UPDATE: HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN MICRONESIA
/UPDATE: The FSM was placed Tier 3 in the US State Department's 2011 Trafficking In Persons (TIP) Report, published June 2011. On November 2, 2011, the FSM became a participant to the Parlemo Protocols. On March 5, 2012, the 17th Congress of the FSM passed the Human Trafficking Act.
Read more about that here.
ORIGINAL STORY: Since 2010, Micronesia, specifically the F.S.M. has been marked as a tier 2, for countries involved in the trafficking of persons.
"TIER 2: Countries whose governments do not fully comply with the TVPA’s minimum standards, but are making significant efforts to bring themselves into compliance with those standards."
Recent occurrences in the trafficking of women for sex to the U.S. and Guam have the country of F.S.M., namely Chuuk state, labeled as a "source country".
The F.S.M. may also be involved in trafficking not as a source but as a destination. Reports have Asian women being trafficked to the island of Guam and forced into prostitution. Other concerns include forced labor by persons brought into the F.S.M..
Though minuscule to the numbers of people being trafficked in other major countries, the F.S.M. could see a rise in trafficked citizens if the government does not act. Since 2010, the only measures taken were, awareness trainings for police and immigration officials.
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Mariana's Variety excerpt:
August 11, 2011
"PALIKIR, Pohnpei (FSM Congress) — The First special session of the 17th Congress of the Federated States of Micronesia has adopted a resolution to accede to the United Nations Protocol against Trafficking in Persons."
The Congress of the F.S.M. has agreed to eradicate human trafficking from the islands. This may include: educating the general public, formulating and assessing detailed anti-trafficking laws and screening overseas recruiters in the business of human trafficking.
The escalation of persons being trafficked into and out of the F.S.M. has grown over the past years. This resolution has addressed the problem, solving the problem will take effort and time. Until then, the F.S.M. remains a "source country" and a possible destination country for the illegal trade of human beings.
Please follow the links below to read more on this issue.
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sources:
1. Marianas Variety .
2. U.S. Department of State .