The Ministry of National Security (MNS) National Task Force Against Trafficking in Persons (NATFATIP) says that partnerships are crucial to tackling the issue of trafficking in persons.

“Partnerships are very important because trafficking in persons has to be tackled holistically and it has to be tackled through collaboration, meaning that the government alone cannot do it; it has to be a whole of country approach,” said MNS, Trafficking in Persons Secretariat Manager, Chenee Russell Robinson.

According to Robinson, government ministries, departments, and agencies along with non-governmental organisations such as Woman Inc, the Association of Women’s Organisation of Jamaica and Open Arms Shelter are crucial to the secretariat’s work and policies.

“We have a wide range of policies, victim guidelines, standard operating procedures for healthcare providers to help them to identify potential victims, how to refer matters to the police if they encounter a victim or how to treat potential victims of trafficking. We also have guidelines for our labour and inspector officers on how to inspect and look for evidence or signs of trafficking and how to report them,” she explained.

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