Trafficking in Persons Prevention Act 2016

Brief Description

The Trafficking in Persons Prevention Act 2016 gives effect to the United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime and for matters connected therewith. Although human trafficking is not a major challenge in Barbados, it is an offence that police and other frontline officers have to identify. As noted in the Beijing Plus 20 Report, Barbados enacted a Transnational Crime Bill in 2011 which was replaced by the Trafficking in Persons Prevention Act 2016. This makes greater provision for the prevention of trafficking in persons and broadens the scope of the offence where trafficking in persons takes
place in Barbados. It makes provision for trafficking in children and there is a special offence with heavier penalties in relation to the trafficking of children. It criminalizes human trafficking and aspects associated with persons who assist suspected traffickers. The Act defines trafficking in persons as a general crime but does not differentiate between sex trafficking and forced labour.