2009 Press Releases
Release of the U.S. State Department's 2009 Trafficking in Persons Report
June 16, 2009
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton released the ninth annual Department of State Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report on June 16, at 10 a.m. in the State Department's Press Briefing Room. The report is the most comprehensive worldwide report on the efforts of governments to combat severe forms of trafficking in persons, a modern-day form of slavery.
The report's findings are intended to raise global awareness and spur countries to take effective actions tp counter trafficking in persons. The Bahamas was included as a special case for three years previously. Beginning with the 2009 TIP Report, countries determined to be a country of origin, transit, or destination for victims of severe forms of trafficking are included in the Report and assigned to one of three tiers.
This year, The Bahamas is ranked Tier 2. While it does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, The Bahamas is making significant efforts to do so, particularly through the passage of comprehensive anti-trafficking legislation in 2008.
The Bahamas is considered a destination country for men and women trafficked from Haiti and other Caribbean countries primarily for the purpose of forced labor, and women from Jamaica and other countries trafficked for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation. The presence of large numbers of undocumented migrants in the country continues to raise concerns that there may be a significant number of trafficking victims in need of assistance.
The full text of the Report and photos of human trafficking themes are available on the State Department's website, http://www.state.gov/g/tip.