… Ramjattan tells migrant smuggling forum

MINISTER of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, has urged leaders in the Caribbean to seek out fresh ideas to tackle Trafficking in Persons (TIP) and migrant smuggling even as Guyana works locally to professionalise its police force to deal with the same.

The minister spoke at a Regional Thematic Meeting of the Caribbean Region on Trafficking in Human Beings and Smuggling of Migrants hosted a the Ramada Georgetown Princess Hotel on Tuesday.

The three-day EU-funded programme was made possible through collaboration of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM); the Caribbean Migration Consultations (CMC) and the Ministry of Public Security.
The event is guided by the framework of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP) EU- Migration Action Programme, and saw the attendance of delegates from Caribbean countries including all ACP countries in the Region.

Ramjattan, in his address to the gathering, differentiated the two terms stating that in human smuggling, the migrant pays the smuggler for passage while in the case of TIP, the trafficker deceives or coerces the migrant.

Some of the human impulses which he listed as drivers of migration in the Caribbean include economic hardship; violence; stagnant labour market; natural disasters and asylum seeking. “Human traffickers prey on these impulses and thanks to their ability to elude government enforced obstacles, they can turn human impulses into profit,” the minister said.

He noted that TIP, while not the most lucrative form of illicit trade, is the fastest growing and such is evident in regions such as South-East Asia where some 30 million women and children have been trafficked in the past 10 years.
Meanwhile, Ramjattan stated that migrant smuggling can shape the lives of those smuggled, leading them into challenging situations where they are left at the mercy of their smugglers.

“Many vulnerably-smuggled migrants are left with exorbitant and arbitrary debts that will lead them into sweatshops and other exploitive working conditions conveniently arranged by their smugglers,” Ramjattan explained.

However, the public security minister pointed out that combatting these challenges does not depend on policing alone, but includes elements of prevention, and development and integration of human-rights-based approaches. He also noted that it requires a comprehensive approach through government support, training of law enforcement, institutional strengthening and access to civil legislation, labour laws, social welfare, child protection and more.

He urged the representatives to be aware of the peculiarities of each country to better tailor the forthcoming recommendations to unique challenges.
Ramjattan also suggested that countries begin practicing red-flagging individuals on the run for TIP or smuggling and other fresh ideas.

Speaking to the situation in Guyana, Ramjattan said that the government has set up a Ministerial Task Force on TIP guided by the TIP Act and action plan and led by the Ministry of Public Security.

He noted that most recently, the inter-agency collaboration led by the task force discussed the prosecution of TIP cases in Guyana and included magistrates, police prosecutors, the chancellor and chief Justice.

There have been training programmes for police officers and interpreters to better communicate with Guyana’s varied indigenous groups often affected by TIP. These activities and more have allowed the country to maintain its Tier One status after being promoted from Tier Two in recent years.

“Our efforts in the Government of Guyana in combatting [TIP and migrant smuggling] are largely augmented in this collaboration,” he said.
“The Government of Guyana is grateful for these committed efforts and looks forward to the continued collaboration and initiatives such as these and more.”

European Union (EU) Ambassador to Guyana, Jernej Videtic, stated that over the last three years, the EU has progressively established a comprehensive and balanced approach on migration. He added that ultimately, migration is a global challenge which therefore needs global cooperation.

“We at the EU are fully aware that we will only reach our ambitious goals by working together with our partners, with member states, with the global community, civil society, local authorities and the private sector,” he said.

“This is why our discussion during this three-day seminar is so important and I have no doubt that we can expect fruitful exchanges throughout the days.”

The IOM, through its ACP-EU Migration Action Programme, builds national capacities for combating trafficking and smuggling in several Caribbean countries, and provides tailored technical support on migration.