Guyana has retained its Tier 1 ranking for its efforts in combatting human trafficking for the fifth consecutive year with an anti-trafficking hotline in Spanish (the first of its kind in the country), and a total of 204 victims identified and given government assistance.
According to the US Department of State’s 2021 Trafficking in Persons Report, Guyana and The Bahamas are again, the only two Caribbean countries to attain the Tier 1 ranking, as most of the other Caribbean countries are on Tier 2. The report indicated that despite the documented impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the government’s anti-trafficking capacity, the authorities continued to demonstrate serious and sustained effort during the reporting period. These efforts included an increase in investigations, identifying and assisting more victims, creating the first anti-trafficking hotline in Spanish, opening an additional shelter, and creating standard operating procedures for victim identification. But, although the government meets the minimum standards, it did not prosecute as many traffickers or provide adequate screening and shelter for child and male victims. The report also disclosed that the country lacked capacity and training to identify and investigate trafficking cases in remote regions.
