U.S. Expands Human Trafficking Blacklist to Include Lebanon
The Obama administration has placed the Lebanese government on a blacklist for not fully complying with the minimum standards for the elimination of human trafficking and not making significant efforts to do so.
In its annual Trafficking in Persons report, the State Department identified 23 nations as failing to meet minimum international standards to curb the scourge, which claims mainly women and children as victims. That's up from 13 in 2010.
The 11 new countries on the blacklist or the so-called Tier 3 are Algeria, the Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Lebanon, Libya, Madagascar, Micronesia, Turkmenistan, Venezuela and Yemen.
Governments of countries on the Tier 3 may be subject to certain sanctions, whereby the U.S. government may withhold or withdraw non-humanitarian, non-trade-related foreign assistance. In addition, countries on Tier 3 may not receive funding for government employees’ participation in educational and cultural exchange programs.
“Lebanon is a source and destination country for women and children who are subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking. The country may also be a transit point for Eastern European women and children destined for sex trafficking in other Middle Eastern countries,” said the report.
Another 41 countries were placed on a watch list that could lead to sanctions unless their records improve.
The report analyzed conditions in 184 nations, including the United States, and ranked them in terms of their effectiveness in fighting what many have termed modern-day slavery. The State Department estimates that as many as 27 million men, women and children are living in such bondage around the world.
"All countries can and must do more," Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said in presenting the report on Monday. "More human beings are being exploited today than ever before."
"We're at critical moment in this fight," she said. "The problem of modern trafficking may be entrenched, and it may seem like there is no end in sight. But if we act on the laws that have been passed and the commitments that have been made, it is solvable. If we increase the pressure on traffickers and the networks they thrive in, we can set ourselves on a course to one day eradicate modern slavery."(AP-Naharnet)
28 June 2011, 07:53
04
NewTV had this week an interesting talk program exposing abuses of foreign domestic helpers. While the show lacked depth and seriousness, NewTV should be praised for addressing this topic. Still more is expected from all media sources so Lebanese see the need for a bill of rights to protect basic rights of domestic helpers, educate the public, and punish abusers. Believing NewTV is an enlightened station, I made a mistake of watching the news to be sadly disappointed. While having a political color is understandable, it seems the news section is run by amateurs with no editor in the house. I was shocked by a tabloid reporting on Saad Hariri making fun of him for losing his fortune being PM instead of a taking care of his business. Yes maybe this reporter’s heroes are Berri and Bassil who have perfected mafia politics to amass fortunes. The entire piece was trash reporting not even at level of sleazy tabloids. Lesson learned, I won’t be wasting any time listening to NewTV junk news.
28 June 2011, 08:01
40
The Lebanese government is not one month old , to be put on a black list ! The ones on the black list is Hari's and Siniora's government s .. Funny how Obama never put them on a black list when they were in office !?!
These diplomatic pressures and political manouvers dont work Mr Obama .
28 June 2011, 08:56
01
So out of all the problems we have had in this country , The US decides to pick this one. I Completely understand Modern Slavery and Stand AGAINST it a hundered percent. But Lebanon has been going through a tough time with no Government and soo many political issues that they simply & Logically have no time to work on preventing Human Traficking ..... Unless this is just a first step in applying sanctions on Lebanon due to the nature of our SO CALLED NEW GOVERNMENT ....
28 June 2011, 12:04
10
The rich countries are to blame like the US, Sweden, Germany, Japan, Russia, France who are using their money and power for drugs and cheap sex. This is politicaly motivated report without reflecting the real facts of slavary and the responsable.
28 June 2011, 12:10
40
Is there anything filthy Mafia Hariri did not do? Even human trafficking? OMG this is unbelievable. Now that we have a new government with honest and effective ministers, the filth of the Mafia will be unveiled as days go by. The grand cleansing has begun and there is no stopping it. Finally, Lebanon's Spring has become a reality.
28 June 2011, 12:32
03
@ Andrew: WOW..clever commend indeed..."honest and effective ministers"...nice, they haven't started working yet, half of them are unknown by the public, still you label them already...BRILLIANT!
For the rest, well, it does not seem to me that Hariri is the only person who should take the blame here... what about Berry, Sleiman, what did the opposition ever say on the matter... Don;t be foolish dude...
28 June 2011, 13:34
10
the new government is not even 2 weeks old... could not be held responsible; however lebanese society is responsible. i think that we deserve to be on that list, just look how we treat maids and others working for us.. it is truly shameful. However being pointed at by the US of A is shameful in its own right. this is the country that traded in slaves in the not too distant past, and treated its non-white citizens - up to 40 years ago, and still does to an extent -in a way that would have made Mussolini and hitler proud..
28 June 2011, 13:59
10
I don't think we have this trafficking problem that much as other listed countries. I don't support the new Lebanese government, however, Obama's administration should start fighting this issue starting in the US since it represents the biggest market for trafficked people (about 50% of the world's), so they should have better results if starting by putting restrictions on the market and not the supplier.
28 June 2011, 14:01
03
Nobody is talking about government! We need to change our mentality.
28 June 2011, 14:34
01
Many Young women that come to Lebanon to work as Nannies are physically and sexually abused. Last time I visited lebanon I was disgusted with what I saw and heard in the area I stayed at.... I have been telling everyone about it and the need to protect these poor people...
24 July 2011, 17:22
00
For the benefit of those posting silly comments claiming the Obama administration is targeting the new Lebanese government; you need to look at the whole report where you will find that Israel is also listed as "Tier 3" as well as Greece, Saudi Arabia, UAE and many other countries..
