Despite attempts by local authorities, human trafficking remains a major problem for Jamaica, according to a recent human-rights report published by the United States (US) Department of State.
The report states that regardless of the fact that laws in Jamaica prohibit all forms of trafficking, persons are very often transferred to, from, through and within the country.
The conclusions of the US 2009 report on the incidents of human trafficking in Jamaica are quite similar to its 2008 review.
According to the US State Department, most of the victims were poor women and girls, but also increasingly boys, who were trafficked from rural to urban and tourist areas for commercial exploitation.
"Women were reportedly trafficked from the Dominican Republic, Russia and Eastern Europe, while some women and girls were trafficked to Canada, the US, The Bahamas and other Caribbean destinations," the report, which was released last week, further stated. "Children trafficked within the country may also be subject to domestic servitude and forced labour."
The Child Care and Protection Act specifically prohibits the sale or trafficking of minors and provides that violators receive the maximum penalty under the law.
Source:The Jamaican Gleaner