The HHTO report, “Appeal to Government of Belize: Stop Human Trafficking in Beli

ze,” is a rebuke to the Trafficking in Persons Report 2010 and calls for the Bel
ize government to take immediate action to address human trafficking.
The Trafficking in Persons Report has once again rewarded Belize for brazen inac
tion with respect to prosecuting human trafficking criminals and protecting vict
ims. Belize maintains Tier 2 Watch List status despite noncompliance with its 20
08 commitment to improve prosecution levels and victim protection. It was the 20
08 commitment to the US government that raised Belize from a Tier 3 nation, a st
atus with implications for economic sanction.
While the Trafficking in Persons 2010 report now notes that some human trafficki
ng victims in Belize “may fall victim to forced prostitution in bars,” there is
little change from last year’s report. Most of the report’s language is unaltere
d from 2009.
A notable addition in this year’s Trafficking in Persons Report is reference to
four victims identified in 2010 by trained immigration officials. This limited p
rogram exercise was a direct result of the 2008 human trafficking policy promise
s that garnered a change in Belize’s status to Tier 2 Watch List. With thousands
of human trafficking victims in Belize, the identification of handful of victim
s dishonors the Trafficking in Persons Prohibition Act 2003, created by the Amer
ican government and adopted in principle by the Belize government.
The HHTO report is a petition document urging the Belize government to immediate
ly take action to address human trafficking.
The HHTO report asks the Belize government to take under consideration a number
of anti-trafficking measures to address human trafficking. These include: prosec
uting those who profit from trafficking victims; improvement to immigration poli
cy and practices and strengthening and enforcement of liquor license laws.
HHTO invites all individuals and groups to submit the appeal to the Government o
f Belize.
The appeal calls for up-take of the following recommended measures to address hu
man trafficking in Belize:
Prosecution – enforce established laws designed to address human trafficking, in
cluding prosecuting corrupt police.
Immigration – protocols and standards established and implemented to prevent bri
bery at borders, one of the main instruments of human traffickers
Liquor License Laws – strengthen to provide for suspension of license and fines
for bar owners profiting from human trafficking
Most immediately, the HHTO report calls for a full-scale investigation and crack
down on bars known to profit from on-premise prostitution related to human traf
ficking. Current laws as outlined would enable investigation and prosecution.