Human trafficking in Brunei
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The Government of Brunei does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so. While the government has laws to prosecute trafficking, it has never prosecuted a trafficking case. The government did not proactively identify any trafficking victims during 2010, nor did it develop or implement formal procedures to identify victims of trafficking.[1]
The U.S. State Department's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons placed the country in "Tier 2" in 2017.[2]
Sex trafficking
Citizen and foreign women and girls are sex trafficked in Brunei.[3][4][5][6] According to the 2020 Global Report on Trafficking in Persons, thousands of minors are trafficked in Brunei each year and subjected to domestic slavery or sexual exploitation.[7]
Prosecution
The government made no discernible anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts during 2010. The Government of Brunei prohibits
Protection
Brunei did not demonstrate significant efforts to identify and protect trafficking victims during the reporting period. Brunei does not have a proactive system to formally identify victims of trafficking among vulnerable groups, such as foreign workers and foreign women and children in prostitution. The government did not report identifying any trafficking victims in the past year. The government did not provide centrally coordinated training for its officials on identifying trafficking victims. While the Brunei police reported running a workshop on identifying victims for members of its anti-vice unit, the victim identification measures employed by the unit do not appear to be effective. The government does not provide shelter or rehabilitative services to trafficking victims. One foreign mission reported 20 suspected trafficking cases of women forced into prostitution in Malaysia and traveling to Brunei to obtain
Prevention
The Brunei government demonstrated limited prevention efforts during the reporting period. The government did not conduct any public awareness campaigns on trafficking. Officials participated in several regional training programs on trafficking. The government provides arrival briefings for foreign workers and runs a telephone hotline for worker complaints. There were no measures taken to reduce the demand for commercial sex acts. Brunei is not a party to the 2000 UN TIP Protocol.[1]
International response
Since 2022, Brunei has been demoted to the bottom rung of the
The State Department stated in its annual trafficking report that Brunei does not completely achieve the minimal requirements for the eradication of trafficking and is "not making significant efforts to do so.[9]
It also emphasised the country's lack of trafficking convictions, saying Brunei continues to "detain, deport, and charge potential victims for crimes without employing a victim-centered approach.[10]
References
- ^ a b c d e "Trafficking in Persons Report 2010 Country Narratives -- Countries A Through F". US Department of State. 2010-06-17. Archived from the original on 2010-06-17. Retrieved 2023-02-11. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ "Trafficking in Persons Report 2017: Tier Placements". www.state.gov. Archived from the original on 2017-06-28. Retrieved 2017-12-01.
- ^ "2019 Trafficking in Persons Report: Brunei". U.S. Department of State. 2019.
- ^ "Brunei intensifying efforts to better detect human trafficking cases". Asia News. August 27, 2018.
- ^ "Society has key role in fighting human trafficking". Borneo Bulletin. August 25, 2018. Archived from the original on August 25, 2018. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
- ^ "Three Thais jailed, face caning for forcing a 17-year-old girl into prostitution in Brunei". The Nation Thailand. April 7, 2016.
- ^ https://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/glotip/2022/GLOTiP_2022_chapter_2_Regional_Overview_230123.pdf Regional overviews
- ^ Bandial, Ain (2022-07-23). "US adds Brunei to human trafficking blacklist; govt says report contains 'significant misrepresentations'". The Scoop. Retrieved 2023-08-31.
- ^ "US Adds Vietnam, Cambodia, Brunei to Human Trafficking Blacklist". thediplomat.com. Retrieved 2023-08-31.
- ^ "Brunei committee disappointed at TIP downgrade » Borneo Bulletin Online". Brunei committee disappointed at TIP downgrade. 2022-07-23. Retrieved 2023-08-31.