Strategic Plans Being Made To Fight Human Trafficking

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of National Security Courtney Williams, has said that government remains steadfast in its fight against the scourge of human trafficking and is prepared to provide the appropriate resources required to deal with the problem.

Speaking recently at the opening of Jamaica’s first child-friendly-space for victims of human trafficking and other serious crimes at the Falmouth Police Station in Trelawny, Mr. Williams noted that human trafficking represents a threat to Jamaica’s safety and security operations.

He said strategic plans are being made to apprehend and rein in perpetrators of the illegal and inhumane trans-national crime.

“The government will continue to provide the requisite resources … in terms of financial, human resource, and technical resource … to tackle this issue,” he said.

Mr. Williams who is also the chairperson of Jamaica’s National Task Force Against Trafficking in Persons (NATFATIP), stated that another key component to combating human trafficking is the strengthening of cooperation and collaboration locally and internationally.

“One thing that is a fact, it is established that human trafficking, which is akin to modern day slavery, infringes adversely on human rights. It afflicts humanity and in this regard, we all need to show a united front and to exert our collective and collaborative efforts to seek to eradicate this transnational crime, the scourge on our society,” Mr Williams said.

He noted that the Child Protection Compact (CDC) memorandum of understanding between the United States and the Jamaican Government is one such partnership that has been “ultimately, assisting in our efforts to fight trafficking in persons in our country, Jamaica.”

Acknowledging that human traffickers are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their efforts to exploit their victims, Mr. Williams noted that there is a need to develop and advance meaningful strategies, aimed at disrupting their activities.

“Traffickers, they utilise contemporary strategies and techniques to deceive, but not just deceive but to exploit their victims and in exploiting their victims, they’re actually providing beneficial returns to themselves,” the Permanent Secretary said.

In a strategic and tactical move, Mr. Williams said the government is doing everything to stop traffickers in their tracks and bring them to justice.

“Given this type of activity by these traffickers, [we] have to ensure that we can outdo them; we can out think them, we can outwit them, not only in using contemporary strategies and techniques, but also to be more innovative in seeking to deter, detect and to disrupt their activities,” he further noted.

Human trafficking is defined as the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons by improper means (such as force, abduction, fraud, or coercion) for an improper purpose, including forced labour or sexual exploitation.