By ANDRE BAGOO Friday, September 3 2010

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FIT FUAD: A fit-looking deputy House Speaker Dr Fuad Khan, dressed casually, speaks on his cellular phone in the lobby of the Coco Reef Resort and Spa...

GOVERNMENT will move to table legislation to deal with human trafficking, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar announced yesterday as her Minister of National Security Brigadier John Sandy disclosed that he is certain human trafficking is occurring in this country.

“Statistical anecdotal data indicates that the offence of trafficking in persons is evolving in Trinidad and Tobago at an uncomfortable rate,” Sandy said at a post-Cabinet press briefing held at the Coco Reef Resort and Spa at Store Bay, Tobago. He noted that international bodies have given this country second-tier ratings on the issue.

“The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the United States Department of State both report that TT is a country of transit and of destination and may well be a country of origin,” he said. “There have also been numerous reports circulating throughout foreign media concerning the trafficking of their nationals in Trinidad and Tobago.”

He added, “we in Trinidad and Tobago have recognised, within recent times, the disappearance in particular, of young people and women. And as such we thought that we should do something in respect of organising legislation in that respect.” “The IOM, because of our inability to enact legislation, have graded us tier II and we need to do some improvement. As a consequence we have decided at Cabinet today to make efforts to enact that legislation.”

Accordingly, Cabinet yesterday approved the acceptance of a policy framework to give effect to the United Nations Protocol to prevent, suppress and punish trafficking of persons, especially women and children 2000, he said.

“The Ministry of the Attorney General was detailed to prepare the necessary legislation,” he added. Persad-Bissessar revealed that she had met with US Ambassador Beatrice Wellington-Welters on the issue which has attracted low ratings for this country with international human trafficking trade tracking bodies.

“Trinidad and Tobago could be a transshipment location,” she said at yesterday’s briefing. “We are so well poised, we are so well positioned. They asked us in what way they can assist us.

We met and we were discussing ways in which we could get some assistance on that.” The Minister of National Security said US and Venezuelan officials have evidence “that will prove that there is trafficking in humans, particularly females and young children.”