Government Falls Short in Human Trafficking Report 2024
The 2024 Trafficking in Persons Report has revealed that the Government of Sierra Leone, while making significant efforts to combat trafficking, does not fully meet the minimum standards for its elimination. Despite demonstrating increased efforts compared to previous periods, Sierra Leone maintained its Tier 2 status. Key initiatives included referring all identified trafficking victims to care and providing support to NGO-operated shelters. The government also bolstered its investigative efforts and established two new coordination bodies to strengthen anti-trafficking measures.
However, significant shortcomings were highlighted in the report. The government prosecuted fewer traffickers and failed to secure convictions for the second consecutive year. Victim services, particularly for male victims, remained inadequate, and the national anti-trafficking hotline was non-functional. Recommendations were made for Sierra Leone to expand victim protection services, especially shelter for male victims, and to intensify efforts in investigating and prosecuting traffickers, ensuring appropriate penalties are imposed.
Additionally, the report urged increased training for law enforcement, prosecutors, and judges on anti-trafficking laws and victim identification protocols under the Anti-Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling Act of 2022. It emphasized the need for proactive screening among vulnerable populations, such as Sierra Leonean women in domestic work abroad, women in commercial sex work, undocumented migrants, and children in informal foster care.
Further recommendations included enhancing the implementation of the Labor Migration Policy to educate potential migrants about trafficking risks, improving recruitment agency oversight, and strengthening support for victims through Sierra Leonean missions abroad. The report also stressed the importance of regional cooperation in prosecuting transnational trafficking cases and improving data collection to enhance enforcement and victim assistance efforts.
