Trafficking in Persons Interim Assessment - Burundi
| Publisher | United States Department of State |
| Publication Date | 24 February 2010 |
| Cite as | United States Department of State, Trafficking in Persons Interim Assessment - Burundi, 24 February 2010, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/4b8e7a7d21.html [accessed 29 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
[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 Burundi has made limited progress since the release of the 2009 TIP Report. In late 2009, a Burundian woman was detained in Rutana Province and subsequently charged with attempting to traffic children to Tanzania; she awaits trial. In a separate case, a woman in Bujumbura was required to pay a $42 fine for abusing her 12-year-old domestic servant with droplets of burning plastic bags; upon her arrest, police located the child's aunt, who returned the child to her parents in the southern province of Bururi. The government's anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts, however, continue to be hampered by lack of political will, poor evidence gathering by police, the unwillingness of victims to lodge complaints, and the failure of prosecutors to vigorously pursue cases after receiving evidence. Burundi continues to lack an official process for law enforcement officers to interview potential trafficking victims or refer them for assistance. In October 2009, the government established a Municipal Council for Children and Youth to assist at-risk youth and establish a transit center for victims of human trafficking, demobilized child soldiers, and street children.
