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SL upgraded in US human trafficking report

21 Jul 2022

The US Department of State has upgraded Sri Lanka to Tier Two in the Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report of 2022 which was released on Tuesday (19). A statement issued by the Ministry of Defence, which serves as the Chair of the National Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force (NAHTTF) of Sri Lanka, stated that the country had remained in the Tier Two watch list for the last three years, raising concerns about being downgraded to Tier Three and being subjected to certain restrictions on US assistance as well as assistance from multilateral development banks. The TIP report, prepared as required by the US Trafficking Victims Protection Act, is termed as the US Government’s principal diplomatic tool to engage foreign governments on human trafficking. It is also noted as the world’s most comprehensive resource for Governmental anti-trafficking efforts. The statement further read: “The US Department of State while observing that the Government of Sri Lanka does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking (required in order to be placed in Tier One) has recognised that the country is making significant efforts to do so, having demonstrated overall increasing efforts compared with the previous reporting period, considering the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on its anti-trafficking capacity.” The statement also said that the TIP report had provided a prioritised set of recommendations, which the NAHTTF is fully committed towards attaining, as they are ultimately geared towards effectively eradicating the heinous crime of human trafficking from the country.  


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