Paradoxes and Anomalies in Caribbean Anti-Trafficking Law and Practice

Abstract

This article critically assesses existing state practices on human trafficking in the Caribbean. More specifically, through analysis of empirical data gleaned from semi-structured interviews with fifty stakeholders (government officials and nongovernmental organization representatives) in twelve Caribbean countries, this article assesses the four main contentious areas of state practice with which regional stakeholders are most concerned: the description of “trafficking in persons” as “modern slavery,” the illegitimacy of the US TIP Reports, investigations into trafficking in persons, and victim identification and referral. This article presents postcolonial critiques of anti-trafficking law and practice in the foregoing four areas.