ST. MAARTEN: Tier 2‡
The Government of St. Maarten does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so. These efforts included the appointment of a new anti-trafficking coordinator and continued cooperation with civil society. However, these efforts were not serious and sustained compared to efforts made during the previous reporting period. The government did not provide adequate protection services for victims identified and it penalized them with detention and deportation back to their country of origin. For the fourth consecutive year, the government did not secure any convictions. Therefore St. Maarten was downgraded to Tier 2.
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‡ St. Maarten is an autonomous entity within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. For the purpose of this report, St. Maarten is not a “country” to which the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking in the Trafficking Victims Protection Act apply. This narrative reflects how St. Maarten would be assessed if it were a separate, independent country.