Cayman steps up focus on human trafficking
(CNS): Two senior government officials have begun professional training in the field of human trafficking, as government steps up its focus on the possibility that Cubans coming to Cayman could, like many migrants around the world, be victims of traffickers. Although the issues facing Cayman pale into insignificance when compared to the magnitude of the problem in the Middle East, Africa and Europe, it remains a transit country for irregular migrants from Cuba.
Officials said the home affairs ministry was taking steps to strengthen policies, practices and capacities to effectively manage the recent surge in migrants arriving via irregular channels.
“Additionally, the ministry is keenly aware of the potential for human traffickers to infiltrate migrant flow routes. From this perspective there are implications especially for those migrants that transit Cayman waters in route to other countries including Honduras and Mexico,” a release stated.
Last week, Michael Ebanks, Assistant Chief Officer for the Ministry, and Joey Scott, Acting Assistant Chief Immigration Officer, travelled to London, where they completed the first part of a professional qualification programme with a specialisation in Human Trafficking Countermeasures and Policy Development. The course, which was facilitated by the International Centre for Parliamentary Studies in conjunction with the University of Cambridge, covered neurobiology of trauma, anti-corruption, economics of transnational organised crime, and transparency in supply chains.
Ebanks and Scott studied alongside 20 senior officials from ten countries and overseas territories. The participants represented key organisations in the fight against human trafficking including the United Nations, the European Migration Network, the Organisation for Security and Co-Operation in Europe, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the International Center for Transnational Justice, as well as the telecommunications company, BT.
“It’s important to realise that those of us in the public safety and national security space cannot stop the sale and exploitation of human beings on our own. This is a shared responsibility among everyone, including companies. To start with, we all need to ask: What is human trafficking? How does it affect me? And what can I do about it?” said Ebanks.
Human trafficking is the movement of people for the purposes of exploitation, be it sexual exploitation, forced labour, or enslavement a crime and violation of human rights it is presenting a major global challenge. The United Nations (UN) responded with the publication of the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its Supplementary Protocols. The Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children provided the first definition of human trafficking and is still the benchmark for defining human trafficking today. Accordingly, the Cayman Islands responded with the Trafficking in Persons Law 2007, which gives full effect to the UN Convention and Palermo Convention.
Category: Crime
If they have a $100 permit they can legally work and its not trafficking No one says they have to be paid or treated like humans after all they are just property of some local and that makes it OK
What a bunch of moronic, uneducated comments. Human Trafficking is the use of ILLEGAL means to transport persons (most of whom don’t have travel documents) to enter countries illegally to be exploited. People should really fact check before making idiotic comments. If you want to complain about the Work Permit process then do so on the correct forum with a related story. This story has nothing to do with the Work Permit process.
“Cayman steps up focus on Human Trafficking”-namely how to do more of it with less chance of discovery?
I don’t understand why human trafficking is become a big problem in Cayman , while Cayman is such a small place. But I see is when you think more of yourself and friends than what you think of your country and where you live , this would be a problem.
I don’t understand why the Immigration don’t have a law, that say when applying for a work permit you must provide proof of at lease 10 job applications for the position before the permit is issued.
Then if your can’t provide them , then Immigration should refuse your work permit .
But Immigration have to research and background check applicants, That way you keep criminals and bad people out of the Islands, and good people on the Island in jobs .
Methinks you no understand nuttin’
So, what you are saying is that, if no-one applies for a job, then you aren’t allowed to fill it at all? I think you need to think that through a little better
Firstly why a ministry employee and if so why at a low level and not a senior official responsible for policy. Same for the Department level why not the Deputy for Border Control or Enforcement? but an officer at the mid Supervisor level range. Obviously Ministry blowing smoke to say they are doing something when they don’t even have the right people attending such an important course. They should have just kept this quiet. Home Affairs needs an absolute overhaul.
But this is how men in Cayman Brac find their wives!
If you want to witness human trafficking just go to any number of local bars and see the “barmaids”. More often than not perched on the lap of a local big wig.
You took the words out of my mouth. Cayman has willingly turned a blind eye to human trafficking for decades with the biggest facilitator being the Temporary Work Permit process. Of course nothing will change, even when Messrs. Scott and Ebanks return, because the TWP process is a big revenue source for the CIG. So much smoke and mirrors in this place and no one with the cajones to clean it up.