VZCZCXRO2493
PP RUEHGR
DE RUEHWN #0264/01 0602240
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 012240Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4296
INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE
RUEAHLC/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 BRIDGETOWN 000264 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR G/TIP, G, INL, DRL, PRM, AND WHA/CAR 
STATE PASS TO USAID/LAC/CAR-RILEY 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KCRM PHUM KWMN ELAB SMIG ASEC KFRD PREF VC XL
SUBJECT: TIP SUBMISSION - ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES 
 
REF: 06 STATE 202745 
 
¶1.  (U) As requested in reftel, below are Post's responses to 
questions regarding St. Vincent and the Grenadines for the 
annual Trafficking in Persons Report. 
 
------------------ 
Para 27 - Overview 
------------------ 
 
¶2. (SBU) 
 
¶A.  Is the country a country of origin, transit, or 
destination for internationally trafficked men, women, or 
children? 
 
There has been no reports that St. Vincent and the Grenadines 
is a country of origin, transit, or destination for 
trafficked men, women, or children.  However, no 
investigations, studies, or surveys have been done.  Both 
government agencies and nongovernmental organizations were 
unable to report even anecdotal evidence or performed studies 
on the issue. 
 
¶B.  Please provide a general overview of the trafficking 
situation in the country and any changes since the last TIP 
Report (e.g., changes in direction). 
 
There are prostitutes in St. Vincent, but it is unknown if 
any of these women or any other sex workers, are victims of 
trafficking.  There were reports of 16 to 18 year-old 
children participating in prostitution and pornography (age 
of consent in St. Vincent is 16).  There are also anecdotes 
of children living away from home who are forced into a 
sexual relationship with their caregiver with the knowledge 
of their parents in exchange for "a better way of life." 
There have been no changes since the last TIP report. 
 
¶C.  What are limitations on the government's ability to 
address this problem in practice? 
 
The government currently takes no initiative to face the 
problem as there are neither official reports nor anecdotal 
evidence that human trafficking exists in St. Vincent. 
 
¶D.  To what extent does the government monitor its 
anti-trafficking efforts? 
 
The government makes no efforts to monitor anti-trafficking. 
 
-------------------- 
Para 28 - Prevention 
-------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) 
 
¶A.  Does the government acknowledge that trafficking is a 
problem in the country? 
 
No. 
 
¶B.  Which government agencies are involved in 
anti-trafficking efforts and which agency, if any, has the 
lead? 
 
No agencies are directly involved with combating trafficking. 
 
¶C.  Are there, or have there been government-run 
anti-trafficking information or education campaigns? 
 
No. 
 
¶D.  Does the government support other programs to prevent 
trafficking? 
 
No. 
 
¶E.  What is the relationship between government officials, 
NGOs, other relevant organizations and other elements of 
civil society on the trafficking issue? 
 
There is none, as trafficking is not recognized as a problem. 
 
¶F.  Does the government monitor immigration and emigration 
patterns for evidence of trafficking?  Do law enforcement 
 
BRIDGETOWN 00000264  002 OF 005 
 
 
agencies screen for potential trafficking victims along 
borders? 
 
No. 
 
¶G.  Is there a mechanism for coordination and communication 
between various agencies, internal, international, and 
multilateral on trafficking-related matters, such as a 
multi-agency working group or a task force?  Does the 
government have a trafficking in persons working group or a 
single point of contact?  Does the government have a public 
corruption task force? 
 
No. 
 
¶H.  Does the government have a national plan of action to 
address trafficking in persons?  If so, which agencies were 
involved in developing it?  Were NGOs consulted in the 
process?  What steps has the government taken to disseminate 
the action plan? 
 
The government currently has no plan to handle trafficking in 
persons. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
Para 29 - Investigations and Prosecutions of Traffickers 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) 
 
¶A.  Does the country have a law specifically prohibiting 
trafficking in person--both for sexual and non-sexual 
purposes (e.g., forced labor)?  If so, please specifically 
cite the name of the law and its date of enactment.  Does the 
law(s) cover both internal and external (transnational) forms 
of trafficking?  If not, under what other laws can 
traffickers be prosecuted? 
 
There are no laws specifically addressing trafficking. 
Prostitution and pimping are both illegal.  Traffickers could 
potentially be charged with immigration or labor violations. 
 
¶B.  What are the penalties for trafficking people for sexual 
exploitation? 
 
There are no specific laws against trafficking people for 
sexual exploitation. 
 
¶C.  Punishment of Labor Trafficking Offenses:  What are the 
prescribed and imposed penalties for trafficking for labor 
exploitation, such as forced or bonded labor and involuntary 
servitude?  Do the government's laws provide for criminal 
punishment--i.e., jail time--for labor recruiters in labor 
source countries who engage in recruitment of laborers using 
knowingly fraudulent or deceptive offers that result in 
workers being exploited in the destination country?  For 
employers or labor agents in labor destination countries who 
confiscate workers' passports or travel documents, switch 
contracts without the worker's consent as a means to keep the 
worker in a state of service, or withhold payment of salaries 
as means of keeping the worker in a state of service?  If 
law(s) prescribe criminal punishments for these offenses, 
what are the actual punishments imposed on persons convicted 
of these offenses? 
 
The labor office has not heard reports of such cases, but 
takes such matters seriously and is willing to work with 
immigration officials to resolve any such cases if they were 
to occur.  According to the labor office, such cases might be 
resolved with or without criminal charges, depending on the 
magnitude of the offense.  Slavery and forced labor are both 
constitutionally prohibited. 
 
¶D.  What are the prescribed penalties for rape or forcible 
sexual assault?  How do they compare to the prescribed and 
imposed penalties for crimes of trafficking for commercial 
sexual exploitation? 
 
The penalty for rape is generally 10 years to life 
imprisonment. 
 
¶E.  Is prostitution legalized or decriminalized? 
Specifically, are the activities of the prostitute 
criminalized?  Are the activities of the brothel 
owner/operator, clients, pimps, and enforcers criminalized? 
 
BRIDGETOWN 00000264  003 OF 005 
 
 
Are these laws enforced? 
 
Prostitution is illegal, as is facilitating prostitution, 
such as pimping or running a brothel.  A local NGO stated 
that efforts to enforce the laws are too weak. 
 
¶F.  Has the government prosecuted any cases against 
traffickers? 
 
The government has not prosecuted any cases against 
traffickers.  If the Labour Department heard reports of any 
such cases involving labor migrants, it would be willing to 
prosecute if necessary. 
 
¶G.  Is there any information or reports of who is behind the 
trafficking?  For example, are the traffickers freelance 
operators, small crime groups, and/or large international 
organized crime syndicates? 
 
N/A 
 
¶H.  Does the government actively investigate cases of 
trafficking?  (Again, the focus should be on trafficking 
cases versus migrant smuggling cases.) 
 
The government does not actively investigate cases of 
trafficking, but is able to utilize undercover or covert 
operations if necessary. 
 
¶I.  Does the government provide any specialized training for 
government officials in how to recognize, investigate, and 
prosecute instances of trafficking? 
 
No. 
 
¶J.  Does the government cooperate with other governments in 
the investigation and prosecution of trafficking cases?  If 
possible, can post provide the number of cooperative 
international investigations on trafficking? 
 
No. 
 
¶K.  Does the government extradite persons who are charged 
with trafficking in other countries?  If so, can post provide 
the number of traffickers extradited?  Does the government 
extradite its own nationals charged with such offenses? 
 
N/A 
 
¶L.  Is there evidence of government involvement in or 
tolerance of trafficking, on a local or institutional level? 
 
No. 
 
¶M.  If government officials are involved in trafficking, what 
steps has the government taken to end such participation? 
Have any government officials been prosecuted for involvement 
in trafficking or trafficking-related corruption?  Have any 
been convicted?  What sentence(s) was imposed?  Please 
provide specific numbers, if available. 
 
N/A 
 
¶N.  If the country has an identified child sex tourism 
problem (as source or destination), how many foreign 
pedophiles has the government prosecuted or 
deported/extradited to their country of origin? 
 
Although there have been rumors of child prostitution, the 
government has not prosecuted any cases. 
 
¶O.  Has the government signed, ratified, and/or taken steps 
to implement the following international instruments?  Please 
provide the date of signature/ratification if appropriate. 
 
a.  ILO Convention 182 concerning the Prohibition and 
Immediate Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of 
Child Labor: 
 
Ratified on April 12, 2001. 
 
b.  ILO Convention 29 and 105 on Forced or Compulsory Labor: 
 
Ratified on October 21, 1998. 
 
 
BRIDGETOWN 00000264  004 OF 005 
 
 
c.  The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of 
the Child (CRC) on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution, 
and Child Pornography: 
 
Ratified the Convention on October 26, 1993, and accessioned 
to the Protocol on September 15, 2002. 
 
d.  The Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking 
in Persons, especially Women and Children, supplementing the 
UN Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime: 
 
Signed the Convention on July 24, 2002, but has not ratified 
it.  Signed the Protocol on November 20, 2002, but has not 
ratified it. 
 
--------------------------------------------- - 
Para 30 - Protection and Assistance to Victims 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶5. (SBU) 
 
¶A.  Does the government assist victims, for example, by 
providing temporary to permanent residency status, relief 
from deportation, shelter and access to legal, medical and 
psychological services? 
 
St. Vincent has had no official reports of trafficking 
victims. 
 
¶B.  Does the government provide funding or other forms of 
support to foreign or domestic NGOs for services to victims? 
 
The government does not fund NGOs that could support victims 
of trafficking if any victims were identified. 
 
¶C.  Do the government's law enforcement and social services 
personnel have a formal system of identifying victims of 
trafficking among high-risk persons with whom they come in 
contact? 
 
No. 
 
¶D.  Are the rights of victims respected, or are victims 
treated as criminals?  Are victims detained, jailed, or 
deported?  If detained or jailed, for how long?  Are victims 
fined?  Are victims prosecuted for violations of other laws, 
such as those governing immigration or prostitution? 
 
There are no reported victims. 
 
¶E.  Does the government encourage victims to assist in the 
investigation and prosecution of trafficking? 
 
N/A 
 
¶F.  What kind of protection is the government able to provide 
for victims and witnesses?  Does it provide these protections 
in practice?  What type of shelter or services does the 
government provide?  If there were victims, the government 
would be able to provide counseling and legal referral 
services. 
 
There is currently no shelter for victims of gender-based 
violence or any other shelters that normally could house 
trafficking victims. 
 
¶G.  Does the government provide any specialized training for 
government officials in recognizing trafficking and in the 
provision of assistance to trafficked victims, including the 
special needs of trafficked children? 
 
No. 
 
¶H.  Does the government provide assistance, such as medical 
aid, shelter, or financial help, to its repatriated nationals 
who are victims of trafficking? 
 
N/A 
 
¶I.  Which international organizations or NGOs, if any, work 
with trafficking victims?  What type of services do they 
provide?  What sort of cooperation do they receive from local 
authorities?  NOTE:  If post reports that a government is 
incapable of assisting and protecting TIP victims, then post 
should explain thoroughly.  Funding, personnel, and training 
 
BRIDGETOWN 00000264  005 OF 005 
 
 
constraints should be noted, if applicable. Conversely, the 
lack of political will to address the problem should be noted 
as well. 
 
St. Vincent has limited resources affecting the ability of 
the police officers, immigration officers, and social workers 
to study and combat trafficking.  Regardless, St. Vincent has 
no recorded cases or anecdotal evidence of trafficking and so 
has little will to address the potential problem. 
OURISMAN