Findings of Inter-agency Task Force on Trafficking in Persons

Mdm Speaker, trafficking in Persons, or TIP in short, is a transnational crime where vulnerable individuals are recruited and conveyed, often through coercive or deceitful means, for the purpose of exploitation. While TIP can affect anyone, it mainly involves women and young children. Singapore is seen as an attractive destination by human trafficking syndicates due to the perception of potential monetary gains.

Recognising this threat, MHA, MOM and other agencies set up an Inter-Agency Task Force against Trafficking in Persons in 2010, with the aim of implementing whole-of-Government strategies to combat TIP more effectively.

Since its formation, the Task Force has made substantial progress. Notably, it launched a National Plan of Action last year which focuses on:

(a) prevention of the crime;

(b) protection of victims;

(c) partnership with stakeholders; and

(d) prosecution of offenders.

Prevention of TIP. In terms of prevention, our tight border control measures deter perpetrators from trafficking persons into Singapore. Frontline officers are trained to identify victims. Raising public awareness is another key thrust of

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prevention. In January this year, the Task Force established a grant of up to $80,000 per year to co-fund public awareness initiatives. This is supplemented by other efforts, such as publicising TIP cases through the media.

Partnership with stakeholders. Working with strategic partners to multiply our efforts on the ground is another limb of Singapore's anti-trafficking strategy. At the international level, we partner other countries – whether source, transit or destination – to break the vicious cycle in human trafficking. This includes joint efforts to tackle organised crime that profit from the exploitation of the vulnerable. Indeed, while Singapore has worked hard and continue to do so, source countries, too, have the responsibility to uplift conditions so that their citizens will not have to resort to desperate and risky ventures. Source countries should not depend solely on downstream measures to address this scourge.

We will also work closely with foreign counterparts to exchange information and organise capacity-building workshops to increase law enforcement knowledge. In addition, the Task Force regularly engages and partners Non-Government Organisations to provide victim care and services.

Thirdly, protection of victims. The protection of the well-being of victims is particularly critical, especially those who may have been abused. Victims are provided with temporary shelter, food, counselling and medical assistance as appropriate. We are studying the need to have more victim-centric measures to aid the victims in their recovery.

Lastly, prosecution. To deter trafficking in persons, Singapore relies on tough laws and the effective prosecution of offenders. The Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC), Police and MOM have specialist teams to handle TIP investigations and prosecution.

The Task Force has also been actively reviewing domestic legislation to ensure they are relevant and effective for combating trafficking offences. While we have provisions in various laws to criminalise trafficking acts, our review has confirmed the need for a dedicated law to combat trafficking.

This will bring several benefits. First, it allows us to put in place a consistent and forward-looking framework to deal with all types of TIP offences. Second, we equip agencies with the necessary levers to deal with the different modus operandi of TIP criminal groups. Third, this would clearly reflect Singapore's commitment to fight TIP to the global community and align us to international

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standards.

Mdm Speaker, the Task Force has made good progress in tackling human trafficking. It will continue to advance initiatives under the National Plan of Action. At the same time, the Task Force will work to enhance international cooperation so that countries may collectively tackle this global threat.

Mdm Speaker, I thank the Senior Minister of State for the response. I believe there should be zero tolerance for human trafficking, especially the trafficking of minors. What is needed is a dedicated piece of legislation to criminalise the trafficking of persons and minors for the purpose of sexual exploitation, forced incarceration, slave labour and forced organ trafficking. Such legislation will enhance Singapore's arsenal to combat trafficking in and through Singapore.

Therefore, Mdm Speaker, I have drafted a proposed private Member's Bill on the prevention of human trafficking and I would like to know MHA's position, as to whether it would be open to working with me, in partnership, on this private Member's Bill for me to better understand the needs of the investigative and enforcement officers on the ground, and what legal powers and tools they need to ensure that we can deter this strongly, potently, through a dedicated piece of legislation, for example, like what we have in the Misuse of Drugs Act. I have brought it here today, in Parliament. It is a "work in progress" and I wanted to know whether there can be some collaboration from the Government.

I thank the Member for advocating for more measures to deter human trafficking. We are also supportive of his suggestion to introduce a private Member's Bill. This is, indeed, a commendable effort. I have mentioned earlier that a dedicated law is, indeed, important and is an essential progression in our fight against trafficking in persons (TIP). I am, therefore, happy to support the Member's initiative and will ask the Task Force to work closely with him to co-develop the Bill.

All of us know that this would be a major undertaking as TIP issues cut across many Ministries and agencies. We require many consultations with various stakeholders. Not only do we need to ensure that this new law addresses the substantive TIP issues fully, we will also need to examine issues relating to the administration of the new law, taking reference from international conventions like the UN TIP Protocol. We then have to adapt what

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is relevant for us.

I am confident that the Member, who has legal experience, will lead this effort well. I will ask our Task Force to collaborate with him and give him all the facilities he needs to make the private Member's Bill successful.

Mdm Speaker, just one more supplementary question. The process cuts through various areas of enforcement, for example, MHA for enforcement and investigation, Immigration because it is cross-border, MOH because of the need to deter exploitation and trafficking in terms of organs, as well as MSF because we need to see what we can do for victims. So, I hope that the Senior Minister of State's response really is to allow me to work with all of these different Government departments, in addition to a public consultation with NGOs, VWOs and Singaporeans of the same value and who are like-minded. I would just like that confirmation from the Senior Minister of State.

I confirm the Member's request.

Mdm Speaker, I am delighted to hear that there are plans for a dedicated legislation and that the Member, Mr de Souza, is also prepared to work with the Ministry on this proposed legislation. Is there a target date for this legislation to be ready? And until that legislation is ready, what can the Ministry do in the meantime with regard to Special Passes which are issued to persons who are deemed to have been trafficked? I think one problem is that the Special Pass does not provide them with adequate financial support and that could compromise the investigation process. It does not provide for adequate counselling.

Volunteers on the ground take the view that the performing artistes' visas have now become a very popular choice by which trafficked persons enter Singapore. Until the legislation comes into place, what can the Ministry do?

Finally, the Senior Minister of State spoke of the National Plan of Action. I would appreciate it if he could also articulate some of the tangible outcomes.

There are many questions and I may lose track of them, so please correct me if I do not address any of the questions. Firstly, on the Special Pass, this is, indeed, one of the issues, not only for the purpose of prosecuting and helping in the investigations, it also helps out the victims. We have to balance the need for both. This is something the Task Force

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has to continue to look at to see from the number of cases that we are looking at, whether these are, indeed, adequate. Over time, we will evolve the processes to ensure that the protection of the victims is adequately given, either by the Government or by the NGOs with which we work.

Secondly, on the artistes' passes, indeed, as both Mr de Souza and I have mentioned, these offences involving trafficking in persons are broad. They involve all kinds of offences and they involve all kinds of Ministries. Over time, as we plug one area, new areas will tend to come up. We are aware of these issues, and when they come up, we will certainly address them within whatever current and existing legislations that are available to us and, in the future, with the new legislation that will be tabled.

And I did not get the third question.

What are some of the tangible outcomes with regard to the National Plan of Action? For example, has there been any prosecution?

As we have mentioned, the complexity of this Bill is not only that it would involve many Ministries, it also involves addressing the issues that are raised at international fora. We have to include all the concerns that are raised either against us or what we have not done adequately, and also to cover as many loopholes that will possibly appear in the future so that this Bill will be robust.

I do not foresee this coming up very quickly. We have to do consultations. We have given ourselves a timeline of within a year to table this Bill. The National Task Force has already been in place. Even before the Task Force came into action, many of the offenders have been put to book. Currently, there are about less than 100 complaints. We have already put about six of them through prosecution and through the Courts and they have been convicted, but there are others that are still in the process of investigation.

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