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RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHWN #0033/01 0542038
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
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FM AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0544
INFO RUEHWN/AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN

UNCLAS BRIDGETOWN 000033 
 
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 - ST KITTS AND NEVIS 
 
REF: STATE 2094 
 
¶1. (U) As requested in reftel, below are Post's responses to 
questions regarding St. Kitts and Nevis for the annual Trafficking 
in Persons (TIP) 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? 
 
There are four sources of TIP information available: the press, the 
police, the Ministry of Gender Affairs, and the Prime Minister's 
office, which is primarily contacted through 
the press secretary. All sources are reliable, though the 
government is careful about what information it releases to the 
Embassy. The government and civil society do not consider TIP to be 
problem in the country. 
 
-- B. Is the country a country of origin, transit, and/or 
destination for internationally trafficked men, women, or children? 
Does trafficking occur within the country's borders? If so, does 
internal trafficking occur in territory outside of the government's 
control (e.g. in a civil war situation)? To where are people 
trafficked? For what purposes are they trafficked? Provide, where 
possible, numbers or estimates for each group of trafficking 
victims. Have there been any changes in the TIP situation since the 
last TIP Report (e.g. changes in destinations)? 
 
St. Kitts and Nevis (SKN) is a small twin-island nation with a 
population of 42,000. There have been no reports of TIP from the 
government or the press during the reporting period. 
In conversations with TIP contacts, the only potential TIP concerns 
are persons being trafficked through St. Kitts and Nevis to the 
U.S., Europe or Canada. St. Kitts and Nevis has 
the potential to become a country of transit primarily for young 
women from the Dominican Republic, Guyana, Venezuela or other 
countries in the region. There are no reports of 
trafficking occurring within the country's borders. There are no 
sources of TIP statistics and estimates point to a minimal problem, 
if any. There was no change in the TIP situation in 2009. 
 
-- C. What kind of conditions are the victims trafficked into? 
 
There have been no reports of women traveling or being trafficked 
to SKN to engage in prostitution, but prostitution exists. There 
have been no reports of sexual slavery or 
trafficking of children for prostitution. 
 
-- 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.)? 
 
 
 
Young women are the most vulnerable group in SKN, but there is 
currently no evidence that they are being trafficked. 
 
-- 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? 
 
There have been no reports of TIP by the press or the government. 
Small business owners of establishments such as bars and/or 
brothels may offer women employment as prostitutes, however there 
is no evidence any women have been trafficked against their will. 
There is no indication that employment, travel, or tourism 
agencies, or marriage brokers, are involved in TIP. 
 
--------------------------------- 
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? If not, why not? 
 
The government does not deny that TIP may occur in isolated 
incidents, but does not acknowledge TIP is a serious problem, and 
there have been no reports of TIP. 
 
-- B. Which government agencies are involved in anti-trafficking 
efforts and which agency, if any, has the lead? 
 
The police, Ministry of Gender affairs, Ministry of Justice and the 
Ministry of National security are all involved in anti-TIP efforts. 
The Ministry of Justice and the police 
have the lead. The police investigate TIP cases and the Ministry of 
Justice is responsible for prosecuting TIP cases. 
 
-- 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? 
 
Almost every government agency in St. Kitts and Nevis lacks 
sufficient resources, including funding and staffing. The police 
suffer from a lack of experience and training in TIP, 
and are preoccupied with a serious and escalating crime situation. 
They have few resources dedicated to potential trafficking cases 
and enforcement against prostitution is 
almost non-existent. The St. Kitts and Nevis Defense Force's 
ability to patrol the country's coastline is limited. 
 
-- 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? 
 
The government does not take specific measures to monitor potential 
trafficking and has no official reports or statistics. 
 
 
 
¶E. What measures has the government taken to establish the identity 
of local populations, including birth registration, citizenship, 
and nationality? 
 
 
 
GOSKN has a birth registration system for all children born in St. 
Kitts and Nevis.  All children born to citizens of St. Kitts and 
Nevis abroad are entitled to citizenship.  There is a formal 
process for deriving citizenship through immigration. 
 
 
 
--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 GOSKN has asked for international help to address gaps in the 
country's law enforcement efforts.  The United States, the EU and 
Canada provide regular training and capacity building programs to 
address these gaps. 
 
 
--------------------------- 
PARA 27 - INVESTIGATION AND 
PROSECUTION 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? 
 
In August, 2008, St. Kitts and Nevis passed the Trafficking in 
Persons Prevention Act in order to prevent, punish and suppress 
trafficking in persons for both sexual exploitation and labor. The 
trafficking in persons laws criminalize the act of trafficking in 
persons and include all elements of the offense so that the person 
who masterminds the trafficking is 
just as culpable as the person who actively participates in the 
offense. The law covers both internal and transnational forms of 
trafficking. The law also addresses the restricting 
of a person's movement by unlawfully withholding identification of 
travel documents and allows the courts to order the perpetrator of 
the trafficking to pay restitution to the victims. 
 
-- B. Punishment of Sex Trafficking Offenses: What are the 
prescribed and imposed penalties for trafficking people for sexual 
exploitation? 
 
The penalties for trafficking people for sexual exploitation is 20 
years imprisonment or a $250,000 EC($92,500 US) fine, or both, 
based on the court's discretion. 
 
-- 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? 
 
The penalties for trafficking people for sexual exploitation is 20 
years imprisonment or a $250,000 EC ($92,500 US) fine, or both, 
based on the court's discretion. St. Kitts is a 
labor destination country, and under the Trafficking in Persons 
Prevention Act, the government may prosecute anyone who 
participates in TIP at any level. 
 
-- D. What are the prescribed penalties for rape or forcible sexual 
assault? 
 
The maximum penalty for rape or forcible sexual assault is life 
imprisonment. Indecent assault on a minor carries a maximum penalty 
of 10 years 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? 
 
The government did not prosecute any cases against human 
trafficking offenders. St. Kitts and Nevis is a labor destination 
country, but there were no cases of labor agents confiscating 
workers' 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. 
 
The government has partnered with the International Organization 
for Migration to provide some training on how to recognize and 
investigate instances of trafficking. 
 
--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. 
 
There are no such cases on record. 
 
-- 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. 
 
The government has never extradited or charged anyone with 
TIP-related crimes. Under the Trafficking in Persons Prevention 
Act, TIP is an extraditable offense. 
 
-- I. Is there evidence of government involvement in or tolerance 
of trafficking, on a local or institutional level? If so, please 
explain in detail. 
 
No. 
 
-- 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. 
 
There is no evidence suggesting government officials are involved 
in TIP, and no government officials have been charged or prosecuted 
for TIP-related offenses. 
 
-- 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. 
 
 
The GOSKN does not generally 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? 
 
St. Kitts and Nevis does not have an identified problem of child 
sex tourists coming to the country. 
 
--------------------------------------------- - 
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 Trafficking in Persons Prevention Act provides protection for 
victims of TIP and includes protections against recapture, threats, 
reprisals and intimidation by the traffickers and associates. These 
same protections apply to the victim's family. 
 
-- 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. 
 
St. Kitts and Nevis does not operate a victim care facility or 
shelter. 
 
-- 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 Ministry of Gender affairs is able to provide minimal 
counseling for victims, but the government does not currently 
provide funding or shelter. 
 
-- 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. 
 
The government does not provide access to legal and psychological 
services, but would provide basic medical services to victims of 
TIP through the state-run hospital. 
 
-- 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. 
 
-- 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)? 
 
No. 
 
-- 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 reports of TIP victims 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? 
 
There is no system in place to proactively identify TIP victims. 
 
-- 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? 
 
Since there were no reports of TIP victims, this information is 
unavailable. 
 
-- 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? 
 
Since there were no reports of TIP victims, this information is 
unavailable. 
 
-- 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). 
 
Various government employees have received training in identifying 
potential TIP victims, but this training has not reached all 
relevant personnel. There are no reports of the embassies of St. 
Kitts and Nevis assisting TIP victims abroad. 
 
- L. Does the government provide assistance, such as medical aid, 
shelter, or financial help, to its nationals who are repatriated as 
victims of trafficking? 
 
The government does not provide any special services specific to 
TIP victims. If victims of TIP who are nationals of St. Kitts and 
Nevis are repatriated, only the normal social 
services are available. 
 
-- 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? 
 
International Organization for Migration has provided some training 
and assistance in developing standards and action plans, and 
receives good cooperation from the government. 
 
-------------------- 
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 did not conduct anti-trafficking for education 
campaigns. However, the government co-hosted a regional conference 
with U.S. military support that addressed all aspects of illicit 
trafficking, including human trafficking.  The Prime Minister 
addressed this event, and spoke at length about the Government's 
commitment to combat trafficking in persons in St. Kitts and Nevis. 
 
 
-- B. Does the government monitor immigration and emigration 
patterns for evidence of trafficking? 
 
The government does not monitor immigration and emigration patterns 
for evidence of trafficking. 
 
-- 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? 
 
There are no specific mechanisms for coordination and communication 
between various agencies on trafficking-related matters aside from 
normal communication on criminal activity among government 
agencies. 
 
-- 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? 
 
There is no government plan of action to address TIP. 
 
-- E: What measures has the government taken during the reporting 
period to reduce the demand for commercial sex acts? (see ref B, 
para. 9(3) for examples) 
 
The government undertakes minimal action to stop prostitution as 
part of its regular law enforcement responsibilities. 
 
-- F. Required of all Posts: 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 is no evidence of participation in international child sex 
tourism by nationals of St. Kitts and Nevis. 
 
-------------------- 
PARA 30 - PARTNERSHIPS 
 
 
-------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) 
 
 
 
-- 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. 
 
 
 
St. Kitts and Nevis regularly receives training from the USG, the 
IOM and the UN on anti-trafficking efforts. 
 
 
 
-- B. What sort of international assistance does the government 
provide to other countries to address TIP? 
 
 
 
St. Kitts and Nevis is a country of only 42,000 people and does not 
generally provide assistance to other countries. 
HARDT