June 30, 2010
Praise for the 2010 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report
The Center is pleased to note that the US Department of State’s 2010 TIP Report includes Topics of Special Interest that reflect our longtime approach to international trafficking of women and girls as a women’s human rights crisis – reflected in our US PACT (Policy Advocacy to Combat Trafficking) programs for women state legislators and Members of Parliament from every Continent. DONATE NOW to support our work for trafficked women and girls!
The TIP Report notes that:
- “prostitution by willing adults is not human trafficking regardless of whether it is legalized, decriminalized, or criminalized” and that a person’s initial consent to engage in sex work does not preclude her from receiving protection and benefits as a victim of trafficking.
- shelter programs should abide by certain “core principles” that reflect those that the Center has proposed to US elected officials for more than a decade: “a safe haven and a place where trafficked persons can access critical and comprehensive services beyond emergency assistance of food and shelter.”
- national and international law should recognize domestic work as work.
- overly stringent anti-migration policies increase a person’s vulnerability to being trafficked.
Finally, the TIP Report calls for a victim-centered approach to protection and service delivery that “places a premium on protecting all regardless of immigration status” and “means meeting needs and fulfilling obligations that extend beyond the confines of a criminal case.”
The TIP Report also acknowledges that “victim protections conditioned on victims’ active role in prosecutions brought by the state also fall far short” and that assistance offered based solely on a victim’s cooperation with law enforcement does “not aim to restore the dignity or health of the person who was victimized.” Click here to visit the Center’s US PACT website and download all US TIP Reports, 2001-2010.
These proposals in the TIP Report echo the principles that guide the Center’s US PACT programs (click here to link to US PACT). And we therefore hope that the TIP Report’s call for a victim-centered approach will inspire the US Congress to amend the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act to eliminate the requirement that persons trafficked into the USA must be “willing to assist” law enforcement in order to remain in the United States and to receive federal benefits and services.
The Center’s proposed Temporary Trafficking Victims Protection Period (TTVPP) would demonstrate our Nation’s commitment to protecting each person trafficked into our country for forced labor by providing her with 180 days of safe and secure housing and all essential services so that she can make an informed decision about whether she can assist law enforcement.
For the first time, the 2010 TIP Report includes a USA self-assessment of the United States’ Government’s efforts to combat trafficking in the 50 states and its territories. The Center welcomes the State Department’s willingness to hold the USA to the same standards it applies to other countries and we appreciated the opportunity to submit comments and recommendations for the 2010 TIP Report. Click here to read about our comments.
Since 1998, the Center has led the way in assisting state legislators in the 50 states to develop effective laws and policies that criminalize all forms of trafficking and protect persons trafficked into the USA for all forms of forced labor. Largely because of our efforts, more than 40 states now have made trafficking a state felony offense. But, only nine states offer state public benefits to trafficked persons.
During 2010-2011, therefore, we will redouble our efforts to bridge this gap and help state legislators create new state laws and policies that protect trafficked persons and provide them with the comprehensive services they require for recovery.
PLEASE DONATE NOW to enable the Center to continue our work within the United States, through our National Institute on State Policy on Trafficking of Women and Girls, and click here to join our new Global Honor Roll of Leaders for Women’s Human Rights.
