19.07.

2016
PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION
B/771
The Honourable Third Member for Grand River North West and Port Louis West (Mr
Baloomoody)
To ask the Right Honourable Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, Home Affairs,
Minister for Rodrigues and National Development Unit
Whether, in regard to the combatting of trafficking in persons in Mauritius, he will
state the actions taken since January 2015 to date to implement the
recommendations contained in the Trafficking in Persons Reports of the US
Department of State for Mauritius, particularly, regarding the protection of the
children, indicating the reported number of victims thereof over the past two years?
REPLY
Madam Speaker,

I have taken note of the US Department of State Report on Trafficking in Persons 2016
published on 30 June 2016. I must say that the contents relating to Mauritius are grossly
exaggerated and inaccurate though Mauritius has been placed under Tier 2, as opposed to last
year when we had been placed under Tier 2 Watch List. I must also add that every year, the US
authorities consult Mauritius to gather information and statistics prior to the publication of their
Report on Trafficking in Persons. However, my attention has been brought to the fact that the
information submitted by the relevant Ministries and Departments are not fully taken into
consideration at the time of publication of the Report.

Madam Speaker,

In the recent past, I have also expressed my serious concern on the inaccuracies of the US
Department of State Report on Human Rights in respect of Mauritius, to the UN Office of the
High Commissioner for Human Rights.

I wish to emphasize that Mauritius enjoys a solid reputation not only on the African
Continent but also internationally for its respect for Human Rights.

Madam Speaker,

In my reply to Parliamentary Question B/622 at the sitting of the National Assembly on

06 October 2015, I mentioned that a series of measures were being taken to address the issue of

Trafficking in Persons in line with the recommendations contained in the US Department of

State Trafficking in Persons. In fact since January 2015, measures taken by the Ministry of
Gender Equality, Child Development and Family Welfare, the Ministry of Labour and
Employment, the Police Department as well as the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Report include the following:

(i)

the setting up of a hotline to enable the public at large to report any alleged case
of child abuse including Child Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation
of Children either anonymously or otherwise;

(ii)

joint interviews by the officers of the Police and the Child Development Unit to
avoid repeated narrations of incident;

(iii)

provision of assistance to victims of child trafficking for medical and Police

Medical Examinations as well as HIV testing and pregnancy tests;

(iv)

provision of psycho-social counselling to victims and their families;

(v)

a close collaboration between the Brigade Pour la Protection des Mineurs and
other stakeholders to assist in the identification of victims and providing them
support. The Brigade Pour la Protection des Mineurs carries out raids in game
houses, hotels, discotheques and also investigates in suspected/alleged cases of
child trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children;

(vi)

the setting up, on 26 May 2016, of LOasis Residential Drop-In-Centre at Grand

River North West which presently houses 25 victims of Sexual Abuse and
Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children including Child Trafficking;

(vii)

the establishment of a Protocol of collaboration by the Ministry of Gender

Equality, Child Development and Family Welfare with other stakeholders by way
of a Working Together Committee to ensure that a continuum of care is
provided to children victims;

(viii)

the setting up of a Community Child Watch Committee for surveillance of

children exposed to any form of violence inclusive of commercial sexual
exploitation and trafficking at local levels. It operates with the collaboration of a
2

pool of volunteers, social workers, NGOs, community leaders and other key
stakeholders;

(ix)

the setting up of Child Protection Committees at district level for the

implementation of Governments policies related to the survival, development,
protection and welfare of children through the adoption of a participatory
approach; and

(x)

the preparation of a National Action Plan on Combatting Trafficking in Persons at

the level of my Office in consultation with all stakeholders.

Madam Speaker,

Emphasis is also laid on capacity building for officers having to deal with cases of
Trafficking in Persons at different levels. From January 2015 to date, five training sessions have
been organized on Trafficking in Persons for Law Officers of the Office of the Director of Public
Prosecutions and the Attorney Generals Office as well as Law Enforcement Officers.

In so far as statistics are concerned, according to Police records, only one case of
Trafficking in Persons has been reported since January 2015 up to 15 July 2016.

Madam Speaker,

I wish to inform the House that an Inter-Ministerial Committee has been set up under the
chairmanship of the Attorney-General to ensure proper coordination on issues relating to
Trafficking in Persons.