Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2024, published 113rd ILC session (2025)

Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29) - Seychelles (Ratification: 1978)

Articles 1(1), 2(1) and 25 of the Convention. Trafficking in persons. 1. Institutional framework to combat trafficking in persons. Following its previous comments, the Committee notes the Government’s information on the key actions undertaken within the framework of the National Strategic Framework and Action Plan to combat trafficking in persons. These include the development of a Standard Operating Procedure and Referral Mechanism for assistance to Victims of Trafficking which clearly outlines the phenomenon of trafficking in persons; procedures and responsibilities to be undertaken on identifying such cases; the provision of training for relevant authorities; and procedures regarding risk assessment, investigation, rehabilitation and re-integration. The Government also indicates that the Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Secretariat, established within the Ministry of Internal Affairs, has enabled a more centralized and effective approach in the coordination of trafficking in persons activities. The TIP Secretariat is currently in the process of finalizing a new action plan which will be submitted to the Cabinet for approval. The Committee encourages the Government to continue to take measures to ensure a coordinated and systematic approach to prevent and combat trafficking in persons. It also requests the Government to provide information on any evaluation undertaken of the results achieved under the National Strategic Framework as well as on the adoption of the new action plan and the actions of the TIP Secretariat to ensure its implementation.

2. Protection of victims. The Committee takes due note of the Government’s information that the annual budget allocated to the TIP Secretariat has been increased in order to provide greater assistance to victims of trafficking and that a hotline available 24 hours a day has been introduced. The Government also indicates that victims of trafficking are provided food and shelter, medical care, legal assistance, translation services, renewal of passport, repatriation, transportation and reintegration in other work opportunities. Accordingly, since 2021, the trafficking in persons shelter has provided assistance to 34 victims of trafficking. The Committee encourages the Government to continue implementing measures to ensure adequate protection and assistance to victims of trafficking and to provide updated information on the number of victims identified, and provided with assistance including for their recovery and rehabilitation.

3. Prosecution and imposition of penalties. In response to its previous comments, the Committee notes the Government’s information that continuous training on trafficking in persons is being provided to officials of the competent authorities. The Government refers inter alia to training provided by the TIP Secretariat to officials from the Attorney General’s Office and media officials; the conduct of a scenario-based training to assess the effectiveness of the anti-trafficking legislation for the officials from the Foreign Affairs Department, judiciary, police, customs and immigration department; the development by the Labour Monitoring and Compliance Section of the Employment Department, comprising of the Labour Inspectorate, of an Inspection Checklist which contains labour-related indicators of trafficking to further assist with the identification of potential cases of trafficking. Accordingly, from February 2022 to September 2023, four cases of trafficking in persons were identified and referred to the police for further investigations. Moreover, an inter-ministerial task force was set up to undertake visits to workplaces for identification of potential victims of trafficking which referred six cases of potential trafficking in persons for labour to law enforcement officials in 2022. Finally, the Government indicates that from 2018 to 2022, 64 cases of trafficking in persons for forced labour or sexual exploitation were investigated, 17 prosecutions were carried out, and 5 convictions were secured. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information on the measures taken to further strengthen the capacity of law enforcement bodies to identify trafficking in persons victims, and ensure adequate cooperation for the effective prosecution of such cases. Please provide information on the investigations, prosecutions, convictions and penalties imposed under section 3(1) of the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons Act.