U.S. report cites 14 countries for human trafficking

Published: 2005-06-06

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Four Middle East countries were among a group of 14 that could face U.S. sanctions for not doing enough to stop human trafficking, the U.S. State Department said June 3. Eight countries were new to the list: Bolivia, Cambodia, Jamaica, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Togo and the United Arab Emirates. Six countries previously cited remained on the list: Myanmar, Ecuador, Cuba, North Korea, Sudan and Venezuela. "Trafficking in human beings is nothing less than a modern form of slavery," said U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in releasing the department's annual "Trafficking in Persons Report." This year's report covers the period from March 2004 to March 2005. Bangladesh, Equatorial Guinea, Guyana and Sierra Leone, which were on the offender list in the 2004 report, were removed this year after showing signs of progress. Rice said that up to 800,000 people are victims of international trafficking every year, with millions more trafficked internally.

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