Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2025, published 114th ILC session (2026)

Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29) - Bahamas (Ratification: 1976)

The Committee notes the observations received from the Commonwealth of the Bahamas Trade Union Congress (CBTUC) on 15 September 2024, which refer to the lack of definition of forced labour in the legislation and the fact that, although the Trafficking in Persons (Prevention and Suppression) Act No. 27 of 2008 has been enforced, it is unclear whether trade unions have been invited to the table to discuss this issue. The Committee requests the Government to provide its comments in this regard.

Articles 1(1), 2(1) and 25 of the Convention. Trafficking in persons. With regard to the activities undertaken by the Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Inter-Ministry Committee and the TIP Task Force, the Government states in its report that: (i) 2,913 persons from government, non-governmental organizations and the general public, including vulnerable communities, received awareness training on trafficking in persons, which included topical areas such as the definition of trafficking in persons, the Trafficking in Persons (Prevention and Suppression) Act No. 27 of 2008, the types of trafficking and the root causes, how traffickers operate, and how to identify a victim; (ii) 1,709 government personnel were trained on trafficking in persons in 2023; (iii) continuous local and international training is provided to law enforcement personnel of varying ranks, which benefited to 306 law enforcement officers, including 13 counsellors from The Bahamas Crisis Centre; and (iv) critical sectors which have an important role to play in identifying victims and preventing the crime, such as the aviation, the hospitality and the tourism sectors, were also targeted.

The Committee also notes the Government's indication that a total of ten victims and five dependent children received comprehensive services provided jointly by the Government and NGOs. The welfare needs of the victims were continuously monitored and included food, clothing, financial assistance, housing, rent, school supplies, counselling sessions, medical visits, and other scheduled appointments.

Concerning the investigations and prosecutions initiated in relation to trafficking in persons, the Committee notes that 24 cases were investigated in 2023, resulting in a total of 132 male and female foreign nationals screened for trafficking in persons. Upon completion of the investigations, three cases were considered trafficking in persons cases: two for sexual exploitation and one for labour exploitation. In addition, there is one ongoing investigation involving a suspected case of trafficking for sexual exploitation. The Government also indicates that five individuals have been charged with trafficking in persons offences and that there have been no court or tribunal decisions on trafficking in persons.

The Committee welcomes the measures taken by the Government to combat trafficking in persons. It further notes from the report on the application of the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182), that, following assistance from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the Government is in the process of finalizing and adopting a National Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Persons. The Committee encourages the Government to continue to take measures to prevent and detect cases of trafficking in persons, both for sexual and labour exploitation, and to provide adequate protection to victims. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on: (i) the adoption of a new strategic action plan to combat trafficking in persons, indicating whether the implementation of the Strategic Action Plan for the period 2019–23, to which the Committee previously referred to, has been evaluated, the results of this evaluation and how they have been taken into account in the development of the new strategic action plan; and (ii) the measures taken to implement the new Action Plan.

The Committee further requests the Government to provide information on the action of the specialized units of the Police and the Office of the Attorney General in relation to the investigation and prosecution of cases of trafficking, including the number of prosecutions, convictions and penalties imposed under the Trafficking in Persons Act 2008, as well as information on cases in which the courts have ordered restitution to the victims of trafficking under section 6(1) of the Act.