Antigua passes human trafficking legislation
Published:Friday | June 11, 2010 | 12:54 PM
Lawmakers in Antigua have passed legislation aimed at combating the problem of human trafficking.
The law has been passed one year after a US State Department Trafficking in Persons Report criticisd Antigua and Barbuda for not strengthening the relevant laws.
The Trafficking in Persons Prevention Act 2010 was passed in the Senate despite a Parliamentary boycott by Antigua Labour Party MPs.
Under the new legislation, persons found guilty of trafficking in persons can face a maximum fine of US$185,180 and up to 30 years imprisonment.
In tabling the legislation, National Security Minister Errol Cort, cited several instances where individuals were brought into the country and exploited.
He says girls admitted that since their arrival, they had been forced to perform sexual acts in the nightclubs and were told that they could not return to their homes until they repaid the proprietor.