Saint Lucia has been placed on the US Department of State’s 2025 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report Tier 2 Watch List, a move that highlights the United States’ concerns about enforcement, victim protection, and a lack of demonstrable increases in anti-trafficking efforts compared with prior reporting periods.
According to the US State Department, the downgrade was driven by the fact that although Saint Lucia has taken measures such as public awareness campaigns and drafting a national action plan, the country “did not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking” and “did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts compared to previous reporting periods.”
Local officials responded defensively but acknowledged work remains. Dr Mashama Sealy, assistant commissioner of police (ACP) in charge of corporate services and strategic operations at the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (RSLPF), stressed both the moral urgency of the problem and the steps being taken. In a statement to the press, Sealy said, “The Royal Saint Lucia Police Force recognises that trafficking in persons is not just a violation of our laws, but a violation of humanity itself.” She later made clear that “Tier 2 is not our final destination.”
Sealy pointed to recent measures taken by the government and police, including awareness campaigns, repatriation efforts, a 2023–2026 national action plan, specialised training for officers in victim identification and evidence gathering, and the inclusion of a human trafficking course in the initial recruits curriculum.
Still, the State Department’s findings focus on weak enforcement and few prosecutions. Regional coverage noted that several Caribbean nations received mixed ratings this year, and the assessment singled out gaps in prosecutions, victim services, and proactive detection that, in the US’ view, keep Saint Lucia from meeting the minimum standards required for an upgrade.
Voices from the tourism and service sectors expressed frustration and worry about the downgrade’s implications for the island’s reputation. A worker in the hotel industry, who asked to remain anonymous, said bluntly to the St. Lucia Times, “It is very sad that we have been placed in Tier 2…this is going to keep us behind” but added that “we still have to progress as a country, still affording persons the opportunity to serve here” as he believes that the US took this decision because of the persons, “especially Cubans” who come to Saint Lucia to work.
Another source working in the tourism industry at the airport urged the government to do more: “The government needs to allocate more resources to ensure the RSLPF carries out its mandate to curb the human trafficking activities on the island. There is also a need to update the National Action Plan to address the challenges currently facing the country in order to upgrade its position on the human trafficking watchlist.”
An education sector worker warned the downgrade “is certainly no good news and no one should feel good about it,” adding this news makes Saint Lucia “less desirable.”
Government and police officials say they are building capacity and partnerships to respond. Sealy emphasised inter-agency cooperation and regional training, noting that the police “have been strengthening investigations by enhancing our investigative frameworks through specialised training for officers in victim identification, evidence gathering, and case building,” and that the government “has approved a budget to support victims of trafficking.”
She also said the force has stepped up “patrols, intelligence-driven operations,” to intercept suspicious activity at borders, ports, and within communities.
Experts and civil society groups say the gap between commitments and convictions must close. The US report and reporting across Caribbean media highlight that awareness campaigns and plans are positive steps but must be matched by prosecutions, sustained victim services, and funding that ensures survivors receive shelter, counselling, and legal support. “We will expand victim support services to ensure no survivor is left without shelter, counselling or assistance,” Sealy said as she outlined priorities for the months ahead.
According to nevispages.com in the Caribbean, The Bahamas, Guyana, and Suriname were placed in Tier 1, meaning their governments fully meet the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) minimum standards for eliminating trafficking.
Regionally, countries including Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Belize, Jamaica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Curaçao, the Dominican Republic, and Trinidad and Tobago were listed in Tier 2, where governments do not fully meet TVPA standards but are making significant efforts towards compliance.
Barbados was also placed on the Tier 2 Watch List, which identifies governments making efforts towards compliance but facing significant trafficking issues or not taking proportional actions to address the problem.
Tier 3 countries, whose governments do not meet minimum standards and are not making significant efforts, include Sint Maarten, Venezuela, and Cuba. Haiti, along with Libya, Somalia, and Yemen, was designated as among the “special cases.”
Officials say they intend to deepen cross-border intelligence sharing, update operational plans, and work closely with the Director of Public Prosecutions to improve prosecutorial outcomes. For now, the downgrade places the island under heightened public scrutiny and raises pressure on the government to translate plans into measurable results.
