More teeth to combat human trafficking - Daily News - 27th April 2010

Rasika SOMARATHNA

*Task Force to begin operation in few months

*Border protection unit at BIA, harbours

A Task Force (encompassing several key Government and non-Governmental stakeholders) and a border protection unit will be setup at ports of entry to combat human trafficking.

The proposed Task Force may come into operation within the next couple of months in collaboration with the Justice Ministry, Immigration and Emigration Department, Law Enforcement Authorities, Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment, Child Protection Authority and the International Organization for Migration, Immigration Department sources said. Authorities are contemplating on setting up border protection units at the Bandaranaike International Airport and harbours to identify potential victims of trafficking, both in coming and out bound.

More muscle to the existing laws and the introduction of new ones too are sought.

According to the same sources, meetings on the formation of the Task Force had taken place and a final decision is to be taken shortly.

Meanwhile, the first ever case referred to a Sri Lankan Court of Law, involving a human trafficking charge, was taken up before the Colombo High Court yesterday. The Government prohibits all forms of trafficking through an April 2006 amendment to its Penal Code.

Trafficking offenders could face up to 20 years imprisonment. The punishments are commensurate with those assigned for other grave crimes. The latest efforts come as the US annual report on human trafficking which categorizes countries into three different tiers according to their identified vulnerable levels, has included Sri Lanka in the tier two watch list.