EQUATORIAL GUINEA: Tier 3
The Government of Equatorial Guinea does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; therefore, Equatorial Guinea remained on Tier 3. Despite the lack of significant efforts, the government took some steps to address trafficking, including: investigating one potential trafficking case; adopting a national action plan to train government officials; increasing numbers of those targeted by awareness-raising; and conducting and funding two multi-day trainings to improve victim identification and case investigation techniques for all border and port officials. These steps demonstrate increased interest in addressing trafficking by the government; however, the government did not prosecute or convict any traffickers. It did not make efforts to develop standard operating procedures (SOPs) to identify or protect trafficking victims or prosecute traffickers. The government continued to deport undocumented migrants without screening them to determine whether they were victims of trafficking or referring them to assistance services.