VZCZCXRO7292
RR RUEHGR
DE RUEHBE #0066/01 0502139
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 192139Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY BELMOPAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1676
RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICA COLLECTIVE
RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 10 BELMOPAN 000066 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR G/TIP (FLECK), G-ACBLANK, INL, DRL, PRM, WHA/PPC, WHA/CEN 
(CHRISTOPHER ASHE) 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PHUM KTIP ELAB KCRM KFRD KWMN PGOV PREF SMIG BH
SUBJECT: BELIZE - NINTH ANNUAL TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS (TIP) REPORT 
 
REF:   A) 08 STATE 132759, B) STATE 5577 
 
This cable is sensitive but unclassified. 
 
¶1.  (U) Responses are keyed to reporting questions in (paras 23-25) 
in ref A. 
 
 
--------------------------- 
The Country's TIP Situation 
--------------------------- 
 
23A. (SBU) Belize is a transit and destination country for 
internationally trafficked men, women, and children.  Trafficking 
occurs within the country's borders primarily in the form of "sugar 
daddies" - adult men who engage in sexual activity with pre-teen and 
teenage girls in exchange for money or gifts, often with the consent 
of the girls' parents.  In November 2006 Belize, through an ILO/IPEC 
study, acknowledged that the commercial sexual exploitation of 
children does exist within its borders.  Although the Government of 
Belize (GOB) has maintained statistics on trafficking in persons 
since 2003, the records are sparse.  The GOB's Anti-Trafficking in 
Persons Committee (A-TIP) has taken the lead to see that more 
thorough records are maintained.  The Police Department's Joint 
Information Coordinating Center (JICC) is responsible for gathering 
intelligence from other agencies like Customs and Immigration and 
collecting TIP data.  A-TIP embarked on an initiative to improve its 
data collection capacity by working with JICC on a new form for 
recording cases by frontline agencies.  A-TIP expects this system to 
help identify patterns.  In 2008, there were two new cases of 
suspected trafficking reported. This resulted in the identification 
of 70 trafficking victims (65 related to a single case). 
 
Trafficking, when compared to alien smuggling, is a small problem in 
Belize.  Most non-governmental organizations recognize that the 
problem exists, but their limited resources have prevented them from 
addressing it effectively.  In 2006, the GOB's Anti-Trafficking in 
Persons Committee became the focal point for all government anti-TIP 
activities in the country.  In September 2007, the U.S. Embassy 
awarded a USD 80,735 INCLE grant to the Ministry of Human 
Development to assist with training programs and refurbishment of 
the trafficking shelter.  The refurbishment has been completed and 
the Ministry is planning nationwide training sessions and public 
awareness campaigns in 2009. 
 
Hard evidence of labor trafficking is difficult to obtain but is 
most likely to exist in the citrus and banana growing regions of the 
country.  Although most agricultural workers come to Belize 
voluntarily, anecdotal evidence, noted by UNICEF and other NGOs in 
the past, indicates that some employers may withhold workers' 
passports or demand sexual favors. 
 
B and C.  The origins and composition of trafficking victims have 
changed since the last report.  Sixty-five Nepalese dam workers 
employed by a Chinese company to build a hydro-electric dam were 
allegedly trafficked into the country.  One case involving five 
Indian victims was also reported, however, indications suggest that 
this appears to be only a labor dispute.  Commercial sex workers 
(CSWs) continue to come to Belize; most women work as bar waitresses 
and are given lodging by the bar owners.  After several weeks of 
legitimate waitress work, some of the women are asked to provide 
sexual services to the patrons.  According to interviews with NGOs, 
most women are provided with a choice, although there is anecdotal 
evidence that when some refuse, they are threatened with 
deportation.  In some cases, the bar owners take possession of the 
women's passports under the pretext of safeguarding them in case of 
a police raid.  The "sugar daddy" phenomenon continues with school 
girls encouraged by their parents to engage in sexual relations with 
older men as a way to pay for school books, uniforms, or other 
expenses. 
 
¶D.  There are no particular groups that are targeted for trafficking 
through or to Belize.  The victims identified by the tripartite team 
(Department of Immigration, Police Department, and Department of 
Human Services) during the year have been mostly men from India and 
Nepal. 
 
¶E.  There is no reliable information pointing to who is behind 
trafficking in Belize.  Anecdotal evidence suggests that most are 
freelance operators or members of a loose network of taxi drivers 
and brothel owners.  There is no evidence of employment, travel, or 
tourism agencies, or marriage brokers fronting for traffickers. 
 
BELMOPAN 00000066  002 OF 010 
 
 
Post does monitor terrorism financing and money laundering, but to 
date we have no information about where TIP profits are being 
channeled. 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
Setting the Scene for the Government's Anti-TIP Efforts 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
24A. (SBU) The A-TIP is vigilant in confronting possible cases of 
trafficking.  However, the GOB and others who have studied the 
trafficking issue in-country believe human trafficking is not a 
significant problem in Belize.  The GOB has pointed out that in the 
2004 Petit study, trafficking was not considered a significant 
problem and in 2007, an IDB consultant wrote in his report that 
Belize's response to trafficking was advanced and that "this 
advanced state of response is all the more remarkable as the 
evidence of extant trafficking to, from, or through Belize is more 
than scant." 
 
¶B.  The government's Anti-Trafficking in Persons Committee (A-TIP), 
a multi-agency body, is tasked with coordinating and monitoring 
anti-trafficking activities executed by immigration, police and 
Human Services in Belize.  The Committee comprises representatives 
from the Ministries of Human Development, Foreign Affairs, Home 
Affairs, the Attorney General's Office, the Department of 
Immigration and Nationality (DINS), the Belize Police Department, 
the Labor Department, the Customs Department, the Department of 
Public Prosecutions (DPP), the National Committee for Families and 
Children (NCFC), the Belize Tourism Board (BTB), the National 
Organization for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (NOPCAN), 
and Youth Enhancement Services (YES) and is the lead agency for the 
government's anti-trafficking efforts.  The Chief Executive Officer 
for the Ministry of Human Development leads the Committee which 
monitors the movements of people within and outside Belize's borders 
for evidence of trafficking and screens for potential trafficking 
victims.  Investigations are coordinated by the Anti-Trafficking in 
Persons Committee.  A-TIP uses a tripartite approach:  all 
trafficking investigations involve police, immigration officials, 
and social workers. Periodically, the Committee reported its 
activities to the Cabinet.  In addition, the Committee reported 
approximately quarterly to Post. 
 
¶C.  Resources - both human and financial - continue to limit the 
government's ability to address TIP.  Since June 2006, the 
government has provided training to police officers, immigration 
officials, and social workers.  Members of A-TIP participated in 
several regional seminars and conferences relating to trafficking in 
persons.  The Director of Immigration and Nationality Services made 
a presentation on the work of A-TIP at the annual IOM conference in 
December 2008.  Another member of A-TIP attended a seminar on 
trafficking in Mexico to share best practices and experiences. 
While the government has increased its efforts to raise awareness 
and protect victims, prosecutions have been unsuccessful. 
 
Following are some of the institutional and bureaucratic challenges 
which the A-TIP Committee faces: 
(i) Change in government administration results in changes in upper 
level policy makers; this has meant that considerable time was spent 
during 2008 sensitizing Cabinet, in particular Ministers and Chief 
Executive Officers of key ministries such as National Security and 
Labor. 
(ii) A change in the Director of Public Prosecutions in 2008 meant, 
at times, differing legal opinions on cases. Change and staff 
shortage within this Office also extended timeframes for cases 
including human trafficking cases. 
(iii) Impact of natural disasters: Tropical Storm Arthur and 
Tropical Depression 16 caused personnel from the key stakeholder 
ministries, particularly Ministry of Human Development, to be 
occupied with relief and recovery duties from June to August and 
then from October to December. This delayed the public education 
component, as the plan was to develop new PSA's and conduct 
community workshops. Storms also delayed the work of Youth 
Enhancement Services, which conducted community workshops on behalf 
of the TIPS Committee. 
 
There were no successful prosecutions against traffickers during the 
reporting period.  In August authorities charged a Chinese company 
contracted to build a hydrodam with five counts of withholding 
travel documents.  The Immigration and Nationality Department 
provided temporary residence and work permits to allow several of 
the victims, who had been trafficked from Nepal, to stay in the 
 
BELMOPAN 00000066  003 OF 010 
 
 
country. The judge dismissed the court case based on procedural 
issues including presentation of evidence and sequencing of 
witnesses.  The Director of Public Prosecutions appealed the 
decision in October and the appeal awaits further legal action in 
the Supreme Court. 
 
Two cases reported in the media involved Indian nationals 
mistreating shop employees and withholding passports of five 
employees.  One case currently being investigated appears to be a 
labor dispute case rather than a trafficking case according to 
A-TIP.  The other case is being processed through the court system 
and has been adjourned to March 2009. 
 
UNICEF has in the past, described the country's judicial system as a 
"black hole", noting that TIP cases -- along with rape and sexual 
abuse cases -- are rarely prosecuted successfully.  The majority of 
Supreme Court criminal cases involving sexual offenses resulted in 
acquittals or "nolle prosequi" (the prosecutor declines to proceed). 
 One notable difficulty in prosecuting trafficking cases is the 
unwillingness of victims and witnesses to come forward to testify. 
Without their testimony, prosecutors have little evidence to pursue 
a case. 
 
The Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Act requires the 
prosecution of labor trafficking offenses such as the confiscation 
of workers' travel documents, the switching of contracts or 
employment terms without the worker's consent, the use of physical 
or sexual abuse or the threat of such abuse to keep workers in a 
state of service, or the withholding of salary as a means to keep 
workers in a state of service.  According to the law, convicted 
traffickers must serve their entire sentence. 
 
¶D.  A-TIP has made great strides in organizing and providing 
training to immigration officials, police, and social workers over 
the last several years.  However, despite the efforts of the 
Anti-Trafficking Committee, no one has been successfully prosecuted 
for trafficking though the government, the police, and social 
workers acknowledge the presence of trafficking in Belize.   The 
GOB's Anti-Trafficking in Persons Committee (A-TIP) has taken the 
lead to see that more thorough records are maintained.  The Police 
Department's Joint Information Coordinating Center (JICC) is 
responsible for gathering intelligence from other agencies like 
Customs and Immigration and collecting TIP data.  A-TIP embarked on 
an initiative to improve its data collection capacity by working 
with JICC on a new form for recording cases by frontline agencies. 
A-TIP expects this system to help identify patterns. 
 
A-TIP coordinates the anti-trafficking activities executed by the 
frontline agencies, including monitoring the movements of people 
within and without Belize's borders for evidence of trafficking and 
screening for potential trafficking of victims, and the gathering of 
intelligence. 
 
While there is no public corruption task force, the government has 
appointed an ombudsman to investigate complaints against public 
officials and private citizens.  However, no public officials have 
ever been prosecuted as a result of the ombudsman's inquiries.  The 
government also maintains an Integrity Commission to oversee 
compliance with financial disclosure laws. 
 
 
-------------------------------------------- 
Investigation and Prosecution of Traffickers 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
25A. (SBU) No new anti-trafficking legislation was enacted during 
the reporting period.  The Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Act 
was enacted on June 23, 2003 and came into force on August 1, 2003. 
The law prohibits both sexual and non-sexual (including forced labor 
and the illicit removal of human organs) forms of trafficking. 
Because the Act also includes the text of the Protocol to Prevent, 
Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons Especially Women and 
Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against 
Transnational Organized Crime, it covers both national and 
transnational forms of trafficking. 
 
Belize laws prohibiting trafficking in persons include: 
 
Under the Criminal Code:  carnal knowledge; rape; procurement; 
defilement by force or fraud or administration of drugs; assault and 
battery; unlawful imprisonment; child stealing; abduction; 
kidnapping; and forcible marriage. 
 
BELMOPAN 00000066  004 OF 010 
 
 
 
Under the Labor Act:  prohibition of forced labor; employment of 
women and children; and prohibition of night work. 
 
Under the Families and Children Act: child abuse; child neglect; and 
harmful employment. 
 
Under the Summary Jurisdiction (Offenses) Act:  loitering for 
prostitution; keeping a brothel; and trading on prostitution. 
 
Laws that allow civil penalties against trafficking crimes include: 
 
 
The Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Act - restitution; The Act 
- fines; The Intoxicating Liquor Licenses (Amendment) Act - 
forfeiture of license; The Immigration Act - forfeiture of vehicle, 
vessel or aircraft; payment of costs of sending the victim outside 
of Belize; The Families and Children Act; The Summary Jurisdiction 
(Offenses) Act - determination of tenancy; and The Indictable 
Procedure Act - divesting of guardianship or custody. 
 
¶B.  Under the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Act, an 
individual convicted of trafficking in persons for sexual 
exploitation can receive between one and five years in prison and/or 
a fine of USD 5,000.  In addition, an individual convicted of 
transporting a person for the purpose of exploitation as a 
prostitute can receive a prison sentence of not less than three 
years.  Further, the prison term may be extended to eight years when 
the number of persons transported exceeds five, when the persons 
transported include children, or when the transportation is part of 
the activity of a gang or organized criminal network. 
 
¶C.  The Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Act also prescribes and 
imposes penalties for labor trafficking offenses.  The Act defines 
labor exploitation as:  keeping a person in a state of slavery; 
subjecting a person to practices similar to slavery; compelling or 
causing a person to provide forced labor or services; or keeping a 
person in a state of servitude, including sexual servitude.  The Act 
also provides for criminal punishment against any person who acts or 
purports to act as another's employer, manager, supervisor, 
contractor, employment agency or solicitor of clients and knowingly 
procures, destroys, conceals, removes, confiscates, or possesses any 
passport, birth certificate, immigration document or other 
governmental document belonging to another person. 
 
¶D.  Rape - including marital rape - carries a penalty of eight years 
to life imprisonment.  Life imprisonment is mandated for habitual 
sex offenders.  Note:  the majority of rape convictions result in 
penalties far less than life imprisonment.  End note.  The Criminal 
Code of Belize does not define sexual assault, but categorizes any 
such assaults as aggravated assault, the penalty for which is two 
years imprisonment.  The law further states that an indecent 
aggravated assault upon a female or child results in a three-year 
sentence. 
 
¶E.  There is presently one human trafficking case pending in court 
involving an Indian national who was arrested in June 2008.  This 
case is in the Belize City Magistrate's court. 
 
In August authorities charged a Chinese company contracted to build 
a hydrodam with five counts of withholding travel documents. The 
Immigration and Nationality Department provided temporary residence 
and work permits to allow several of the victims, who had been 
trafficked from Nepal, to stay in the country. The judge dismissed 
the court case based on procedural issues including presentation of 
evidence and sequencing of witnesses.  The Director of Public 
Prosecutions appealed the decision in October and the appeal awaits 
further trial in the Supreme Court. 
 
A police raid on a brothel in 2007 resulted in one charge of human 
trafficking for a Corozal bar owner after a 16-year-old Central 
American woman was found working as a prostitute.  The case was 
dismissed in October 2008 when Department of Human Services staff 
interviewed the victim and found the woman worked willingly for the 
bar owner. 
 
In February 2007 two police officers were charged with human 
trafficking after eight illegal immigrants were found in a van 
driven by one of the officers.  They were dismissed from the police 
department by a police disciplinary panel in 2007.  A court 
dismissed their criminal case in June after the DPP determined the 
charges were incorrect; subsequent prosecution for alien smuggling 
 
BELMOPAN 00000066  005 OF 010 
 
 
was barred by expiration of statute of limitations. 
 
¶F.  During the reporting period, specialized institutionalized 
training occurred on matters relating to human trafficking. The 
Police Academy has incorporated trafficking in persons as part of 
its curriculum for recruits. The Department of Human Services also 
has ongoing training for social workers in the area of victim 
assistance. Members of the Committee also participated in workshops 
internationally, in matters relating to anti-trafficking legislation 
and best practices. 
 
Through assistance from the Government of Belize, the Youth 
Enhancement Services, a member agency of the Anti-trafficking in 
Persons Committee, received a grant from the ILO for a pilot project 
on commercial sexual exploitation of children.  The project included 
a training component on the identification of trafficking and CSEC 
victims.  Two hundred frontline government workers and community 
workers were trained country-wide in 2008.  YES also provided 
workshops for high school teachers around the country to educate 
them about CSEC and to urge them to become part of the solution to 
the problem. 
 
¶G.  The GOB did not receive any requests for cooperation from a 
foreign government concerning trafficking issues during the 
reporting period.  However, Belize stands ready to cooperate with 
any requesting government in the investigation and prosecution of 
trafficking cases in accordance with the laws of Belize. The GOB did 
reach out to the Government of Mexico during the reporting period, 
and the GOM assisted in the repatriation of Belizean trafficking 
victims to Belize. 
 
The Government of Belize recognizes that trafficking in persons is a 
transnational crime and effective action to prevent and combat 
trafficking requires cooperation among governments.  The GOB looks 
forward to working with neighboring countries to establish 
guidelines on how to cooperate more effectively and efficiently on 
these issues.  Mechanisms currently in place to facilitate 
cooperation include a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty between Belize 
and the United States, the Central American Regional Security 
Strategy, and the Regional Conference on Migration. 
 
¶H.  Whether the government of Belize is willing to extradite persons 
charged with trafficking in other countries is treaty-based. 
Currently the only country with which the GOB has such a treaty is 
the United States.  During the reporting period (March 2008 to 
February 2009) Belize deported three Americans to the U.S. for sex 
crimes as follows: Mr. Ray Francis Gravely was deported on 26 March 
2008; Mr. Dennis Fleming was deported on 28 April 2008; and Mr. 
Kevin Daniel Murphy was deported on 3 May 2008. 
 
I and J.  To Post's knowledge, there have been no government 
investigations into allegations of official corruption or tolerance 
of trafficking, nor have there been any prosecutions or convictions. 
 
 
¶K.  The act of prostitution itself is neither legal nor illegal 
under Belize law.  The government considers prostitution immoral but 
has yet to take steps to directly address it in the Criminal Code. 
Prostitutes are able to seek assistance from social workers who 
would apply the same screening process as for other potential 
trafficking victims. 
 
Other activities on the periphery of prostitution are illegal.  For 
example, loitering by a common prostitute in any street or public 
place for the purpose of prostitution is illegal.  On a first 
offense, a person can be fined no more than Bz$200 (USD 100) or 
imprisoned for up to two months. Second and subsequent offenses 
result in fines of up to Bz$400 (USD 200) or imprisonment of up to 
six months.  In addition, the Summary Jurisdiction (Offenses) Act 
states that it is illegal to own, manage, assist in the management 
of, or act as a tenant, lessee or occupier of a brothel.  First-time 
offenses are punishable by up to six months in jail or a Bz$500 (USD 
250) fine; for second offenses the penalties are doubled. Further, 
the law states that it is illegal for any male person to: knowingly 
live wholly or in part on the earnings of prostitution; persistently 
solicit or importune for immoral purposes; or loiter about or 
importune a person in any street or other place for the purposes of 
prostitution.  A first offense results in a fine of up to Bz$100 
(USD 50) or six months in jail; second and subsequent offenses 
result in up to twelve months in jail.  Finally, Section 49 of the 
Criminal Code states that any person who procures or attempts to 
procure any female under the age of eighteen years of age, not being 
 
BELMOPAN 00000066  006 OF 010 
 
 
a common prostitute or of known immoral character, to have unlawful 
carnal knowledge either within or without Belize with any other 
person or persons, has committed an offense. The Code does not 
explain what constitutes immoral character.  Note:  unlawful carnal 
knowledge is defined as sexual relations with a female child between 
the ages of 14 and 16.  End note.  An individual convicted of these 
charges faces five years imprisonment. 
 
¶L.  Belize does not have any military troops assigned abroad. 
 
¶M.  Although Belize has not been identified as a sex tourism 
destination, the potential exists and the November 2006 release of 
the report (sponsored by the International Labor Office's 
International Program on the Elimination of Child Labor) on the 
commercial sexual exploitation of children in Belize supports this. 
The government supported the drafting of a code of conduct to 
protect children from sexual exploitation in the tourist and travel 
industries. 
 
The government has signed or ratified the following international 
instruments: 
 
-- ILO Convention 182 concerning the Prohibition and Immediate 
Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labor; 
ratified March 6, 2000; 
 
-- ILO Convention 29 and 105 on Forced or Compulsory Labor; both 
ratified on December 15, 1983; 
 
-- The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the 
Child (CRC) on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution, and Child 
Pornography:  ratified on December 1, 2003 
 
-- The Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in 
Persons, especially Women and Children, supplementing the UN 
Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime; acceded September 
26, 2003. 
 
 
------------------------------------------- 
Protection and Assistance to Victims 
------------------------------------------- 
 
26A. (SBU) Considerable work was done in the area of victim 
assistance and in strengthening coordination among the key 
departments, due to the number of victims involved in one case 
during the reporting period.  These departments include: Police, 
Immigration, Labour, and Human Development. The lessons learned from 
the practical experiences of working with a large group of victims 
(such as the case of the Nepalese workers) and on labor exploitation 
cases will help refine operations protocols. 
 
Victim assistance has proven effective, as Nepalese and Indian 
nationals are cooperating with authorities in the investigation and 
prosecution of their alleged traffickers and are moving towards 
integration within Belize society. A few of the victims have found 
employment with support from Immigration and Human Development. 
 
The rights of victims are always respected and are codified in the 
standard operating procedures and in the Trafficking in Persons 
(Prohibition) Act.  According to Belize law, victims of trafficking 
should not be jailed, deported or penalized in any way.  The law 
states that the victim is not criminally liable for any 
immigration-related offense or any other criminal offense.  The law 
also requires that victims receive temporary permits that allow them 
to remain in Belize for the duration of any criminal proceedings and 
to qualify for residency or citizenship.  However, many victims do 
not view themselves as victims of trafficking and do not wish to 
pursue criminal action against their traffickers.  In other cases, 
commercial sex workers who may be victims may be mistreated or 
victimized further. 
 
The GOB provides security - in the form of police protection - to 
victims, their families, and witnesses.  This protection is provided 
on an as-needed basis; there is no formal witness protection program 
and the country's population is likely too small to create an 
effective program. 
 
During the reporting period the occasion did not arise which 
warranted the holding of court proceedings in camera. The 
Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Act does make provisions for in 
camera testimony, and the Committee is sensitive to the issues of 
 
BELMOPAN 00000066  007 OF 010 
 
 
confidentiality and security; where it is necessary in camera 
proceedings will be conducted. 
 
¶B. The government supports two shelters for trafficking victims, one 
in Belmopan and one in Hattieville in the Belize District. The 
Government of Belize facilitated the acquisition of the facility in 
the Belize District and provides funding for the general operation 
of the facilities. Refurbishment of the Belmopan facility was funded 
by the first tranche of a TIP grant from the U.S. Embassy in FY2007 
of USD 20,000.  Foreign victims have the same access to care as 
domestic victims.  Children who are victims of trafficking are 
placed in existing child care institutions.  If necessary, victims 
can also be housed in hotels at government expense.  The Government 
of Belize provides an annual subvention to all local 
non-governmental organizations, including child care facilities 
where minors who are victims of trafficking in persons are placed 
for protective care.  The shelters and facilities for adult victims 
are fully operated by the Government of Belize. 
 
¶C. Victims also have access to free medical services and to legal 
and counseling services.  These facilities are dedicated exclusively 
to trafficking victims.  The Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) 
Act requires the government to provide protection to victims to 
prevent recapture by traffickers and to ensure personal security. 
 
Victims of trafficking can file civil suits and seek legal action 
against traffickers.  The Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Act 
authorizes courts to order convicted traffickers to pay restitution 
to their victims.  The court considers the costs of medical and 
psychological care, physical and occupational therapy, 
transportation, housing and child care, lost income, emotional 
distress, pain and suffering, and any other loss suffered by the 
victim when determining the amount of restitution.  The government 
lacks the resources to provide a formal restitution program.  The 
funds spent on victim assistance as of January 31, 2009 amounted to 
USD 45,373.73. These funds came from the Government allocation for 
human trafficking. 
 
¶D.  The government does provide foreign trafficking victims with the 
same access to free legal, medical and psychological services that 
Belizean citizens receive, in addition to assistance provided by the 
Department of Immigration.  The Department of Immigration informs 
victims of procedures to return to their home country and informs 
victims of procedures for seeking permanent residency or citizenship 
in Belize.  If the victim so desires, the Department of Immigration 
is also required to provide assistance in applying for permanent 
residence and citizenship in Belize once the criteria are met.  The 
Department of Immigration issues the victim (and child) with a 
temporary residency permit, enabling them to remain legally in 
Belize throughout their court proceedings.  Services are provided as 
long as the victims are willing to provide assistance with the 
trafficking case.  In some cases, the victims do not want to be 
protected and only desire to return to their place of employment. 
 
¶E. Eleven persons have received shelter services during the period 
March 2008 to January 2009. The Government of Belize has provided 
shelter services to the five Nepalese victims since April 2008. The 
five Indian victims have resided in the shelter since June 2008. 
 
¶F. The Anti-Trafficking in Persons Committee, tasked with 
coordinating the government's efforts against human trafficking, has 
provided training to officers of the frontline agencies such as the 
Police Department, Customs Department, Immigration and Nationality 
Department and the Department of Human Services to enable them to 
identify potential victims of human trafficking.  In the event a 
potential victim is identified, the victim is referred to the 
Department of Human Services for an interview by a social worker to 
determine if indeed the person is a victim of human trafficking. 
 
¶G. During the period March 2008 and January 2009, 70 victims of 
trafficking in persons were identified. Of the 70 victims, 65 were 
Nepalese workers at the Vaca Dam and five were Indian nationals. 
The victims were primarily males. 
 
¶H.  The Anti-Trafficking in Persons Committee, tasked with 
coordinating Government's efforts against human trafficking, has 
provided training to officers of the frontline agencies such as the 
Police Department, Customs Department, Immigration and Nationality 
Department, and the Department of Human Services to enable them to 
identify potential victims of human trafficking.  In the event a 
potential victim is identified, the victim is referred to the 
Department of Human Services for interview by a social worker to 
 
BELMOPAN 00000066  008 OF 010 
 
 
determine if indeed the person is a victim of human trafficking. 
 
¶I.  Victims of trafficking are never jailed or detained.  Victims 
are never fined or prosecuted for violating any law related to their 
having been trafficked.  Section 10 of the Trafficking in Persons 
(Prohibition) Act stipulates that a victim "is not criminally liable 
for any immigration-related offence, or any other criminal offence 
that is as a direct result of being trafficked."  Victims are 
encouraged to provide assistance in the investigation and 
prosecution of trafficking cases. In fact victims are issued 
temporary residency permits by the Department of Immigration and 
Nationality 
 
¶J.  Of the 65 victims rescued from the hydrodam, 60 were repatriated 
to Nepal and five remain in Belize to assist with the investigation 
and to testify at the trial. The five Indian victims have also 
assisted with the investigation and are cooperative. 
 
¶K.  As mentioned, the Department of Immigration and Nationality 
(DINS) monitors the movements of people within and outside the 
country's borders for evidence of trafficking.  Though training to 
screen for trafficking victims is provided to immigration officers, 
the department's meager resources limit its ability to effectively 
monitor immigration and emigration patterns and screen for potential 
trafficking victims.  Immigration records are not computerized at 
any of the country's points of entry, including Philip Goldson 
International Airport in Belize City - the main port of entry for 
visitors to Belize.  Special Branch, the intelligence gathering unit 
of the Belize Police Department, maintains a permanent presence at 
the Belize Western Border Station and at Philip Goldson 
International Airport.  A police officer was assigned to the DINS at 
the Belize Northern Border Station to assist with monitoring 
immigration and emigration patterns and screening for potential 
victims of trafficking. 
 
Belize maintains only a few embassies and consulates abroad.  No 
victim of human trafficking has yet approached an embassy or 
consulate of Belize for assistance.  However, all Belizean embassies 
and consulates are able and ready to provide assistance. 
 
¶L.  If needed, the Belize government will provide medical 
assistance, shelter, and financial aid to any Belizean national who 
is a victim of trafficking and has been repatriated to Belize. 
 
¶M. Local NGOs such as the National Organization for the Prevention 
of Child Abuse and Neglect (NOPCAN) and Youth Enhancement Services 
(YES) work with trafficking victims and focus on trafficking issues. 
International organizations like UNICEF and IOM also provide 
assistance.  The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) approved 
funding to the government for assistance in strengthening national 
protocols and for trafficking in persons, including victim 
assistance.  The National Committee for Families and Children, a 
quasi-governmental organization, also provides assistance and 
training with CSEC and trafficking. 
 
Protective care for victims of human trafficking is provided by the 
Government of Belize. Presently there are no NGO's which provide 
direct assistance. However, the Government of Belize does facilitate 
grant assistance.  For example, Youth Enhancement Services received 
two grants last year from two international organizations: USD 
75,000 for a CSEC pilot that ended in October 2008 and USD 30,000 
from the IDB in late December 2008 for a public education campaign 
on CSEC.  Both resulted from technical cooperation processes 
initiated by the GOB in 2007 and 2006, respectively.  Funds from 
were also channeled to YES and NCFC to execute public education and 
awareness campaigns in 2008. 
 
---------- 
Prevention 
---------- 
 
27 A. (SBU) Efforts at preventing human trafficking are focused on 
public awareness.  Based on recent experiences, A-TIP sought to 
revise its public awareness campaign to target immigrant communities 
in addition to the general public.  A-TIP also saw the need to 
develop new public service announcements (PSA) to recapture the 
attention of the public. 
 
As a result, a new PSA for radio has been recorded in Hindi for 
broadcast in the coming year. A new print PSA has been developed and 
has already appeared in the weekly newspapers. A-TIP continues to 
distribute re-printed posters for display at border points, bus 
 
BELMOPAN 00000066  009 OF 010 
 
 
stations, and health centers to replace torn ones. 
 
¶B.  A-TIP, through intelligence driven operations conducted by its 
tripartite team (the Departments of Immigration, Police and Human 
Services), is vigilant in confronting possible cases of trafficking. 
 Trafficking in persons cases are documented by the tripartite team 
from interviews of potential victims conducted by Human Services 
after an operation.  The Belize Police Department through its 
intelligence gathering unit (Special Branch) maintains a permanent 
presence at the Belize Western Border Station, and at the Phillip 
Goldson International Airport, as well as in every district. A 
police officer works within the Immigration and Nationality 
Department at the Belize Northern Border station to assist in the 
monitoring of immigration and emigration patterns and the screening 
for potential victims of trafficking. 
 
¶C.  The government, NGOs, international organizations and other 
elements of civil society generally have a good working 
relationship. Members of relevant NGOs (such as NOPCAN), 
international organizations (such as IOM), and government officials 
worked together to offer training to stakeholders and often 
cooperated on relevant boards or committees.  For example, 
representatives from several NGOs sit on A-TIP. 
 
¶D. A-TIP has disseminated its plan of action to all members of its 
Committee to facilitate coordinated action. 
 
The National Plan of Action adopted by A-TIP in 2006 continues to 
guide its work.  Advances have been in several areas including 
public awareness, victim protection, operations, and monitoring and 
evaluation.  The National Plan of Action helps guide the annual work 
plan of A-TIP.  The work plan for 2009 is currently being developed. 
 
 
A-TIP reviewed the recommendations emanating from the project 
sponsored by the IDB.  The recommendations from the final 
communications strategy were considered and A-TIP sought to 
incorporate the recommendations, where possible, in its annual work 
plans.  These recommendations included the targeting of at-risk 
immigrants, sexual tourism awareness, outreach to communities, etc. 
The recommendations for streamlining the standard operating 
procedures were also considered and prioritized.  Those 
recommendations which A-TIP viewed as high priority are currently 
being addressed, including review of the legislation, improved 
coordination, and enhanced victim protection. 
 
¶E.  Most of the efforts the GOB has undertaken are on the supply 
side, rather than the demand side.  Through assistance from the 
Government of Belize, Youth Enhancement Services (YES), a member 
agency of the Anti-trafficking in Persons Committee, received a 
grant from the ILO for a pilot project on commercial sexual 
exploitation of children. The project included a training component 
on the identification of trafficking and CSEC victims. Two hundred 
frontline government workers and community workers were trained 
country-wide in 2008. 
 
In addition, the Ministry of Human Development has been working with 
YES in the Belize and Cayo Districts to seek out commercial sex 
workers and potential commercial sex workers and provide them with 
counseling and training.  During the reporting period approximately 
70 individuals were identified, underwent skills training, and 
participated in alternative income generation projects to assist 
them in finding employment in other areas of the economy. 
 
¶F.  In 2006 ECPAT (End Child Prostitution Child Pornography and 
Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes) and the Belize Tourism 
Industry Association launched the Protect Children in Tourism 
Project (PCT) in Belize, to promote the Code of Conduct for the 
Protection of Children from Commercial Sexual Exploitation in Travel 
and Tourism.  Many tourism businesses have signed up to the code and 
the National Organization for the Prevention of Child Abuse and 
Neglect (NOPCAN), a member agency of A-TIP is tasked with the 
ongoing monitoring of the implementation of the Code and with 
providing the requisite training for understanding the Code. 
 
¶G.  Does not apply 
 
--------------------------------------- 
Nomination of Heroes and Best Practices 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶28.  (U) Heroes:  Youth Enhancement Services (YES) has played a 
 
BELMOPAN 00000066  010 OF 010 
 
 
significant role educating Belizeans about the dangers of commercial 
sexual exploitation of children and adolescents (CSEC).  CSEC is a 
problem in Belize according to NGOs and governmental organizations. 
It is often identified as the "sugar daddy" syndrome in which young 
girls and boys develop a relationship with an older person in order 
to pay for school fees, or to provide food, housing, or other 
benefits for their family members.  YES is one NGO in Belize that 
has been engaged in a sustained advocacy campaign that has addressed 
CSEC since 2004.  The YES campaign empowers young girls and boys to 
protect themselves and be aware of their rights, raises public 
awareness about CSEC, and advocates for effective legislation to 
protect children from sexual abuse. 
 
In 2008, YES launched another program to reintegrate and prevent 
victims of child labor, specifically CSEC.  YES identified 
approximately 100 at-risk youths for CSEC and provided skills 
training to the youths and their parents in order to provide 
alternative sources of income for the families.  YES also provided 
workshops for high school teachers around the country to educate 
them about CSEC and to urge them to become part of the solution to 
the problem.  YES received USD 30,000 (equivalent) in 2008 from the 
GOB and additional project funds from ILO/IPEC. 
 
¶29.  (U) Best practices:  The Government of Belize employs a 
multi-sectoral approach to combating trafficking in persons.  This 
method strengthens coordination among frontline agencies, ensures a 
victim-centered approach to combating TIP, and leads to direct and 
efficient delivery of services to victims.  This multi-sectoral 
approach led to the development of a tripartite team comprised of 
the police, immigration officials, and social workers who are 
responsible for the planning, execution and evaluation of operations 
- thereby ensuring that operations are intelligence - driven. Social 
workers are present at every operation to make certain that victims 
receive immediate assistance. 
 
¶30.  Post's POC for trafficking and human rights issues is Acting 
Pol/Econ Chief Sue Kuester, e-mail:  KuesterSG@state.gov; telephone: 
 011-501-822-4011, ext. 4113; fax:  011-501-822-4012.  In her 
absence, please contact Poloff Brianne Watts, ext. 4197. 
 
¶31.  Post estimates that over the course of the year, Acting 
Pol/Econ Chief and one LES have spent approximately 95 hours 
gathering information, meeting with government officials, and 
preparing reports on trafficking in persons in Belize. 
 
DIFFILY