Press Releases

Release of the 2009 Trafficking in Persons ReportT
Mauritius Moves Up to Tier 1

June 18, 2009

On Tuesday, June 16, 2009, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton released the ninth annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report at a press conference in the State Department’s Press Briefing Room in Washington, D.C.
 
In the 2009 TIP Report, the rating for Mauritius has been upgraded from Tier 2 to Tier 1.  Countries assessed as meeting the minimum standards of the 2000 Trafficking Victims Protection Act are classified as Tier 1.  The Parliament’s passage of a comprehensive human trafficking law in April 2009 brought Mauritius into full compliance with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking.  Mauritius sustained its strong efforts to identify, address and prevent incidences of trafficking in the last year.  Government officials demonstrated an increasing level of awareness of human trafficking and commitment to address the problem.  Public awareness projects, particularly those convened for school students by police officers and the National Children’s Council, were frequently conducted and broad-reaching.  There was also improvement in the protections available to trafficking victims.  According to the 2009 TIP Report, the government made notable efforts to prevent the sex trafficking of children and reduce the demand for commercial sex acts during the year.

This 175-country report is the most comprehensive worldwide report on the efforts of governments to combat severe forms of trafficking in persons, a modern-day form of slavery.  Its findings are intended to raise global awareness and spur countries to take effective actions to counter trafficking in persons. 

This year the State Department TIP report recommends that to advance its anti-trafficking efforts, the Government of Mauritius could utilize newly passed anti-trafficking legislation to investigate and prosecute trafficking offenses and convict and punish trafficking offenders.

This year's Report includes a particular focus on the effects of the global economic crisis on the supply and demand of human trafficking.  Modern-day slavery continues to be a problem in nearly every country in the world and traffickers continue to search for new opportunities to exploit men, women, and children. 

The full text of the TIP Report is available on the State Department's website, www.state.gov/g/tip.  The Mauritius country report is also available from the “Country reports” feature box on the homepage of the Embassy website:  http://mauritius.usembassy.gov.