Trafficking in Persons Interim Assessment - Equatorial Guinea

[From the introductory text accompanying this report on the U.S. Department of State website: "In most cases, the Interim Assessment is intended to serve as a tool by which to gauge the anti-trafficking progress of countries that may be in danger of slipping a tier in the upcoming June 2010 TIP Report and to give them guidance on how to avoid a Tier 3 ranking. It is a tightly focused progress report, assessing the concrete actions a government has taken to address the key deficiencies highlighted in the June 2009 TIP Report. The Interim Assessment covers actions undertaken between the beginning of May – the cutoff for data covered in the June TIP Report – and November. Readers are requested to refer to the annual TIP Report for an analysis of large-scale efforts and a description of the trafficking problem in each particular country or territory."]

The Government of Equatorial Guinea has demonstrated limited efforts to combat trafficking since the release of the 2009 Report. The government has not reported efforts to investigate, prosecute, and convict trafficking offenders, but has drafted terms of reference for a training program for government social workers. The program includes a component on raising public awareness about trafficking through posters, the media, and speeches by government officials. The government has not established a formal system for providing trafficking victims with assistance, nor has it ceased the practice of deporting trafficking victims without providing them with care and safe repatriation.