The Immigration Department has come in for high praise for the way it now deals with people suspected to be victims of human trafficking.
Attorney General, Adriel Brathwaite, commended the change in approach from dealing with suspected victims as criminals, to seeing them as persons in need of help and care, during a workshop on Counter-Trafficking Strategies and Prevention in Barbados.
The session was hosted by the National Task Force on Crime Prevention, in collaboration with the Canadian High Commission, at the Accra Beach Resort and Spa.
Mr. Brathwaite stressed that it was important for everyone to play their part in the process, noting that it was critical that victims of human trafficking should not be treated as though they broke the law, but as victims.??He added that while the region was not faced with the smuggling of organs, it did have a challenge with the smuggling of people.
???The issue of trafficking is one we need to update people about as to what they are doing. It is a billion dollar industry and causes considerable harm to individuals, families, the region and countries,??? the Minister explained.
Canadian High Commissioner, Richard Hanley, also noted that the cooperative effort which he presently saw would allow everyone to work together in the fight against organised crime.
Noting that his Government also had a plan in place to deal with this issue, he further encouraged cooperation between countries to share in their best practices to deal with crimes such as human trafficking.
julia.rawlins-bentham@barbados.gov.bb