CTU director: Many in denial over local human trafficking

THERE are still many people who are in denial there is human trafficking in TT, says Counter Trafficking Unit director Alana Wheeler.

She was speaking on Tuesday night at the local premiere of the film Moving Parts. The film, shot in Trinidad and directed by Trinidad-based American Emilie Upczak, is the story of a Chinese woman (Canadian actress Valerie Tian) who is smuggled into this country. Wheeler said the National Security ministry, through the CTU, supports two locally produced films that treat with human trafficking – Moving Parts and 2015 film Trafficked.

“In our efforts to raise awareness about human trafficking we sought creative ways and avenues to localise the message. Because as I was saying to (Deputy British High Commissioner) Miss (Caroline) Alcock, we still have many persons in Trinidad who are in denial as to whether human trafficking exists here or not.”

She said Moving Parts was about human trafficking and sex trafficking of an irregular migrant.

“Now these two activities, while they are different in nature and outcome, they are both profitable business involving human beings and criminal networks.”

Wheeler said human trafficking was a crime against a person and a violation of human rights while human smuggling was a crime against the state and involved illegal border crossing or the entry into a country via an unofficial port of entry. She said the first identified case of human trafficking in this country was five years ago and involved the smuggling of migrants and sex trafficking. “So I say a resounding yes – there exists both human trafficking and human smuggling in Trinidad and Tobago. So I urge you...(to) observe the signs around you. Observe the people around you. Look for what is hidden in plain sight and if you discover something that does not look right or doesn’t sound right identify it, report it and stop it from multiplying in our country.”

Alcock in her remarks said human trafficking/modern slavery was a global problem with 10-13,000 victims in the UK and, more shocking, approximately 40 million victims worldwide. She also said the industry was estimated at 100 billion pounds annually in illegal profits.

“That is why the UK takes this issue extremely seriously and is strongly committed to the eradication of all forms of modern slavery, forced labour and human trafficking.” Alcock said in 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May launched a call to action to end forced labour, modern slavery and human trafficking by seeking political commitments around legislation, criminal justice, victim support, community engagement and partnerships with civil society and the private sector. She said the call to action has been endorsed by 51 countries “and we are keen to increase the support for that including from Trinidad and Tobago.”

Moving Parts director Emilie Upzack said the inspiration for the film was based on an article about a woman who had been ejected from this country nine times.“And I was very concerned about the way the newspaper represented her. Really the lack of humanity that they displayed and the lack of reflection about who she was as a person, where she was coming from, what she was fleeing and who was bringing her into the country.”