Botswana Struggles with Human Trafficking and Financial Crime

Despite efforts to combat human trafficking, Botswana remains on Tier 2 of the US State Department’s list for not fully meeting minimum standards to eliminate the practice. The government has shown improvement in investigating and prosecuting more cases than in previous years, but uneven efforts to protect victims persist.

Prosecution Efforts Ramp Up

Increased Anti-Trafficking Law Enforcement

• 12 trafficking cases investigated
• 18 defendants prosecuted under the 2014 Anti-Human Trafficking Act
• First-ever trafficking conviction secured, with a South African woman sentenced to 18 months in prison (although nine of those months were suspended)

However, allowing for a fine in lieu of imprisonment for sex trafficking is not commensurate with penalties for other serious crimes, such as rape. Additionally, provisions of the Children’s Act criminalize various forms of child sex trafficking and forced labor, but more needs to be done to ensure effective implementation.

Protection Efforts Falter

Limited Victim Referrals

• 27 victims identified during the reporting period
• Only four girls were referred to a NGO-run shelter for protective services
• Need for better victim referral procedures highlighted

Furthermore, the government has not fully operationalized measures detailed in the 2014 Act, including formal written procedures to guide social service and law enforcement officials in identifying victims of trafficking among vulnerable populations.

Prevention Efforts Show Promise

Increased Awareness and Training

• Workshops conducted for recruitment agencies, civil society organizations, and students on human trafficking awareness
• Need for more training to reduce demand for commercial sex acts or forced labor
• Anti-trafficking training for diplomatic personnel also needed

Trafficking Profile

Botswana is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking. Residents most vulnerable to trafficking are:

• Unemployed women
• The rural poor
• Agricultural workers
• Children sent by their parents to work as domestic servants in cities or in agriculture and cattle farming in remote areas

Recommendations

To improve its efforts to combat human trafficking, Botswana should:

• Ensure effective implementation of anti-trafficking laws and procedures
• Increase protection efforts for victims, including better victim referral procedures
• Enhance prevention efforts to reduce demand for commercial sex acts or forced labor
• Provide anti-trafficking training for diplomatic personnel
• Conduct a comprehensive international or domestic study of trafficking trends within the country.