VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHWN #0164/01 0491632
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 181609Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0490
INFO EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS BRIDGETOWN 000164 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
STATE FOR G - LAURA PENA 
STATE FOR G/TIP - STEPHANIE KRONENBURG 
STATE FOR WHA/PPC - SCOTT MILLER 
STATE FOR WHA/CAR - KAREN MCISAAC 
STATE ALSO FOR INL, DRL, PRM 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM KTIP PREF ELAB ASEC SMIG KCRM KFRD KWMN KMCA XL
SUBJECT: TIP SUBMISSION - ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA 
 
REF: STATE 2094 
 
¶1.  (U) Below are Post's responses to questions regarding Antigua 
and Barbuda for the annual Trafficking in Persons Report. 
 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
Para 25 - The Country's TIP Situation 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
 
 
¶2.  (SBU) 
 
 
 
-- A. What is (are) the source(s) of available information on 
trafficking in persons?  What plans are in place (if any) to 
undertake further documentation of human trafficking?  How reliable 
are these sources? 
 
 
 
The Gender Affairs Directorate is the focal point for much of the 
information on trafficking, documenting cases as they become known. 
The Gender Affairs Directorate is understaffed and has no full-time 
employees focused solely on trafficking issues; however, the 
Directorate is a reliable source of available information.  As a 
country with less than 90,000 people Antigua spends a 
disproportionate amount of time focused on educating its personnel 
to deal with Trafficking issues. 
 
 
 
-- B. Is the country a country of origin, transit, and/or 
destination for men, women, or children subjected to conditions of 
commercial sexual exploitation, forced or bonded labor, or other 
slave-like conditions?  Are citizens or residents of the country 
subjected to such trafficking conditions within the country?  If 
so, does this internal trafficking occur in territory outside of 
the government's control (e.g. in a civil war situation)? 
 
 
 
Antigua and Barbuda is a destination point for victims of 
Trafficking in Persons (TIP) from the Dominican Republic, Guyana, 
and Jamaica.  There have not been any changes in the TIP situation 
since the last report. 
 
 
 
-- C. What kind of conditions are the victims trafficked into? 
 
 
 
According to a UNHCR source, some women are recruited in the 
Dominican Republic to work as maids in Antigua, however, there have 
been no reported cases involving the trafficking of domestic 
servants into Antigua. 
 
 
 
According to the Director of Gender Affairs and other sources, 
there are four main brothels that operate in Antigua, where women 
from the Dominican Republic are prostituted.  In addition, there 
are private residences that operate as brothels.  Increasingly, 
however, English-speaking women from Guyana and Jamaica are being 
recruited.  The conditions under which they are recruited vary, 
according to sources, but in most cases the women's travel 
documents are confiscated and they are threatened with deportation 
if they refuse to work exclusively for the brothel owner. 
 
 
 
-- D. Vulnerability to TIP: Are certain groups of persons more at 
risk of being trafficked (e.g. women and children, boys versus 
 
girls, certain ethnic groups, refugees, IDPs, etc.)? 
 
 
 
There are no reports of Antiguans being trafficked.  Legal and 
illegal immigrants from Haiti, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and 
Guyana are reported to be the most vulnerable to trafficking. 
 
 
 
-- E. Traffickers and Their Methods: Who are the 
traffickers/exploiters?  Are they independent business people? 
Small or family-based crime groups?  Large international organized 
crime syndicates?  What methods are used to approach victims?  For 
example, are they offered lucrative jobs, sold by their families, 
or approached by friends of friends?  What methods are used to move 
the victims (e.g., are false documents being used?).  Are 
employment, travel, and tourism agencies or marriage brokers 
involved with or fronting for traffickers or crime groups to 
traffic individuals? 
 
 
 
According to Gender Affairs, the traffickers are a mix of well 
financed businessmen from the Dominican Republic and Antiguan 
citizens acting as pimps and brothel owners. 
 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---------------------- 
------------------- 
 
Para 26 - Setting the Scene for the Government's Anti-TIP Efforts 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---------------------- 
------------------- 
 
 
 
¶3. (SBU) 
 
 
 
-- A. Does the government acknowledge that trafficking is a problem 
in the country? 
 
 
 
Yes, with the exception of some members of immigration and law 
enforcement, almost all of the GOAB's government institutions are 
aware of and acknowledge the trafficking problem. 
 
 
 
-- B. Which government agencies are involved in anti-trafficking 
efforts and which agency, if any, has the lead? 
 
 
 
The GOAB Anti-TIP Working Group monitors its anti-trafficking 
efforts on a monthly basis, sharing information on suspected 
trafficking cases and formulating strategies to address the 
problem. 
 
 
 
-- C. What are the limitations on the government's ability to 
address this problem in practice?  For example, is funding for 
police or other institutions inadequate?  Is overall corruption a 
problem?  Does the government lack the resources to aid victims? 
 
 
 
There is clear recognition and strong will from the Directorate of 
Gender Affairs and other GOAB agencies that form the GOAB Anti-TIP 
Working Group.  However, law enforcement and immigration do not yet 
have the appropriate training, funding, and other necessary 
mechanisms to follow up on the Working Group's requests to 
investigate suspected cases of sexual and domestic servitude.  In 
 
most cases, women without documentation are deported for 
immigration violations before they can have access to services or 
assist with the prosecution of a trafficking case.  Antigua is a 
very small country that lacks the adequate resources to deal 
effectively with most criminal issues, including trafficking in 
persons, however, they respond in a timely fashion to international 
law enforcement requests concerning trafficking victims. 
 
 
 
-- D. To what extent does the government systematically monitor its 
anti-trafficking efforts (on all fronts -- prosecution, victim 
protection, and prevention) and periodically make available, 
publicly or privately and directly or through 
regional/international organizations, its assessments of these 
anti-trafficking efforts? 
 
 
 
Each agency is represented by a TIP focal person on a monthly basis 
to share information and formulate cooperative efforts to address 
the problem.  The GOAB formed the National Coalition Against 
Trafficking in Persons, which is made up of the Ministries of 
Social Welfare, Social Transformation, Health, Labor and Gender 
Affairs, Immigration, and the Royal Antigua and Barbuda Police 
Force as well as various civil society groups, NGOs, and community 
activists and advocates. 
 
 
 
-- E. What measures has the government taken to establish the 
identity of local populations, including birth registration, 
citizenship, and nationality? 
 
 
 
The GOAB has a national birth registry for children born in 
Antigua.  All children born to Antiguan citizens abroad are 
entitled to Antiguan citizenship. 
 
 
 
-- F. To what extent is the government capable of gathering the 
data required for an in-depth assessment of law enforcement 
efforts?  Where are the gaps?  Are there any ways to work around 
these gaps? 
 
 
 
The government recently established a law and order commission in 
an effort to address ongoing law enforcement concerns. 
 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---------------------- 
----- 
 
Para 27 - Investigations and Prosecutions of Traffickers 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---------------------- 
----- 
 
 
 
¶4.  (SBU) 
 
 
 
-- A. Existing Laws against TIP: Does the country have a law or 
laws specifically prohibiting trafficking in persons -- both for 
sexual exploitation and labor?  If so, please specifically cite the 
name of the law(s) and its date of enactment and provide the exact 
language [actual copies preferable] of the TIP provisions.  Please 
provide a full inventory of trafficking laws, including 
non-criminal statutes that allow for civil penalties against 
alleged trafficking crimes (e.g., civil forfeiture laws and laws 
against illegal debt). Does the law(s) cover both internal and 
transnational forms of trafficking?  If not, under what other laws 
can traffickers be prosecuted?  For example, are there laws against 
 
 
slavery or the exploitation of prostitution by means of force, 
fraud, or coercion?  Are these other laws being used in trafficking 
cases? 
 
 
 
There are no laws against trafficking in persons.  Violators could 
be prosecuted under immigration, prostitution, or labor laws. 
Under the Immigration and Passport Act, if an immigration officer 
suspects that a person is coming into the country to behave in the 
manner of a prostitute the officer has the authority to refuse 
entry.  Normally, undocumented foreigners are deported immediately. 
 
 
 
-- B. Punishment of Sex Trafficking Offenses: What are the 
prescribed and imposed 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?  If your country is a 
source country for labor migrants, do the government's laws provide 
for criminal punishment -- i.e. jail time -- for labor recruiters 
who engage in recruitment of workers using knowingly fraudulent or 
deceptive offers with the purpose of subjecting workers to 
trafficking in the destination country?  If your country is a 
destination for labor migrants, are there laws punishing employers 
or labor agents who confiscate workers' passports or travel 
documents for the purpose of trafficking, 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? 
 
 
 
There are no specific penalties for traffickers of people for labor 
exploitation.  They could, however, face penalties for immigration 
and labor violations.  Immigration violations could lead to 
deportation of both victim and trafficker. 
 
 
 
The constitution prohibits forced or compulsory labor, including by 
children, and there were no reports that such practices occurred. 
 
 
 
The law stipulates a minimum working age of 16 years, which 
corresponds with the provisions of the Education Act. In addition 
persons under 18 years of age must have a medical clearance to work 
and may not work later than 10 p.m.  The Ministry of Labor, which 
is required by law to conduct periodic inspections of workplaces, 
effectively enforced this law.  The labor commissioner's office 
also had an inspectorate that investigated exploitive child labor 
matters. 
 
 
 
The Labor Code provides that the minister of labor may issue 
orders, which have the force of law, to establish a minimum wage. 
The minimum wage was $2.26 (EC$6.00) an hour for all categories of 
labor, which provided a barely adequate standard of living for a 
worker and family.  In practice the great majority of workers 
earned substantially more than the minimum wage. 
 
 
 
-- D. What are the prescribed penalties for rape or forcible sexual 
assault? 
 
The penalty for rape ranges from 10 years to life imprisonment. 
 
 
 
-- E. Law Enforcement Statistics: Did the government prosecute any 
cases against human trafficking offenders during the reporting 
period?  If so, provide numbers of investigations, prosecutions, 
convictions, and sentences imposed, including details on plea 
bargains and fines, if relevant and available.  Please note the 
number of convicted traffickers who received suspended sentences 
and the number who received only a fine as punishment.  Please 
indicate which laws were used to investigate, prosecute, convict, 
and sentence traffickers.  Also, if possible, please disaggregate 
numbers of cases by type of TIP (labor vs. commercial sexual 
exploitation) and victims (children under 18 years of age vs. 
adults).  If in a labor source country, did the government 
criminally prosecute labor recruiters who recruit workers using 
knowingly fraudulent or deceptive offers or by imposing fees or 
commissions for the purpose of subjecting the worker to debt 
bondage?  Did the government in a labor destination country 
criminally prosecute employers or labor agents who confiscate 
workers' passports/travel documents for the purpose of trafficking, 
switch contracts or terms of employment without the worker's 
consent to keep workers in a state of service, use physical or 
sexual abuse or the threat of such abuse to keep workers in a state 
of service, or withhold payment of salaries as a means to keep 
workers in a state of service?  What were the actual punishments 
imposed on persons convicted of these offenses?  Are the 
traffickers serving the time sentenced?  If not, why not? 
 
 
 
There were no cases brought against traffickers during the 
reporting period.  Nor have there been any cases brought against 
employers for confiscating passports or travel documents.  The 
police are responsive to requests for assistance from TIP victims 
to recover travel documents. 
 
 
 
-- F. Does the government provide any specialized training for 
government officials in how to recognize, investigate, and 
prosecute instances of trafficking?  Specify whether NGOs, 
international organizations, and/or the USG provide specialized 
training for host government officials. 
 
 
 
In June 2008, Gender Affairs, Immigration and Royal Antigua and 
Barbuda Police Force official attended a USG sponsored 
anti-trafficking capacity building workshop.  In February 2008, 
officials from the Royal Antigua and Barbuda Police Force took part 
in an OAS-sponsored seminar and workshop.  In November 2009, 
government officials took part in USG and International 
Organization for Migration (IOM) sponsored regional training in St 
Kitts and Nevis.  None of these training programs were funded by 
the GOAB. 
 
 
 
--G. Does the government cooperate with other governments in the 
investigation and prosecution of trafficking cases?  If possible, 
provide the number of cooperative international investigations on 
trafficking during the reporting period. 
 
 
 
The GOAB cooperates with other Caribbean countries via the Gender 
Affairs Unit at the CARICOM Secretariat in Georgetown, Guyana. 
There were no international investigations during the rating 
period. 
 
 
 
-- H. Does the government extradite persons who are charged with 
trafficking in other countries?  If so, please provide the number 
of traffickers extradited during the reporting period, and the 
number of trafficking extraditions pending. In particular, please 
 
report on any pending or concluded extraditions of trafficking 
offenders to the United States. 
 
 
 
There have been no requests for extradition. 
 
 
 
-- I. Is there evidence of government involvement in or tolerance 
of trafficking, on a local or institutional level?  If so, please 
explain in detail. 
 
 
 
In the previous reporting period the Gender Affairs Directorate 
uncovered two cases of trafficking and helped two women repatriate 
to their home countries.  In both cases the women voluntarily came 
to Antigua to engage in prostitution only to later have their 
passports revoked until they could repay the brothel owner for 
expenses incurred in bringing the women to the country.  Both women 
had been given work permits as "entertainers" to legally enter the 
country.  The receipt of legitimate work-permits to engage in 
almost certain prostitution requires at least the acquiescence of 
one or more adjudicating officers in the immigration office. 
 
 
 
-- J. If government officials are involved in trafficking, what 
steps has the government taken to end such participation?  Please 
indicate the number of government officials investigated and 
prosecuted for involvement in trafficking or trafficking-related 
corruption during the reporting period.  Have any been convicted? 
What sentence(s) was imposed?  Please specify if officials received 
suspended sentences, or were given a fine, fired, or reassigned to 
another position within the government as punishment.  Please 
indicate the number of convicted officials that received suspended 
sentences or received only a fine as punishment. 
 
 
 
In the previous reporting period there were two reported cases in 
which two women became trafficked after their arrival in the 
country.  The Gender Affairs Directorate requested a review of the 
immigration department to ascertain why women who are likely to be 
trafficked are being granted work-permits, but did not receive a 
satisfactory response. 
 
 
 
-- K. For countries that contribute troops to international 
peacekeeping efforts, please indicate whether the government 
vigorously investigated, prosecuted, convicted and sentenced 
nationals of the country deployed abroad as part of a peacekeeping 
or other similar mission who engaged in or facilitated severe forms 
of trafficking or who exploited victims of such trafficking. 
 
 
 
Antigua does not contribute troops to international peacekeeping 
efforts. 
 
 
 
-- L. If the country has an identified problem of child sex 
tourists coming to the country, what are the countries of origin 
for sex tourists?  How many foreign pedophiles did the government 
prosecute or deport/extradite to their country of origin?  If your 
host country's nationals are perpetrators of child sex tourism, do 
the country's child sexual abuse laws have extraterritorial 
coverage (similar to the U.S. PROTECT Act) to allow the prosecution 
of suspected sex tourists for crimes committed abroad?  If so, how 
many of the country's nationals were prosecuted and/or convicted 
during the reporting period under the extraterritorial provision(s) 
for traveling to other countries to engage in child sex tourism? 
 
 
 
There have been no reports of child sex tourism in Antigua. 
 
--------------------------------------------- --------------- 
 
Para 28 - Protection and Assistance to Victims 
 
--------------------------------------------- --------------- 
 
 
 
¶5.  (SBU) 
 
 
 
-- A.  What kind of protection is the government able under 
existing law to provide for victims and witnesses?  Does it provide 
these protections in practice? 
 
 
 
The GOAB and National Coalition members lack the resources to 
establish a permanent shelter that could protect and provide 
anonymity for victims, due to the size of the country and its 
limited governmental resources.  Therefore, the Gender Affairs 
Directorate established "Emergency Safe Havens," where the victims' 
location can be hidden from their victimizers.  This innovative 
safe haven network consists of locations provided by businesses, 
churches, clinics, and individuals. 
 
 
 
-- B.  Does the country have victim care facilities (shelters or 
drop-in centers) which are accessible to trafficking victims?  Do 
foreign victims have the same access to care as domestic 
trafficking victims?  Where are child victims placed (e.g., in 
shelters, foster care, or juvenile justice detention centers)? 
Does the country have specialized care for adults in addition to 
children?  Does the country have specialized care for male victims 
as well as female?   Does the country have specialized facilities 
dedicated to helping victims of trafficking?  Are these facilities 
operated by the government or by NGOs?  What is the funding source 
of these facilities?  Please estimate the amount the government 
spent (in U.S. dollar equivalent) on these specialized facilities 
dedicated to helping trafficking victims during the reporting 
period. 
 
 
 
Through the GOAB's Directorate of Gender Affairs, victims of 
trafficking have benefited from various legal, health, advocacy, 
and crisis services.  All victims of trafficking, foreign or local, 
can access the services offered through Gender Affairs. 
 
 
 
-- C.  Does the government provide trafficking victims with access 
to legal, medical and psychological services?  If so, please 
specify the kind of assistance provided.  Does the government 
provide funding or other forms of support to foreign or domestic 
NGOs and/or international organizations for providing these 
services to trafficking victims?  Please explain and provide any 
funding amounts in U.S. dollar equivalent.  If assistance provided 
was in-kind, please specify exact assistance.  Please specify if 
funding for assistance comes from a federal budget or from regional 
or local governments. 
 
 
 
The Directorate of Gender Affairs has recruited Spanish-speaking 
volunteers to assist with several cases of suspected abuse of 
Dominican Republic nationals.  Funding is provided to the Gender 
Affairs Directorate to coordinate the work of the Anti-TIP 
Coalition, as well as cover multiple services to victims of 
domestic abuse, rape, and other forms of violence and exploitation. 
However, most victims, if discovered by immigration and/or the 
police, are generally arrested or detained for immigration 
violations and are expeditiously deported. 
 
-- D. Does the government assist foreign trafficking victims, for 
example, by providing temporary to permanent residency status, or 
other relief from deportation?  If so, please explain. 
 
 
 
No. 
 
 
 
-- E. Does the government provide longer-term shelter or housing 
benefits to victims or other resources to aid the victims in 
rebuilding their lives? 
 
 
 
No.  All victims are assisted in their repatriation to their home 
countries. 
 
 
 
-- F. Does the government have a referral process to transfer 
victims detained, arrested or placed in protective custody by law 
enforcement authorities to institutions that provide short- or 
long-term care (either government or NGO-run)? 
 
 
 
Any victims of trafficking identified by the government will be 
referred to the Gender Affairs Directorate for support services. 
 
 
 
-- G. What is the total number of trafficking victims identified 
during the reporting period?  Of these, how many victims were 
referred to care facilities for assistance by law enforcement 
authorities during the reporting period?  By social services 
officials?  What is the number of victims assisted by 
government-funded assistance programs and those not funded by the 
government during the reporting period? 
 
 
 
There were no trafficking cases reported during the reporting 
period. 
 
 
 
-- H. Do the government's law enforcement, immigration, and social 
services personnel have a formal system of proactively identifying 
victims of trafficking among high-risk persons with whom they come 
in contact (e.g., foreign persons arrested for prostitution or 
immigration violations)?  For countries with legalized 
prostitution, does the government have a mechanism for screening 
for trafficking victims among persons involved in the 
legal/regulated commercial sex trade? 
 
 
 
The GOAB does not conduct screening for potential TIP victims.  The 
Gender Affairs Directorate and the National Coalition Against 
Trafficking in Persons are able to identify TIP victims as well as 
suspected cases of trafficking, and modify their efforts 
accordingly. 
 
 
 
-- I. Are the rights of victims respected?  Are trafficking victims 
detained or jailed?   If so, for how long?  Are victims fined?  Are 
victims prosecuted for violations of other laws, such as those 
governing immigration or prostitution? 
 
 
 
Victims are treated with compassion and respect by the Gender 
Affairs Directorate and affiliated NGOs, community advocates, and 
religious representatives.  However, they are treated as 
 
undocumented criminals by many in the police force and immigration. 
 
 
 
-- J. Does the government encourage victims to assist in the 
investigation and prosecution of trafficking?  How many victims 
assisted in the investigation and prosecution of traffickers during 
the reporting period?  May victims file civil suits or seek legal 
action against traffickers?  Does anyone impede victim access to 
such legal redress?  If a victim is a material witness in a court 
case against a former employer, is the victim permitted to obtain 
other employment or to leave the country pending trial proceedings? 
Are there means by which a victim may obtain restitution? 
 
 
 
No.  The victims in the two known cases from the 2008 reporting 
period were assisted in their repatriation before they could assist 
in investigations or prosecutions.  There were no cases reported 
during the current reporting period. 
Q 
 
-- K. Does the government provide any specialized training for 
government officials in identifying trafficking victims and in the 
provision of assistance to trafficked victims, including the 
special needs of trafficked children?  Does the government provide 
training on protections and assistance to its embassies and 
consulates in foreign countries that are destination or transit 
countries?   What is the number of trafficking victims assisted by 
the host country's embassies or consulates abroad during the 
reporting period?  Please explain the type of assistance provided 
(travel documents, referrals to assistance, payment for 
transportation home). 
 
 
 
The Gender Affairs Directorate runs a gender awareness training for 
the Antigua and Barbuda Royal Police Force. 
 
 
 
Antigua has very few Embassies world-wide and has not provided 
assistance through any of its embassies during the current 
reporting period. 
 
 
 
-- L. Does the government provide assistance, such as medical aid, 
shelter, or financial help, to its nationals who are repatriated as 
victims of trafficking? 
 
 
 
There have been no reported cases of Antiguans being trafficked. 
Gender Affairs has specialized services in place should a case 
arise. 
 
 
 
-- M. 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? 
 
 
 
Other than general funding for the social services operations of 
the Gender Affairs Directorate, the GOAB has not allocated funding 
toward anti-TIP specific protection services. However, these social 
services can be and have been provided to TIP victims.  Other NGOs 
provide services such as health screening and assistance in 
repatriation. 
 
 
 
Organizations that wQk with trafficking victims are the Caribbean 
Conference of Churches, Caribbean International HIV/AIDS Alliance, 
Population Services International, and the Red Cross.  UNHCR 
provides medical assistance and help with repatriation. 
 
Cooperation from police and immigration needs improvement.  In 
addition, the GOAB should provide increased funding to its Gender 
Affairs Directorate and the National Coalition Against Trafficking 
in Persons, as both have proven track records as the most effective 
and knowledgeable institutions to prevent trafficking, identify 
cases and protect victims. 
 
 
 
-------------------------- 
 
Para 29 - Prevention 
 
-------------------------- 
 
 
 
¶6. (SBU): 
 
 
 
-- A. Did the government conduct anti-trafficking information or 
education campaigns during the reporting period?  If so, briefly 
describe the campaign(s), including their objectives and 
effectiveness.  Please provide the number of people reached by such 
awareness efforts, if available.  Do these campaigns target 
potential trafficking victims and/or the demand for trafficking 
(e.g. "clients" of prostitutes or beneficiaries of forced labor)? 
(Note: This can be an especially noteworthy effort where 
prostitution is legal.  End Note.) 
 
 
 
The government has provided education and awareness campaigns in 
the form of brochures and radio spots.  These campaigns have been 
bilingual in many instances to reach the Spanish-speaking 
population in Antigua. 
 
 
 
-- B. Does the government monitor immigration and emigration 
patterns for evidence of trafficking? 
 
 
 
Antigua and Barbuda contributes staff and other resources to the 
Regional Security Service (RSS), a coalition of top-level police, 
customs, immigration, military, and Coast Guard representatives 
from across the Caribbean.  The GOAB also provided some human and 
material resources to assist with the Advanced Passenger 
Information System (APIS), which runs background criminal history 
checks on travelers before they depart their countries of origin. 
Through this region-wide network, law enforcement agencies share 
information, which leads to investigations and detainment of 
suspected criminals once they arrive at immigration and customs. 
 
 
 
-- C. 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? 
 
 
 
The GOAB formed the National Coalition Against Trafficking in 
Persons, which is made up of the Ministries of Social Welfare, 
Social Transformation, Health, Labor and Gender Affairs, 
Immigration, and the Royal Antigua and Barbuda Police Force as well 
as various civil society groups, NGOs, and community activists and 
advocates.  The Coalition is coordinated by the Directorate of 
Gender Affairs, and meets at the end of every month to discuss 
suspected cases, formulate strategies to address them, and follow 
up with law enforcement to conduct investigations. 
 
 
 
-- D. Does the government have a national plan of action to address 
trafficking in persons?  If the plan was developed during the 
 
reporting period, which agencies were involved in developing it? 
Were NGOs consulted in the process?  What steps has the government 
taken to implement the action plan? 
 
 
 
The National Coalition has a national action plan that focuses on 
educating immigrants, the general public, and frontline workers on 
human trafficking; establishes a spokesperson to represent the 
Coalition; combining outreach and protection efforts with the 
Gender Affairs crisis hotline; and creating a legislative review of 
anti-TIP laws and statutory instruments in Antigua and Barbuda; 
share information and cooperate with law enforcement 
investigations.  NGOs, religious groups, and community advocates 
were consulted and take part in the monthly meetings.  The plan is 
transparent and shared with any person who assists in anti-TIP 
efforts. 
 
 
 
-- E: What measures has the government taken during the reporting 
period to reduce the demand for commercial sex acts? 
 
 
 
Commercial sex is illegal in Antigua and Barbuda; however, it is 
not a priority.  There have been no government programs to reduce 
demand for commercial sex during the rating period. 
 
 
 
-- F. What measures has the government taken during the reporting 
period to reduce the participation in international child sex 
tourism by nationals of the country? 
 
 
 
There have been no reports of international sex tourism.  Neither 
the government, nor local NGOs have any evidence that child sex 
tourism occurs in Antigua.  There are no laws or programs designed 
to reduce the participation of Antiguans' participation in child 
sex tourism outside of the country. 
 
 
 
The GOAB National Coalition Against Trafficking in Persons appears 
very concerned about TIP and works very well with regional and 
local NGOs, religious representatives and community advocates to 
better organize their efforts and outreach. 
 
 
 
---------------------------- 
 
Para 30 - Partnerships 
 
---------------------------- 
 
 
 
¶7. (U) 
 
 
 
-- A.  Does the government engage with other governments, civil 
society, and/or multilateral organizations to focus attention and 
devote resources to addressing human trafficking?  If so, please 
provide details. 
 
 
 
The GOAB regularly participates in regional fora focused on TIP 
issues.  Gender Affairs has played a lead role in working with the 
IOM and speakers from G-TIP in the past to promote multilateral 
cooperation to combat trafficking. 
 
 
 
-- B.  What sort of international assistance does the government 
 
provide to other countries to address TIP? 
 
 
 
None. 
HARDT