The government increased victim protection efforts. Officials reported working on three cases in 2016 and the government increased victim assistance compared to previous years. Officials assisted one victim, a Vincentian man, who travelled to Trinidad and Tobago to work as a security guard and was subjected to forced labor. The government aided in the repatriation of the victim, provided victim care services, and assisted the Trinbagonian authorities with the investigation. There were no other identified victims who required services. The government did not identify any trafficking victims during the year. Additionally, no victims were identified by NGOs, local activists, or other officials. The anti-trafficking police unit conducted combating human trafficking training for officers screening airline passengers, park rangers, faith-based organizations, and NGOs.
Immigration and labor department officials had developed and implemented victim identification guidelines to identify trafficking victims, which was an improvement from the last reporting period when there were no detailed guidelines in operation. The national anti-trafficking action plan provides guidelines for the referral of victims to appropriate shelter and services, but those guidelines continued to lack sufficient detail. The government had mechanisms to assist in the repatriation of victims, and the government repatriated one victim. The government did not fund any trafficking-specific assistance programs, but its domestic violence shelter could accommodate adult women and child trafficking victims. There were three faith-based NGOs that could house children subjected to trafficking; these NGOs received a small amount of government support. Some shelters had policies prohibiting residents from leaving at will. The government did not have the capacity to provide psychological care. The anti-trafficking law provided foreign victims with the possibility of temporary and permanent residence permits. Foreign victims who remain in country are allowed to work. There were provisions for witness protection programs and facilities for the victims to testify via video. There were no reports the government penalized trafficking victims for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of being subjected to human trafficking. Victims could obtain restitution via civil suits from traffickers, however, there were no reported cases of restitution during the reporting period.