IOM has organized a two-day colloquium for judges of the Supreme
Court of Belize on the subject of trafficking in persons.

The US-funded workshop, which was chaired by the Hon. Chief
Justice Kenneth Benjamin, was designed to broaden the judges’
knowledge of human trafficking at a time when Belize is re-drafting
counter trafficking legislation introduced in 2003.  

The new legislation, if passed, will increase penalties for the
crime, making it a matter for the Supreme Court. 

Belize is a transit and destination country for migrants,
including victims of trafficking, mainly from Central America, but
also experiences internal trafficking.  

Most cases in the past have focused on the trafficking of
Belizean women for sexual exploitation, but trafficking may also be
taking place in the agricultural and tourism sectors, according to
Belizean officials. 

For more information, please contact: 

Carolina Urcuyo

IOM Belize

Email: "mailto:curcuyo@iom.int">curcuyo@iom.int