

With this app, users can gain a better understanding of the nature of the crime of human trafficking in Trinidad and Tobago (Trinbago). They will also access resources such as the Trafficking In Persons Act, information on how youth are targeted as victims of trafficking and how to respond to this serious violation of human rights.

The app provides users with links and free downloads of valuable information which they can share with friends, relatives or other interested persons. In this way, we hope to reduce the number of vulnerable persons who may be tricked into a trafficking situation.

Most importantly, the app enables users to click to call or click to email a report of possible trafficking to the authorities, including the Counter-Trafficking Unit (CTU) of the Ministry of National Security.

The CTU has, to its credit, worked diligently to track down and bring to justice many alleged human traffickers and brought freedom to scores of trafficking victims since 2013. Their hotline number is (868) 800-4288.