MOU signed tackling human trafficking

In a joint press conference the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Police Corps Caribbean Netherlands and the Royal Military Police Caribbean Area explained the seriousness of the first human trafficking case on Bonaire in detail. The Colombian women are to work in degrading circumstances considering the locally prevailing standards, values and social indicators, said prosecutor David van Delft. “They were forced to work under conditions that local employees will never accept and that government wouldn’t tolerate,” he said angrily.

Human trafficking is a serious matter and high priority is given regionally, nationally and internationally to combat such. At regional level, the responsible Ministers of Justice of Aruba, Curaçao, St. Maarten and of The Netherlands on behalf of the public entities Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba signed a “Memorandum of Understanding” in which they promise each other to do everything to tackle this phenomenon. Also internationally, high priority is given to combat human trafficking through treaties.

According to Van Delft, from the point of view of the countries associated with the treaty on human trafficking the latter is a form of slavery. One is to view this exploitation based on the prevailing standards, values and social indicators in the country where the work is performed and not in the country of origin. “You allow people to work in circumstances that local employees would never accept and the governments would never tolerate,” reiterated the prosecutor. (…)

Source: “The Daily Herald” 2012-10-13