Antigua and Barbuda has never convicted a human trafficker and did not initiate any trafficking prosecutions for the sixth consecutive year, according to the 2026 Trafficking in Persons Report.
The findings came despite an increase in investigations, with authorities reporting 12 trafficking cases during the reporting period, compared with nine previously.
Eight investigations involved suspected sex trafficking, one involved forced labor and three concerned unspecified forms of trafficking. Authorities also continued a previously initiated sex trafficking investigation.
Antigua and Barbuda remained on Tier 2. The report said the government does not fully meet the minimum standards for eliminating trafficking but demonstrated increasing efforts, including investigating more potential cases and referring more potential victims to care.
However, it highlighted persistent weaknesses in bringing cases to prosecution. Observers previously reported limited investigative capacity, including problems with collecting and managing evidence.
The report also noted that difficulties protecting victim-witnesses in small Eastern Caribbean countries, including Antigua and Barbuda, could contribute to victims’ reluctance to report crimes.
Authorities identified 15 potential victims in 2025 and referred them to services during initial investigations and screening. They subsequently determined that 14 were not trafficking cases, while one was referred to the sexual assault unit and remained under investigation.
The government has not identified a confirmed trafficking victim since 2019.
Although standard procedures existed to guide frontline officials in screening and identifying potential victims, the government did not report using them. A widespread lack of understanding of the difference between trafficking and migrant smuggling also impeded identification, the report said.
Authorities conducted anti-trafficking training for law enforcement officers, police recruits, labor inspectors and medical professionals. Topics included victim identification, referral procedures and trafficking indicators.
The report said the government did not report any investigations, prosecutions or convictions of government employees complicit in trafficking offenses. It also cited earlier observations that corruption within the legal system allowed an environment of impunity.
Under Antigua and Barbuda’s 2010 trafficking law, offenses involving adult victims carry penalties of up to 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine. Offenses involving child victims carry up to 25 years’ imprisonment and a fine.
This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: Antigua and Barbuda Has Never Convicted a Human Trafficker, 2026 Report Says.