Human trafficking in Liberia
Encyclopedia
Liberia
is a source, transit, and destination country for children trafficked for forced labor and sexual exploitation
. Most victims are trafficked within the country, primarily from rural areas to urban areas for domestic servitude, forced street vending, and sexual exploitation. Children are also trafficked to alluvial diamond
mining areas for forced labor. Refugee
s and internally displaced children in Liberia have been subjected to sexual exploitation by some international organization and non-governmental organization
(NGO) personnel. A January 2008 United Nations
(UN) report indicates, however, that such abuses by UN personnel have declined since the previous year. There have been reports that children are trafficked to Liberia from Sierra Leone
, Guinea
, and Côte d'Ivoire
and from Liberia to Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, and Nigeria
for domestic servitude, street vending, sexual exploitation, and agricultural labor. Struggling to rebuild after 14 years of civil conflict and two years of transitional rule, the capacity of the government elected in 2005 to address trafficking is limited by a crippled judiciary
and a lack of resources. Aside from capacity issues, in the wake of its war, Liberia has not been sufficiently aggressive in prosecuting traffickers or providing care to victims.
The Government of Liberia does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so, despite limited resources. Great improvements are needed in the areas of law enforcement
and victim protection. At the same time, the government undertook commendable efforts in the area of prevention.
. The government investigated seven trafficking cases during the year, six of which were cases of trafficking within the country and one of which involved transnational trafficking. Three suspects remain in police custody pending trial, three were released on bail after their charges were reduced, and one suspect was deported. All newly recruited police officers continued to participate in UN-sponsored trainings on trafficking. Due to a shortage of funds, police continue to lack basic investigatory tools, such as vehicles, and rely heavily on UN assistance. The Women and Children Protection Section (WCPS) of the Liberia National Police collaborated with the UN to address sexual exploitation and abuse of minors by expatriate humanitarian workers in Liberia as well as by Liberian nationals.
on the number of children assisted. The government does not encourage victims, all of whom are children, to assist in trafficking investigations or prosecutions. Liberia does not provide legal alternatives to the removal of foreign victims to countries where they face hardship or retribution
. Victims are not inappropriately incarcerated, fined or otherwise penalized for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of being trafficked.
plantation
s. The National Human Trafficking Task Force aired anti-trafficking radio spots funded by the Liberian government. Since November 2007, the Task Force has also worked closely with a local NGO on anti-trafficking public education programs by providing legal guidance. In October 2007, the Task Force held a government-funded workshop to sensitize local government officials about trafficking. The Task Force, which is chaired by the Minister of Labor, but which lacks a budget, held a meeting every two months in 2007. The government's Commission on Child Labor, which was reestablished in 2005, continued to meet quarterly during the year. The government has taken steps to reduce demand for commercial sex acts through its awareness campaign against sexual exploitation and abuse.
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
is a source, transit, and destination country for children trafficked for forced labor and sexual exploitation
Sexual slavery
Sexual slavery is when unwilling people are coerced into slavery for sexual exploitation. The incidence of sexual slavery by country has been studied and tabulated by UNESCO, with the cooperation of various international agencies...
. Most victims are trafficked within the country, primarily from rural areas to urban areas for domestic servitude, forced street vending, and sexual exploitation. Children are also trafficked to alluvial diamond
Diamond
In mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions...
mining areas for forced labor. Refugee
Refugee
A refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...
s and internally displaced children in Liberia have been subjected to sexual exploitation by some international organization and non-governmental organization
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
(NGO) personnel. A January 2008 United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
(UN) report indicates, however, that such abuses by UN personnel have declined since the previous year. There have been reports that children are trafficked to Liberia from Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
, Guinea
Guinea
Guinea , officially the Republic of Guinea , is a country in West Africa. Formerly known as French Guinea , it is today sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea-Bissau. Guinea is divided into eight administrative regions and subdivided into thirty-three prefectures...
, and Côte d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire
The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be...
and from Liberia to Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, and Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
for domestic servitude, street vending, sexual exploitation, and agricultural labor. Struggling to rebuild after 14 years of civil conflict and two years of transitional rule, the capacity of the government elected in 2005 to address trafficking is limited by a crippled judiciary
Judiciary
The judiciary is the system of courts that interprets and applies the law in the name of the state. The judiciary also provides a mechanism for the resolution of disputes...
and a lack of resources. Aside from capacity issues, in the wake of its war, Liberia has not been sufficiently aggressive in prosecuting traffickers or providing care to victims.
The Government of Liberia does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so, despite limited resources. Great improvements are needed in the areas of law enforcement
Law enforcement agency
In North American English, a law enforcement agency is a government agency responsible for the enforcement of the laws.Outside North America, such organizations are called police services. In North America, some of these services are called police while others have other names In North American...
and victim protection. At the same time, the government undertook commendable efforts in the area of prevention.
Prosecution
The Government of Liberia demonstrated limited law enforcement efforts to combat trafficking in the last year. Liberia's 2005 Act to Ban Trafficking prohibits all forms of trafficking. No traffickers have been convicted or sentenced under this law. The law prescribes a minimum penalty of one year imprisonment for labor trafficking of adults, six years’ imprisonment for sex trafficking of adults, five to 11 years’ imprisonment for child labor trafficking, and 11 to 16 years’ imprisonment for child sex trafficking. These penalties are sufficiently stringent and commensurate with penalties prescribed for rapeRape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
. The government investigated seven trafficking cases during the year, six of which were cases of trafficking within the country and one of which involved transnational trafficking. Three suspects remain in police custody pending trial, three were released on bail after their charges were reduced, and one suspect was deported. All newly recruited police officers continued to participate in UN-sponsored trainings on trafficking. Due to a shortage of funds, police continue to lack basic investigatory tools, such as vehicles, and rely heavily on UN assistance. The Women and Children Protection Section (WCPS) of the Liberia National Police collaborated with the UN to address sexual exploitation and abuse of minors by expatriate humanitarian workers in Liberia as well as by Liberian nationals.
Protection
Liberia demonstrated minimal efforts to protect trafficking victims during the year. Due to lack of resources, the government does not directly provide shelter or other services to victims. However, Liberia refers victims to NGOs with the capacity to provide victim care. The WCPS referred victims to an international NGO and was available to provide security for victims. The government was unable to provide statisticsStatistics
Statistics is the study of the collection, organization, analysis, and interpretation of data. It deals with all aspects of this, including the planning of data collection in terms of the design of surveys and experiments....
on the number of children assisted. The government does not encourage victims, all of whom are children, to assist in trafficking investigations or prosecutions. Liberia does not provide legal alternatives to the removal of foreign victims to countries where they face hardship or retribution
Retribution
Retribution may refer to:* Retributive justice* Retribution Engine, a video game engine* Retribution , a novel by Jilliane Hoffman* Retribution , a poem by Longfellow...
. Victims are not inappropriately incarcerated, fined or otherwise penalized for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of being trafficked.
Prevention
The Government of Liberia made significant efforts to educate the public about trafficking. The Ministry of Labor's Commission on Child Labor launched a campaign to alert parents and children about the dangers of child labor on rubberRubber
Natural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, is an elastomer that was originally derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants. The plants would be ‘tapped’, that is, an incision made into the bark of the tree and the sticky, milk colored latex sap collected and refined...
plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
s. The National Human Trafficking Task Force aired anti-trafficking radio spots funded by the Liberian government. Since November 2007, the Task Force has also worked closely with a local NGO on anti-trafficking public education programs by providing legal guidance. In October 2007, the Task Force held a government-funded workshop to sensitize local government officials about trafficking. The Task Force, which is chaired by the Minister of Labor, but which lacks a budget, held a meeting every two months in 2007. The government's Commission on Child Labor, which was reestablished in 2005, continued to meet quarterly during the year. The government has taken steps to reduce demand for commercial sex acts through its awareness campaign against sexual exploitation and abuse.