Law enforcement officers better equipped to identify human trafficking

As the Guyana Government, through the Ministerial Task Force on Trafficking in Persons (TIP), move to ensure that perpetrators face the full brunt of the law, officers from various law enforcement agencies as well as stakeholder bodies were recently engaged in a human trafficking capacity-building training session.
During the training exercise held at the Guyana Police Force (GPF) Officers’ Training Centre on Monday, the participants were provided with a clear and comprehensive definition of human trafficking and provided with skills to identify forced labour, sexual exploitation and debt bondage, among others.
Further, they were brought up to speed with the updated Combating of TIP Bill 2023, which lays the foundation for the implementation of a number of new measures to protect the rights of individuals and prevent and combat trafficking of persons within or across the borders of Guyana.

The Act also stipulates that anyone who engages in human trafficking is liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for five years while conviction on an indictment carries a penalty of life imprisonment.
In providing an overview of the training, Permanent Secretary of the Home Affairs Ministry, Andre Ally posited that it is important for law enforcement officers to be acquainted with the legislation to allow for effective implementation.
On this point, he also stated that the requisite knowledge will play a crucial role in building capacity in the National Task Force and other supporting agencies to combat human trafficking in Guyana.
“By familiarising ourselves with indicators of human trafficking and supporting legislation we can become more effective in identifying more potential trafficking situations and responding appropriately. The C-TIP Act provides a robust framework but it is our responsibility to ensure its success,” Ally said.
Ally added that through knowledage sharing Guyana, especially law enforcement officers will be able to increase their footprints in areas known as breeding grounds for human trafficking.
“Strengthening of law enforcement’s ability to investigate and prosecute traffickers which includes provisions for harsher penalties, special investigative techniques inclusive of a mandatory reflection period of victims. And lastly expansion of the Ministerial Task Force to ensure coordinative efforts among government and NGOs (non-government organisations),” he said.
On Monday, the TIP Unit of the Human Services and Social Security Ministry disclosed that migrants in Guyana accounts for 90 per cent of victims who were human trafficked over the last five years here.
According to data provided, the migrants are among approximately 1,446 victims who were identified and supported by the Human Services and Social Security Ministry for several years.
While it was not revealed what countries the victims were from, Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn who commented on the issue, explained that majority of the migrants are usually housed here in mining areas, where they are exploited in exchange for food and basic daily needs.
The issue of prostitution in the mining districts and, in the city, smuggling and other forms of modern-day slavery also still exists.
He explained that while Guyana has made significant strides in countering Trafficking in Persons, there is still a “far way” to go.
Despite this, Guyana has been able to maintain its US Tier 1 Ranking for eight consecutive years, and the country continues to take steps to address this global scourge. (G1)