FOR INFORMATION CONTACT: Trafficking in Persons Secretariat61 Constant Spring Road, Kingston 10 • Tel: 876- 922-3771

National Task Force Against Trafficking in PersonsTrafficking in Persons Week

July, 23–30, 2017

Today is World Day Against Trafficking

in Persons

Trafficking in Persons Lapel Pin Unveiled

What the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) says:

‘Act to Protect and Assist Trafficked Persons’

This year the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has chosen ‘act to protect and assist trafficked persons’ as the focus of the World Day. This topic highlights one of the most pressing issues of our time – the large mixed migration movements of refugees and migrants. The theme puts the spotlight on the significant impact of conflict and natural disasters, as well as the resultant, multiple risks of human trafficking that many people face. It addresses the key issue concerning trafficking responses: that most people are never identified as trafficking victims and therefore cannot access most of the assistance or protection provided.

What our leaders say:

Hon. Robert Montague, MP • Minister of National Security

Every country around the world must come together to fight this fight. Jamaica reaffirms its commitment to the eradication of human trafficking and the protection of victims and prosecution of criminals to the fullest extent of the law. We join in solidarity with the rest of the world as we recognize World Day Against Trafficking in Persons.

Hon. Delroy Chuck, QC, MP • Minister of Justice

Hon. Robert Montague (left) and Hon. Delroy Chuck (right) are assisted with the unveiling of the Trafficking In Persons lapel by Ms. Keshia West, Manager of the Trafficking in Persons Secretariat (left) and Mrs. Carol Palmer (right) Chairperson of the National Task Force Against Trafficking in Persons.

Mrs. Carol Palmer, Chairperson of the National Task Force Against Trafficking in Persons affixes the TIP lapel pin on the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, Prime Minister of Jamaica, at Jamaica House recently. Looking on are Hon. Robert Montague (left) and Hon. Delroy Chuck (right)

Be Wise • Open Your Eyes • Spot Them • Stop Them • Report Them

Jamaica now has its own lapel pin for human trafficking which was unveiled at a press conference to announce plans for Trafficking in Persons Week. This took place at the Ministry of Justice complex on Constant Spring Road, Monday July 24,

2017. Trafficking in Persons Week is observed July 23-30 under the theme Stop Human Trafficking: Everybody’s Business. World Day Against Trafficking in Persons is observed worldwide July 30, 2017.

Miss Brenda Smith, (right) Director Documentation Information and Access

Services, Ministry of Justice, talks to two members of the public about human trafficking at the Inaugural Country Tour

which was held in March 2017.

ROUND ABOUT JAMAICA– NATFATIP Goes on Country Tour

Stop Human Trafficking: Everybody,s Business

NATFATIP launched a series of country tours on Trafficking in Persons in March this year. Members of the Task Force were joined by the staff of the Ministry of Justice and officers from the anti-TIP Intellectual Property (Vice Squad) along Constant Spring Road, Kingston, distributing literature to members of the public.

On Thursday July 27, 2017, the members of the Task Force went to Rocky Point in Clarendon and Spanish

Town, St. Catherine, with the message of human trafficking.

Governments the world over are united in a compact to end the scourge of human trafficking. Jamaica continues to place strategic focus on this significant human rights atrocity. The horrific nature of this crime and the lifelong scars that victims carry demand a response that is effective and long-term.

National Task Force Against Trafficking in Persons

Hon. Delroy Chuck, QC, MPMinister of Justice

Whole of Government Response Needed to Help Victims of Human Trafficking

Human trafficking is one of the largest transnational crimes and a significant threat to human security.

Domestic Governments need to scale up action to investigate and prosecute those involved in this human rights atrocity. We need a robust Judicial system to secure prosecutions and send a powerful message to offenders that they will be punished. While we rely on law enforcement agencies and the Prosecutorial and Judicial services, the protection of victims during and after Court cases is of fundamental importance to the overall success to eradicate human trafficking.

There is need to provide effective services to reintegrate victims into the community or to settle them outside their communities, or in other jurisdictions. This requires a whole of Government approach including services such as Health, Education, Children Services, Passport and Immigration, Social Services, Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade.

There is a role for Civil Society in complementing the State’s efforts in prosecuting traffickers and protecting victims. The Government will continue to review the scope and efficiency of national anti-trafficking laws and to strengthen legislative and policy mechanisms:

To ensure

• Criminalization of all forms of human trafficking

• The establishment of clear roles for relevant Government entities, to achieve effective coordination and to strengthen strategic interventions across all sectors.

Hon. Robert Montague, MPMinister of National Security

Jamaica Stands with the World in the Fight Against Human Trafficking

Human trafficking is the most under reported crime. One of the best ways to fight against and eliminate it is by making it “Everybody’s Business”. Everyone needs to know what it is and what we can do to stop it. A consistent and sustained awareness campaign must be targeted at the most vulnerable and susceptible.

This crime must be taken seriously by every country in the world. We cannot allow this modern-day slavery to continue to permeate and infiltrate our societies. When we received Emancipation in 1838, we thought slavery was behind us. It is horrific to realize that it is still alive and rampant throughout the world.

Human traffickers prey on the weak, the vulnerable and the disadvantaged. When someone offers you a job, a good education or just “good life” and tells you that you are going to “foreign”, think about and scrutinize it, remember, “not everything that soak up water is a sponge”.

These criminals are pretending to be what they are not and prosper off persons who are seeking a “better life”.

Domestic workers including child domestic workers are trafficked and are not allowed to leave the home. Many of the missing children who we hear about are part of the trafficking, forced into labour or sex. Sex tourism is happening in our tourist areas.

Parents beware of social media. Know what your child is doing when they are on their phone, tablet or computer. You need to know who your child is talking to. Who they think they are talking to is not who it may be. Warn them not to give out personal information. Warn them not to send out their location.

Let us work together as a global community to give a voice to those men, women and children who have become unfortunate victims.

As we commence this week of activities in observance of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, I want to commend and thank the National Task Force Against Trafficking in Persons and all stakeholders for the tireless work that they are doing. I want to pledge the continued support of the Ministry and the Government to do our part.

Mrs. Carol Palmer, CD, JPPermanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice

Eliminating Human Trafficking a Sisyphean Task

This year’s theme ‘Stop Human Trafficking: Everybody’s Business’ seeks to draw attention to the need for a whole of Government, as well as a whole of country approach to the fight against human trafficking.

Why is this so?1. Jamaica’s high levels of poverty and unemployment

especially among the youth and women provide a fertile breeding ground for traffickers;

2. We continue to struggle with the systemic weaknesses in the investigative, prosecutorial and judicial services-- we are making some headway, but we still have some way to go;

3. The high levels of crime and violence in the country present a cover for traffickers to carry out their work sometimes unnoticed;

4. The acceptance of the ‘informa fi ded culture’ emboldens traffickers to pursue human trafficking sometimes in a brazen way.

These realities, when taken together, make the elimination of human trafficking a Sisyphean task.

We must all get on board to Stop Human Trafficking. It is everybody’s

business.One of the most important messages that we would like to leave with the Jamaican people this week is that the victims of human trafficking require sustained support across sectors such as Health, Education, Immigration and Labour.

Most times the horrific nature of human trafficking crimes leave victims with long-term physical, emotional and psychological scars. Regrettably, all too often the scars are not just long-term, they are lifelong. We must change our attitude to victims, we must move from shame to support – from contempt to compassion – and from isolation to integration back into their communities.

Where victims have found themselves without the option of returning to their country of birth, State entities must move with dispatch to honour Jamaica’s obligation to the international community to be a safe haven for these victims, and provide for them an environment where their lives can return to normality as quickly as possible.

This year’s theme: Stop Human Trafficking: Everybody’s Business is a wake up call for families, communities, schools, businesses, and State and non-state actors. Human Trafficking is real, it is here, lives are being destroyed.

I ask the media to join us in taking this message to the nooks and crannies of Jamaica. We all have a responsibility to stop human trafficking.

MessAGes

Many of the missing children who we hear about are part of the

trafficking, forced into labour or sex.

We need a robust Judicial system to secure prosecutions and send a powerful message to offenders

that they will be punished.

National Task Force Against Trafficking in Persons Hands Over Bus to the Anti-Tip Intellectual Property (Vice squad)

We still have a significant number of communities in deep rural Jamaica and inner cities that are isolated, hard to reach, under-served and less informed about crimes relating to domestic servitude, sexual exploitation and child labour. People need to understand that human trafficking occurs across borders and within country; is for a range of exploitative purposes; victimizes women, children and men and takes place with or without the involvement of organized crime groups.

NATFATIP recognizes the danger of human trafficking to the country’s prospect for economic development, understands that the human development of the country is at risk and is therefore executing its role of ensuring that Jamaica has the necessary legislative and national anti-trafficking strategies to progressively scale up actions in the fight against human trafficking.

We continue to enhance the capacity and expertise of the investigative and prosecutorial arms of the anti-trafficking programme as part of interdependent and complementary components that include:

1. Research and awareness raising;2. Capacity building3. The strengthening of partnerships and coordination.

Below: Minister of Justice Delroy Chuck and Minister of National Security, Robert Montague, are assisted with the cutting of ribbon for the TIP bus by ACP Clifford Chambers and Chair of the National Task Force Against Trafficking in Persons, Carol Palmer.

Trafficking in Persons Week • July 23–30, 2017

Jamaica Premieres Human Trafficking Documentary

Jamaica’s National Task Force Against Trafficking in Persons (NATFATIP) premiered a documentary on

Human Trafficking during Trafficking in Persons Week – July 23-30, 2017. Chair of the National Task Force Against Trafficking in Persons, Mrs. Carol Palmer said that with the production of RESCUE Jamaica will now step up its public awareness campaign. “We needed a strategy that utilizes Jamaica’s strengths and for that we turned to the creative industries. This documentary captures the harsh realities of human trafficking and gives us a glimpse into the anguished souls of victims. This message must reach every single Jamaican,” she said.

The documentary features moving performances by local talents and has an original title track of the same name ‘RESCUE’.

RESCUE was produced by the award winning producer Kevin “Nana Moses” Calvert.

Documentary poster being unveiled by DSP Carl Berry and NATFATIP Member Miss Kymani Barnes.

Mrs. Carol Palmer pins Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade.

NATFATIP Member Miss Kymani Barnes pins Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett.

Minister Delroy Chuck smiles as he pins Minister Olivia “Babsy” Grange, Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport.

Ms. Keshia West, Manager of TIP Secretariat pins Local Government Minister Hon. Desmond McKenzie

Minister of Justice Hon. Delroy Chuck, leads the team of National Task Force Against Trafficking in Persons members in pinning Cabinet Ministers with the TIP lapel.

Trafficking in Persons Week • July 23–30, 2017National Task Force Against Trafficking in Persons

Jamaica’s Parliamentarians support the Fight against Human Trafficking

Dr. Horace ChangMP – St. James North Western

All aspects of human trafficking are horrible. It’s modern-day slavery that exploits poverty and naivety and must be fought on all fronts through public education and awareness so that we can move beyond the Tier 2 ranking.

Mikael PhillipsMP – Manchester North Western

Public awareness is critical to the fight against human trafficking especially in our high schools. We have to

start with the children. We should start teaching children about human trafficking from grade four and make it a

part of the curriculum.

Mr. Heroy Clarke MP – St. James Central

Parents have to be knowledgeable and aware of where their kids are. A certain kind of tracking is needed to protect children from human trafficking.

The Rev Ronald ThwaitesMP – Central Kingston

We have to be conscious of what’s happening on the ground. We have to dismantle the syndicate for example

that send out little boys to beg money to make up quotas. Girls who need for example school fees are vulnerable.

We should improve social security.

Mr. Franklyn WitterMP – St. Elizabeth South Eastern

It’s a great challenge, especially for young people who want jobs.

Public education is the key, especially on social media.

Mr. Fitz JacksonMP – St. Catherine Southern

Attractiveness of offers has some serious consequences for our young persons. All should be done within the

communities and within the families to raise awareness.

Mrs. Marlene Malahoo ForteMP – St. James West Central

Persons who live in tourist resorts see certain lifestyles and encounter a number of persons from overseas and many are looking for an opportunity to go abroad.

Beware of job opportunities that seem too good to be true because many times they are. Read the fliers about Human Trafficking that are put out by the Justice Ministry because not everything that glitters is gold.

Mr. Richard AzanMP – Clarendon North Western

We need to some more public education so that our kids can understand that human trafficking is bad, especially for children. All of us as decent law-abiding citizens need help.