VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBH #0510/01 1101932
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 201932Z APR 07
FM AMEMBASSY NASSAU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4142
INFO RUEHBE/AMEMBASSY BELMOPAN 0059
RUEHWN/AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN 5573
RUEHGE/AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN 3637
RUEHKG/AMEMBASSY KINGSTON 8505
RUEHPU/AMEMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE 3514
RUEHSP/AMEMBASSY PORT OF SPAIN 4675
RUEHDG/AMEMBASSY SANTO DOMINGO 2794
RUEHUB/USINT HAVANA 0417

UNCLAS NASSAU 000510 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/CAR RCBUDDEN, WHA/PPC MPUCCETTI, G/TIP 
KBRESNAHAN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ASEC ELAB KCRM PHUM PREL SMIG BF
SUBJECT: BAHAMAS REQUEST FOR G/TIP FUNDING 
 
REF: A. STATE 028159 
 
     ¶B. NASSAU 239 
 
¶1.  This is in response to reftel invitation for proposals to 
combat trafficking in persons.  In lieu of separate 
submission of proposal and summary cable, Post here submits 
The Government of the Bahamas' proposal for INCLE and/or ESF 
funds, formatted pursuant to reftel request: 
 
¶A.  Bahamas Department of Immigration 
Director Vernon Burrows 
Contact:  Rochelle Smith 
PO Box SS-5566 
Nassau, The Bahamas 
242-502-0542 
ronairsmith@yahoo.com 
 
¶B.  This project is intended to address needed capacity in 
The Bahamian government to address potential trafficking 
issues.  It will establish and develop an Anti-Trafficking 
Unit within the Bahamas Department of Immigration, including 
setting up the unit, training staff, developing procedures 
for use by immigration officers in response to trafficking, 
and the promotion of anti-trafficking legislation.  Following 
the project, The Bahamas will have the structural basis from 
which to further address potential trafficking issues, as 
well as the legal and procedural mechanisms to respond to 
concerns.  The project is needed because The Bahamian 
government does not currently have the capacity to respond to 
trafficking concerns, lacking a dedicated trafficking unit, a 
bureaucratic structure within which to address issues, 
procedures for addressing potential trafficking concerns or 
legislation making trafficking illegal and protecting 
trafficking victims.  Before The Bahamas can respond to the 
problem, it must have the structure within which to address 
it. 
 
¶C.  There are no official statistics documenting the 
trafficking problem in The Bahamas, but the State Department 
2006 trafficking report noted large volumes of illegal 
Haitian migrants vulnerable to trafficking, reports of labor 
exploitation and the possibility of conditions of involuntary 
servitude, combined with a lack of legislation protecting 
potential victims.  These issues have continued to develop in 
¶2007.  Despite these developing issues, the Government of The 
Bahamas does not have a dedicated trafficking unit (though it 
has established an ad hoc anti-trafficking committee), 
established procedures for responding to trafficking concerns 
or trafficking-specific legislation.  Development of 
infrastructure within Government to respond to concerns is a 
vital first step. 
 
¶D.  The project's goal is to create a framework within which 
The Bahamas can address trafficking concerns.  First, the 
project will set up an anti-trafficking unit within the 
Department of Immigration, training officers to become 
anti-trafficking trainers.  Second, it will establish 
procedures for the unit to follow in a trafficking case. 
Third, it will support the unit's promotion of 
anti-trafficking legislation in coordination with the 
Attorney General.  This basic framework, legal and 
bureaucratic, is essential to all three aspects of 
anti-trafficking, prevention, protection and prosecution and 
a foundational need for progress against trafficking in The 
Bahamas.  Proposed activities will be as follows:  i) 
Establish anti-trafficking unit of 5-10 immigration officers 
- July 2007; ii) Train officers to be anti-trafficking 
trainers - August 2007; iii) Receipt of technical assistance 
and prepare unit procedures - Fall 2007; iv) Receipt of 
technical assistance and prepare anti-trafficking legislation 
- Winter 2007.  Effectiveness of the program will be measured 
by whether the unit is established and trained, whether 
rocedures for the unit are established and whetherthe unit 
is successful in work with the Attorney eneral to pass 
anti-trafficking legislation. 
 
¶E.  The Department of Immigration, and the Government of The 
Bahamas generally, is not experienced in anti-trafficking 
efforts.  However, the Department of Immigration does have 
extensive experience and capacity in the investigation of 
human smuggling in The Bahamas, including many officers and a 
developed infrastructure, with the full support of the 
Bahamian government.  The project will be overseen by the 
Director of Immigration, Mr. Vernon Burrows.  The head of the 
anti-trafficking unit, and the main project contact, will be 
Immigration Officer Rochelle Smith.  The anti-trafficking 
unit would also include an additional 4-9 officers to be 
determined.  Potential partner organizations for technical 
assistance have not been identified, and G/TIP assistance is 
welcome. 
 
¶F.  The budget proposal has been broken down into four 
categories as follows. Additional detail is available upon 
request. 
 
i)  Establishment of the Anti-Trafficking Unit ($750,000), as 
follows:  Start up supplies and equipment for development of 
the unit ($100,000); transportation costs related to unit 
start-up and temporary travel costs until 2008 Bahamian 
government funding ($100,000); temporary funding for officer 
costs until 2008 Bahamian government funding ($350,000); 
temporary funding for victim's assistance until 2008 Bahamian 
government funding ($150,000); funding for informants and 
development of intelligence ($50,000).  Please note that The 
Bahamian government budget for the next fiscal year has not 
funded the unit, and these funds will be used to establish 
the unit pending its inclusion in the usual bugdetary cycle. 
 
ii) Training the Anti-Trafficking Unit ($25,000), as follows: 
 Contracting trainers for five-day train-the-trainer workshop 
($10,000); rental of conference space for workshop, including 
food ($6000); materials and equipment for workshop and unit 
use after workshop ($4000); travel, hotel and related 
expenses for off-island attendees ($5000). 
 
iii) Development of Procedures for the Anti-Trafficking Unit 
($25,000), as follows:  Contracting technical assistance in 
developing procedures ($10,000); rental of conference space 
for procedures workshop ($6000); materials for procedures 
workshop ($1000); travel and related expenses for off-island 
attendees ($3000). 
 
iv) Promotion of Anti-Trafficking Legislation ($50,000): 
Contracting technical assistance in developing legislation 
($25,000); rental of conference space for legislative 
workshops ($15,000); materials and equipment for legislative 
workshops ($5000); travel and related expenses for off-island 
attendees ($5000). 
 
¶G.  Resume of proposed Anti-Trafficking Unit chief: 
 
Rochelle Smith 
PO Box SS-5566 
Nassau, The Bahamas 
242-502-0542 
ronairsmith@yahoo.com 
DOB 10/12/66 
 
Ms. Smith has been employed in the Bahamas Department of 
Immigration since 1986 and serves as a Grade One Officer. 
During her tenure, she has worked in nearly every unit of 
Immigration, and is presently assigned to the refugee unit 
where she processes and interviews asylum-seekers and manages 
asylum requests.  During her career, she has received 
training in refugee status determination and interviewing, 
drug prevention, trafficking in persons (IOM 2004 and 2006) 
and maritime law enforcement boarding.  Ms. Smith attended 
Evans Barr Memorial Bible College, where she earned her 
Ministerial license, and Sojourner Douglas College, where she 
earned her B.A., with Honors, in Administration and 
Management. 
 
¶2.  There are no known duplicative projects being funded by 
PRM, INL, USAID and/or the Department of Labor in country 
addressing trafficking in persons issues. 
 
¶3. COMMENT:  Given lack of TIP experience, The Bahamian 
government is willing to accept assistance in further 
developing this proposal.  While post strongly supports the 
general proposal and helped guide Bahamian drafting, due to 
submission on April 19, Post did not have time for needed 
work with the GCOB to refine budgetary estimates, and would 
welcome alternate budgetary suggestions or partial funding of 
the project.  For example, a decision not to fund salary 
 
 
costs for already-employed immigration officers could easily 
remove $350,000 from the request. 
 
¶4. COMMENT, CONT:  While G/TIP funding priorities are for 
Tier 2 Watchlist and Tier 3 countries, discussion regarding 
tier placement of The Bahamas this year has indicated G/TIP's 
concern over trafficking in The Bahamas.  This proposal shows 
The Bahamas openness to addressing concerns and provides an 
opportunity to help keep The Bahamas from Tier 3 or the Tier 
2 Watchlist in future years.  END COMMENT. 
RAMADAN