U.S. Dep't of State, 2025 Trafficking in Persons Report: The Bahamas

THE BAHAMAS (Tier 1) The Government of The Bahamas fully meets the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking. The government continued to demonstrate serious and sustained efforts during the reporting period; therefore, The Bahamas remained on Tier 1. These efforts included increasing trafficking prosecutions, increasing funding for victim assistance, and developing a new tool to facilitate more rapid screening of potential victims. Although the government meets the minimum standards, authorities did not convict any traffickers and investigated fewer cases.

Credible information indicated the government maintained a bilateral labor agreement with the Cuban regime for the provision of Cuban workers to The Bahamas, despite serious concerns the Cuban regime forced them to work; and the government reportedly paid up to 92 percent of these workers’ salaries to the Cuban regime, directly contributing to their exploitation. The government did not draft or finalize a new NAP after the previous plan expired in 2023. Official complicity remained a concern, and authorities did not investigate allegations of corruption that potentially facilitated trafficking crimes. PRIORITIZED RECOMMENDATIONS: Increase victim identification efforts and refer those identified to services, particularly among vulnerable groups.

To prevent forced labor among Cuban workers in The Bahamas, hire any Cuban workers directly and utilize hiring practices that are in line with domestic and international law, and provide adequate protection to Cuban victims of human trafficking. Increase efforts to investigate, prosecute, and convict traffickers, including officials complicit in sex or labor trafficking, and seek adequate penalties for convicted traffickers, which should involve significant prison terms. Develop and finalize a new NAP to combat human trafficking and allocate resources for its implementation. Provide a dedicated shelter for trafficking victims.

Ensure straightforward processes to find housing for vulnerable communities and continue to train officials to identify trafficking victims among those communities. Include Haitian Creole- and Spanish-speaking services on the trafficking hotline. Include representatives of Haitian and stateless communities in discussions with the National Trafficking in Persons Inter-Ministerial Committee (Anti-Trafficking Committee). Take steps to eliminate recruitment fees charged to workers by labor recruiters and ban employee-paid recruitment.

Ensure the Ministry of Immigration digitally shares all official communications and documentation with employer and employee. Increase anti-trafficking public awareness efforts for men and persons with disabilities.

PROSECUTION

The government increased trafficking prosecutions but decreased investigations and did not convict any traffickers for the second consecutive year. The Trafficking in Persons (Prevention and Suppression) Act 2008 criminalized sex trafficking and labor trafficking and prescribed penalties up to life imprisonment. These penalties were sufficiently stringent, and with respect to sex trafficking, commensurate with those prescribed for other grave crimes, such as rape. In 2024, the government initiated 13 investigations (10 for sex trafficking, two for labor trafficking, and one involving an unspecified form of exploitation) involving five suspects, compared with initiating 25 investigations (17 sex trafficking and seven labor trafficking) involving nine suspects in 2023.

The government initiated prosecutions against 20 alleged traffickers (10 for sex trafficking and five each for labor trafficking and unspecified forms of trafficking), compared with five prosecutions initiated in 2023. The government did not report continuing prosecuting six alleged sex traffickers and three labor traffickers from cases initiated in previous reporting periods. The government again did not convict any traffickers. The government did not report any investigations, prosecutions, or convictions of government employees complicit in human trafficking crimes; however, allegations of corruption and official complicity in trafficking crimes remained significant concerns, inhibiting law enforcement action during the year.

The Missing and Exploited Unit of the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) was responsible for investigating sex and labor trafficking crimes, and the Sexual Offenses Unit investigated sex crimes, including sex trafficking. The Task Force, an interagency coordination body that monitored victim assistance and specific law enforcement cases, maintained an investigative unit that continued to meet biweekly. The RBPF comprised mid- to high-ranking investigators who worked closely with trained and specialized prosecutors from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). DPP prosecutors offered legal guidance to the RBPF investigative team.

NGOs reported lower-level police, immigration officials, and labor inspectors did not consistently effectively implement trafficking laws and procedures because of a failure to understand them, neglect, or complicity. For the third year, the government participated with Caribbean and Latin American countries and INTERPOL in an operation targeting migrant smuggling and human trafficking criminal networks. In 2023, the government reported it completed a draft interagency agreement to improve maritime security and interagency collaboration on a range of national security issues, including human trafficking; however, the government did not finalize or implement the agreement in 2024. The government continued work on three MOUs to enhance cooperation with The Philippines, Colombia, and Mexico on trafficking investigations, victim protection, and prevention.

The government provided training to officials on victim identification, traffickers’ methods and distinguishing human trafficking from migrant smuggling.

PROTECTION

The government maintained mixed protection efforts. The government reported identifying two sex trafficking victims, including one Jamaican woman and one Venezuelan woman. This compared with identifying five victims in 2023. An interagency coordination task force monitored victim referral, assistance, and the status of law enforcement cases.

The government could refer confirmed victims to services, including access to financial assistance, food, medicine, psychiatric care, clothes, and shelter. The Department of Social Services (DSS) could also provide counseling; vocational services; transportation; assistance with shopping; legal assistance; resume preparation; job placement assistance; furniture; school placement; wiring of money abroad; and security monitoring, including home visits, especially in cases involving children. The government provided legal aid to victims only for each victim’s trafficking case and not for other legal matters. While there was a decrease in the number of victims identified compared to the previous year, funding for victims’ care notably increased.

The government expended 78,600 Bahamian dollars ($78,600) on trafficking victims’ care, compared with 33,772 Bahamian dollars ($33,772) in the previous reporting period. Front-line responders implemented a formal victim identification and referral protocol which included a detailed, victim-centered approach to the screening process and referral to governmental and non-governmental options for short- and long-term care. Observers previously reported uneven application of the protocol, especially with at-risk populations, such as undocumented Haitian migrants and stateless children. In partnership with a foreign university, authorities developed a new screening tool to facilitate more rapid screening of potential victims that was pilot tested across three agencies and available to be administered in English and Spanish.

The government reported it screened all migrants, including unaccompanied children, arriving by sea when in contact with authorities. If they identified any trafficking victims, immigration officers could refer potential victims to the RBPF for further investigation and care. The government operated one temporary migrant detention center and reported using trafficking screening protocols. The government and observers reported consistent screening of Haitian migrants, including at the detention center.

DSS was responsible for victim care and oversaw victim support provided by service providers, attorneys, and law enforcement. Department of Health practitioners screened patients for trafficking indicators and could refer patients for further evaluation or care, but authorities did not report doing so. The Secretariat of the Anti-Trafficking Committee (ATC) received $84,000 Bahamian dollars ($84,000) for victim care in the 2024-2025 budget, similar to the past two years. The government typically provided most services for victims, but NGOs could also provide services such as housing, food, meals and water, hygiene supplies, clothing, other basic necessities, financial assistance, medical and psychiatric care, and a non-threatening environment for authorities to conduct interviews.

The government, NGOs, and international organizations (IOs) reported effective coordination on victim services. The government did not have a dedicated shelter for trafficking victims; however, it could provide accommodations for victims or refer them to an NGO for shelter. Authorities could place victims in NGO-managed shelters shared with domestic violence survivors and child victims in a DSS childcare facility. NGOs reported concerns about insufficient funding for shelter services and limited housing capacity.

The government considered victims’ shelter preferences and victims could choose not to reside in a shelter; the government provided safety information to victims who lived independently. The national anti-trafficking budget included resources to facilitate accommodations for victims with disabilities, if necessary. Shelters did not restrict the movements of victims and allowed them to leave for employment. The government provided services to victim-witnesses for the length of trial proceedings and continued to provide services until the victim was either resettled in the country or, if applicable, in the country of origin.

The government worked with an IO to provide longer-term support. Courts could order traffickers to provide restitution in criminal cases; victims could also take civil action against the trafficker for compensation. Three victims including two Bahamians and one foreign national received restitution payments. Victim participation in trafficking investigations and prosecutions was voluntary, although encouraged.

The government reported taking measures to increase participation by victim-witnesses, including advising them of the ability to testify remotely and encouraging communication with faith-based organizations and social workers. Two victims participated in investigations of suspected traffickers; one victim did not ultimately participate in the prosecution of the trafficker. Observers previously noted victims often returned to their home countries for various reasons including length of trials, difficulties integrating into Bahamian society, and high cost of living instead of participating in trials. The law granted victims immunity from prosecution and protected victims’ identities.

The government allowed victims to testify via videoconference, including from overseas although this did not happen during the reporting period. The law also permitted for the reading of written statements into evidence which was provided by one potential victim. Authorities advised victims of their legal rights. The government limited the scope of initial interviews and victims’ contact with traffickers to prevent traumatization.

The government also offered victims an alternative to speaking with law enforcement, such as social workers or NGOs, during investigations and prosecutions of traffickers. The government reported it interviewed potential trafficking victims in a safe place with an interpreter available and provided a social worker as an advocate for the duration of the investigation and prosecution. The government reported NGO and faith-based Task Force representatives provided counseling and other support services to victims without law enforcement present. The government provided victims a designated caseworker and advised victims of available government protection services, including frequent monitoring at shelter spaces and police security details.

The government encouraged foreign governments to provide protection services to victims and their families upon return to their home country. The country lacked a visa classification for crime victims, but the law entitled foreign victims to the same assistance and services provided to Bahamian victims. Authorities did not tie benefits to foreign victims’ willingness to cooperate with law enforcement or to testify in court and the outcomes of legal proceedings did not affect victims’ temporary immigration status. Foreign victims had the option to remain in the jurisdiction with legal status or to return to their country of origin; the government reported it did not deport victims.

However, the Task Force continued investigating an incident from the previous reporting period in which four Jamaicans reportedly paid overstay fines before investigations revealed they were victims. Foreign victims who decided to stay in the country received assistance with obtaining legal residency for humanitarian purposes, which included a standardized certificate that resembled the asylum certificate but did not identify the holder as a trafficking victim and enabled the holder to work legally. Foreign victims – particularly undocumented Haitian migrants – may not have reported crimes to law enforcement officers who could identify them as victims for fear of deportation.

PREVENTION

The government maintained prevention efforts. Ministry of National Security (MNS) officials led the government’s overall efforts to combat trafficking and chaired the ATC, comprising representatives from 10 government agencies, NGOs, faith-based organizations, a foreign embassy as a regular observer, and the Task Force. The ATC coordinated with the National Commission of Persons with Disabilities to increase information sharing and outreach to persons with disabilities. The ATC coordinated policy recommendations, disseminated information and public awareness materials, and provided advice on trafficking matters – including strengthening national anti-trafficking initiatives and opportunities for training.

The ATC and the Task Force met bimonthly. Governmental ministries, agencies, and departments had operational, specialized anti-trafficking units. The government did not draft a new NAP following the expiration of the 2019-2023 plan. The government funded anti-trafficking initiatives through the national anti-trafficking budget, which was included in the MNS annual budget.

The Task Force had a dedicated budget of 84,000 Bahamian dollars ($84,000) for the second consecutive year. The government reported expending 9,665 Bahamian dollars ($9,665) on prevention and awareness activities, compared with 33,884 Bahamian dollars ($33,884) in 2023. The government conducted a National Health Survey for children from 14 to 17 years old, including those from populations vulnerable to trafficking, in September 2023; the survey, based on constituencies or policing areas, included questions to measure the prevalence of trafficking, with results expected in 2025. The MNS maintained a dedicated English-speaking only trafficking hotline as well as two DSS hotlines and one police hotline; hotline operators had access to translation services.

One NGO had its own emergency hotline to report all forms of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse. The government reported hotline calls did not result in the identification of any trafficking victims or the investigation of any cases. The government advertised the hotlines through English-language media, billboards, and some English-, Mandarin-, Haitian Creole, and Spanish-language brochures placed in public spaces. Government officials participated in awareness raising activities and events, including in observance of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons.

In addition, the government sponsored and hosted a regional and international anti-trafficking forum to discuss victim identification best practices. The government did not make efforts to reduce the demand for commercial sex acts. The government did not report screening Cuban regime-affiliated workers for trafficking indicators, despite serious concerns Cuba continues to profit from the forced labor of its workers. The government limited resources for new housing to those with regularized migration status.

A Department of Immigration (DOI) team monitored international and domestic flights to Nassau and surrounding islands for early detection of possible trafficking victims. While the constitution prohibited forced labor, Bahamian law did not prohibit labor recruitment practices traffickers commonly exploited, such as charging workers recruitment fees, switching contracts, or withholding wages to compel service. The absence of specific prohibitions against these practices increased the vulnerability of workers to exploitation. The Department of Labor conducted worksite inspections, trained employers on the prevention of labor trafficking, and supported the investigation of trafficking cases.

The government reported the DOI included trafficking information for first-time work permit applicants, and the Immigration Board reviewed applications for every job more than six months in duration to prevent the issuance of unqualified permits and to protect against exploitation. The government allowed migrant workers to change employers in a timely manner without special permission upon receipt of a request from the new employer. NGOs reported that in the absence of a fully digitized work permit process the Ministry of Immigration did not share all official communications with both employers and employees. When an employer submitted a request for a work certificate for a foreigner to work in the country, authorities issued anti-trafficking brochures to the employer, but DOI personnel had limited interactions with the nearly 40,000 prospective foreign workers prior to or after arrival in the country.

NGOs reported the government did not consistently screen migrants, including those who potentially faced labor exploitation and trafficking, prior to their deportation. NGOs previously reported they could find other employers for migrant workers if they were given a grace period to find alternative employment. A liaison officer for foreign education workers based in Nassau ensured employers met obligations under education labor agreements. The government approved an MOU with the Government of the Philippines on labor cooperation that outlined recruitment practices, the first such arrangement between the two countries.

TRAFFICKING PROFILE: Trafficking affects all communities. This section summarizes government and civil society reporting on the nature and scope of trafficking over the past five years. Traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in The Bahamas, and traffickers exploit victims from The Bahamas abroad. Traffickers recruit migrant workers, especially those from China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, the Philippines, and the United States through false offers of employment and advertisements in foreign newspapers and social media.

Upon arrival, traffickers exploit victims in sex trafficking and forced labor, including in domestic service and low-skilled labor sectors. NGOs reported sex trafficking victims are predominantly from Jamaica or Latin America, whereas labor trafficking victims were predominantly Haitian in situations of debt bondage. The government reported female migrants were particularly at risk; observers noted some female foreign victims seeking employment opportunities were well-educated yet unaware of trafficking risks. NGOs also reported employers of migrant workers withheld workers’ passports and wages.

Unaccompanied children, individuals lured for employment, those involved in commercial sex and exotic dancing, undocumented migrants, stateless persons, individuals who identified as lesbian, gay, or bisexual (particularly from outlying areas), and migrants displaced by Hurricane Dorian are particularly vulnerable to trafficking. In 2024, the government reported potential victims traveling by air most often came to Nassau, New Providence, Grand Bahama, Abaco, and Bimini. In 2023, observers noted the government destroyed shantytowns housing vulnerable communities, predominantly Haitians, stateless Bahamians of Haitian descent, and displaced Bahamians, leaving them at increased risk for trafficking. The high unemployment rate resulting from the pandemic – reported to have exceeded 40 percent – contributed to increased vulnerabilities for potential victims.

The Bahamian government contracted with the Cuban regime for the provision of medical workers and teachers. According to publicly available information from the Cuba regime, there were approximately 173 Cuban regime-affiliated workers in the Bahamas, including 40 healthcare workers and at least 133 teachers who were forced to work. Survivors reported entering into contractual agreements they did not have sufficient time to review, being subjected to wage confiscation, unreasonable restrictions on freedom of movement and association, pressured into diagnosing unnecessary medical procedures, and until recently had their passports confiscated by Cuban minders. Leaked documents indicate the Cuban regime kept up to 92 percent of what the Bahamian government paid for each worker; leaving healthcare professionals with a monthly salary payment that was significantly lower than what other workers in similar jobs earned.

The government had other Cuban workers under similar arrangements where the government paid roughly 15 percent of each workers salary and Cuban regime kept 85 percent. On This Page search > < THE BAHAMAS (Tier 1) PRIORITIZED RECOMMENDATIONS: PROSECUTION PROTECTION PREVENTION TRAFFICKING PROFILE: Tags Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs Human Trafficking Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons Reports The Bahamas