WHILE 102 individuals have been identified as victims of human trafficking in Trinidad and Tobago, one person has been convicted on this heinous criminal activity, learnt a forum to mark Human Rights Day held on December 10 at the Brix Hotel, Cascadia.
It was hosted by the UNHCR and the Counter Trafficking Unit (CTU) of the Ministry of National Security.
CTU head Allan Meiguel said he expected to see an increase in the number of individuals getting convicted for human-trafficking, replying to Newsday in the question-and-answer session.
Newsday cited the CTU’s 2022 Annual Report on Trafficking in Persons in TT recently laid in the House of Representatives which said in the decade 2013-2022, some 102 trafficking victims were identified of whom 92 people were subject to sexual exploitation including prostitution and ten people to forced labour. Of these victims, 30 were minors, namely six victims were aged 0-14 and 24 aged 15-17. Eighty per cent were from Venezuela, six per cent Guyana, five per cent Colombia and three per cent India, among other places.
The report indicated 63 people charged for human trafficking, but with zero convictions up to 2022, although a TT male was later convicted.
Calculations from figures in the 2022 report suggested 42 cases were then at the preliminary inquiry stage, nine people were committed to stand trial at the High Court, seven matters were dismissed, two accused were killed, one person pleaded guilty to immigration offences, and in 2022 one was committed to stand trial and one matter was discharged.
Newsday asked how well TT was doing in countering trafficking.
Meiguel said between the passing of the Trafficking in Persons Act 211 and implementation of the CTU in 2013, the unit had been building its capacity. “In building that capacity, we started to see the networks, we started to make the arrests, we started to develop and so on.
“It so happened that one of the reasons why we were stuck at the Tier Two Watchlist was because we had no convictions. And do you know who was responsible for the first conviction in TT? Our dear deputy (referring to CTU deputy director Dane-Marie Marshall).
“What was required was a reconfiguration of the various institutions to ensure the response rate was stronger.”
For example, he said the Judiciary recently introduced the provisions of the Administration of Justice (Indictable Proceedings) Act 2011 to eliminate preliminary inquiries and so speed up trials.
“At the DPP’s (Director of Public Prosecutions’) Office, he has set aside dedicated prosecutors to assist the Counter Trafficking Unit.
“The judges and magistrates and so on have been sensitised to the intricacies of trafficking in persons.
“Now I am seeing an up-tick in terms of interdiction for those who perpetrate trafficking in persons. Of the matters before the court we are excited because we have trials taking place and we expect to see results soon. So it is a work in progress and from what I have seen of the numbers, it has excited me to the point where I am enco
