PHILIPSBURG--The Immigration and Border Protection (IBP) Service's National Reporting Bureau on Human Trafficking (NRB) says it is "making strides" in its fight against human-trafficking by "proactively informing" and educating the community about the Bureau's core tasks and the role it plays in combating human- trafficking.

 

Additionally, the bureau says it "takes pride" in publishing the results received from the United States Department of State in the Trafficking In Persons (TIP) Report.

 

NRB is the executing agency for prevention and protection of victims of human trafficking.

 

After approving the policy on "temporary residency," victims are empowered and are being encouraged to assist in the investigation and prosecution of offenders of human-trafficking. Presently, the NRB is focused on launching a "human-trafficking and smuggling" awareness campaign. The goal is to inform society and stakeholders about human-trafficking and smuggling.

 

Periodically, NRB strategically organises information sessions for representatives of immigrants, the business community and the tourism sector. It provides information about indicators of human-trafficking and also about its core tasks, to incoming immigrants and domestic workers as well as to persons who work in the adult entertainment industry, who collect their residence permits at the IBP office.

 

NRB also makes it a priority to inform immigrant workers of their legal rights and how to report possible cases of human-trafficking. It also develops special folders for prostitution and exploitation and for labour and exploitation with information regarding combating exploitation to distribute to these workers.

 

NRB also makes quarterly visits to brothels and dance clubs to inform workers about the core tasks of the NRB and how to contact them to report a possible human-trafficking case. The NRB said it is "working diligently" to facilitate the flow of communication during these visits by ensuring that there are NRB personnel who speak multiple languages, this is to ensure that the quality of the message remains intact even when being translated.

 

"And by specifically organising a separate info session, the NRB assures that information is certainly provided to the club owners, to ensure their awareness of the core tasks of the NRB and also strictly remind them about the rules and regulations they are required to comply with," NRB said in a press release.

 

"The NRB remains extremely focused on achieving its main goal which is to bring global awareness to the community at large, this also includes those on the frontlines who may be at one point or another in direct contact with potential victims of human-trafficking," it was stated in the release.

 

NRB works closely with non-governmental organisations such as Anti-Trafficking in Persons (ATIP) and Safe Haven where victims can be housed and sheltered. Since the establishment of the NRB in September 2013, the Bureau has received several reports of possible cases of human-trafficking. Those reports were all alleged cases of labour exploitation.

 

Each TIP report contains specific recommendations for government to consider implementing over the coming year. In addition to country-specific recommendations in the TIP Report, the U.S. Department of State has suggested an action plan that reflects the recommendations.

 

The action plan and recommendations are aimed at providing countries with guidance related to the minimum standards outlined in the Trafficking Victims Protection Act. These standards are generally consistent with the principles in the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations convention against Transnational Organised Crime (the Palermo Protocol).

 

The report indicated that St. Maarten is complying with the minimum required standards. The Department of State commended St. Maarten on the positive results it has attained and encouraged the country to maintain this standard by continuing to advance and work in a focused, strategic and very proactive manner.

 

The Daily Herald