The US State Department yesterday released the 10th annual 'Trafficking in Persons Report for 2010' (TIP Report) outlining the challenges faced by the world to curb human trafficking.
The report for the first time ranks the countries according to the standards set by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) which was enacted by the US in 2000 and adopted by the United Nations to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish (3 Ps) Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children,
The report ranks 177 countries in 3 main tiers where countries whose governments fully comply with the Trafficking Victims Protection Act�s (TVPA) minimum standards were placed in Tier 1.
The 2010 TIP report places Sri Lanka in Tier 2 Watch List along with the neighbours India, Bangladesh, and Maldives. Pakistan and Nepal have been give Tier 2 rankings.
Governments of countries in Tier 2 do not fully comply with the TVPA's minimum standards, but are making significant efforts to bring themselves into compliance with those standards. However, the countries will be placed in the Watch List if the trafficking is increasing and they fail to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat trafficking.
Placing Sri Lanka in Tier 2 WL for the fourth consecutive year, the report says during the year, the government enacted a law that facilitates the prosecution of recruitment agencies engaged in fraudulent recruitment and although little, made progress in identifying trafficking victims and provided some training on identification.
However, Sri Lanka despite these overall efforts, including rehabilitating child soldiers and reintegrating them into their communities and families failed to show evidence of progress in convicting and punishing trafficking offenders and identifying and protecting trafficking offenders, the report said.
The report recommended Sri Lankan government to vigorously investigate and prosecute suspected trafficking offenses and convict and punish trafficking offenders, particularly those responsible for recruiting victims with fraudulent offers of employment and excessive commission fees.
It further suggested the Sri Lankan government to develop and implement formal victim referral procedures and ensure that victims of trafficking found within the country are not detained or otherwise penalized for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of their being trafficked, such as visa violations.
The 2010 TIP report urged the Sri Lankan government to "continue anti-trafficking campaigns aimed at the public and law enforcement; continue to implement the "zero tolerance" policy regarding the recruitment and use of child soldiers; ensure that former child soldiers are reintegrated into society through comprehensive rehabilitation programs; establish a system to prevent vulnerable children from being recruited or re-recruited as soldiers; and strengthen the national anti-trafficking task force."
The full 2010 TIP report
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