US hires expert to aid Trinidad and Tobago's counter-trafficking

AN EXPERT in combating human trafficking has been retained by the United States to assist this country to meet its obligations and improve its status in the US State Department Trafficking in Persons (TIPS) report.

National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds disclosed to Sunday Newsday that Antoinette Lucas-Andrews was contracted recently for six months after almost two years of negotiations and discussions to bring an expert on board

Lucas-Andrews is expected to review and assess the recommendations of the US State Department TIPS report and advise the government on steps to improve its efforts to combat human trafficking.

Hinds said Lucas-Andrews was the "best of the lot" and had been a director of international affairs at the Ministry of National Security who was familiar with the human trafficking scourge.

"We suggested an expert in couter-trafficking be brought on board," Hinds said, in a telephone interview.

According to Lucas-Andrews' LinkedIn profile, she is an attorney and international relations professional experienced in strategic inter-governmental engagement, advising and advocating at the highest levels of government with an extensive background in intelligence, security, human rights, policy development and programme co-ordination.

The minister rubbished information which suggested a former director of the Counter Trafficking Unit had been retained by the government for three months to help that unit prepare its annual reports.

In 2022, the US State Department report said the government did not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so.

"These efforts included increasing investigations and prosecutions, identifying more victims, and expanding training to a broader range of stakeholders. However, the government did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts compared to the previous reporting period, even considering the impact of the covid19 pandemic on its anti-trafficking capacity.

"The government has never convicted a trafficker under its 2011 anti-trafficking law. Corruption and official complicity in trafficking crimes remained significant concerns, inhibiting law enforcement action, and the government did not take action against senior government officials alleged in 2020 to be involved in human trafficking. Victim identification and services remained weak, and the government did not formally adopt the National Action Plan for 2021-2023."

The report also stated police, immigration, customs and coast guard officers were also included in the extensive network of human traffickers in TT.

The report said TT remained on Tier 2 Watch List for the second consecutive year.

The reference to senior government officials being involved in human trafficking sparked a debate in Parliament between Prime Minister Dr Rowley and Naparima MP Rodney Charles in late February.

Rowley said the government had investigated the claim and found that it referred to members of the Opposition. Former UNC minister Devant Maharaj later corroborated Rowley's statement and provided a statement to police assigned to the CTU.

That investigation, which was ordered by Police Commissioner Erla Harewood-Christopher, is ongoing.

Rowley said then TT continued to actively work with the US to improve the rating, but one of the bigger issues affecting the rating was the lack of convictions under human-trafficking laws. He pointed out that prosecuting illegal activity was not under the remit of the government.

At the end of March, the CTU, under its new leadership of Dr Samantha Chaitram, submitted details of advances made in the past year in keeping with the recommendations of the TIPS report.