WILLEMSTAD - Curaçao's government policy to combat human trafficking still does not meet minimum standards this year, and insufficient efforts are being made to address this issue. As a result, Curaçao remains at the same level as last year when it was downgraded from Tier 2 to Tier 3 in the United States' assessment of efforts to combat human trafficking.
While the government has taken some steps to tackle human trafficking, such as providing support to three victims involved in legal proceedings against traffickers, compensating two victims of sexual exploitation, and extending the national action plan that expired in December 2021, there are significant shortcomings.
For instance, the government has not convicted any traffickers, and no victims have been identified. Additionally, foreign victim assistance, including residency permits, depends on cooperation with law enforcement agencies in trafficking cases. Lack of funding presents a significant barrier to robust efforts in combating human trafficking. The Curaçao authorities also often confuse human trafficking with human smuggling, which hinders the effectiveness of prosecution, prevention, and protection measures.
Recommendations
The U.S. TIP report provides recommendations to improve the situation. The government is urged to make more efforts to identify victims, especially through proactive screening of vulnerable groups such as migrants and individuals in the sex industry.
Victims should also have access to services and legal alternatives to deportation, particularly when they are at risk in their home countries. Furthermore, the government should regularly screen detained migrants for signs of human trafficking and train detention center staff in victim identification procedures.
The government should adhere to the reflection period for victims and refer them to protection services without requiring their consent for a criminal investigation.
The report also emphasizes the need to prosecute and convict human traffickers, including complicit officials, with significant prison sentences as a consequence.
Authorities should also disseminate victim identification and referral procedures among all law enforcement agencies and train their personnel accordingly. Specialized care and assistance should be provided to victims of human trafficking, including male victims.
Adequate resources must be allocated to efforts aimed at combating human trafficking, including protection services and funding for the full implementation of the national action plan.
Prevention
The government must also step up its efforts in the field of prevention. The human trafficking coordinator leads the interdepartmental task force for combating human trafficking but also has other full-time responsibilities.
Allocated resources should be available for anti-human trafficking efforts, but these may not be fully allocated due to government budget cuts. A new action plan for 2022-2026 is being developed, while the old action plan from 2017-2021 has been temporarily extended.
The government needs to raise awareness about human trafficking and provide targeted resources and training to reach vulnerable communities. Authorities should also discourage the use of human trafficking in the sex industry. Additionally, there should be better coordination and information sharing with anti-human trafficking partners within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Exploitation
Over the past five years, it has been evident that human traffickers exploit both domestic and foreign victims in Curaçao. Among others, Venezuelan migrants are vulnerable to both sexual and labor exploitation. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the activities of human traffickers increased, especially those acting independently.
Victims come from various countries, including Curaçao, the Dominican Republic, and Venezuela. Women and girls are often exploited in the sex industry, while migrants from other Caribbean countries, South America, China, and India are exploited in domestic work and forced labor in different sectors.