The government maintained victim protection efforts. Authorities identified 23 trafficking victims during the year including two children, 15 for labor trafficking, and eight for sex trafficking, compared with 65 trafficking victims in 2015 and16 in 2014. The National Service for Minors (SENAME) assisted 1,341 children who were victims of commercial sexual exploitation in 2016, compared with 1,285 in 2015; authorities did not report how many were victims of trafficking or how many of the children assisted were new in 2016. Provision of victim services remained uneven across the country and NGOs reported funding was inadequate to provide necessary services, especially shelter. The National Service for Women and Gender Equality (SERNAMEG) allocated 92.2 million Chilean pesos ($137,859) to fund the NGO-operated shelter for women victims of trafficking, smuggled women, and their children, an increase from 85 million pesos ($127,093). The shelter facilitated health, immigration, and employment services. In 2016, the shelter housed 10 women, including six foreigners from Ecuador, Russia, and Haiti. The shelter was at full occupancy and all other victims were referred to non-specialized shelters for victims of domestic abuse. SENAME provided services to child sex trafficking victims through its national network of 17 NGO-operated programs for children, including boys, subjected to commercial sexual exploitation. There were no shelters for adult male victims or victims outside the capital. SENAME increased funding to 2.717 billion Chilean pesos ($4.1 million) in 2016, compared with 2.276 billion Chilean pesos ($3.4 million) in 2015. The Social Action Department of the Ministry of Interior had a separate fund to assist vulnerable migrants that was used for trafficking victim services.
In 2016, the anti-trafficking interagency taskforce published a comprehensive identification and referral guide for public officials, including police officers, immigration officials, health providers, labor, health, and municipal inspectors. According to this guide, 63 percent of trafficking victims in Chile were male, yet specialized assistance for male victims was limited. Law enforcement officials lacked guidelines for dealing with potential trafficking victims detained or placed in protective custody for alleged criminal acts, such as children involved in illicit or illegal activities. The government increased training efforts outside the capital and maintained robust efforts to train first responders, including health workers, public officials, and victims. Reintegration services such as education and job placement assistance were insufficient, and officials reported access to quality mental health services was expensive and limited. Authorities provided training on victim assistance and identification to 275 government officials, including labor inspectors, SENAME staff, and first responders. The Department of Migration continued to provide no-fee visas for trafficking victims and issued 16 in 2016. The visa is valid for six months, renewable for up to two years. Renewal requires that the victim report the crime to the prosecutor’s office. The government did not report if restitution was granted to any victims through civil or criminal cases in 2016; however, in a forced labor case the defense provided 5 million Chilean pesos ($7,476) to the victim. There were no reports the government penalized trafficking victims for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of being subjected to trafficking.