Seek employment only through legitimate channels, safeguard your identity documents – Walrond urges migrant workers in Guyana 

Message from Minister of Home Affairs Oneidge Walrond on World Day Against Trafficking in Persons

As Guyana continues to experience unprecedented economic growth and increased migration, we must remain equally committed to protecting every person from exploitation. Opportunity should never become a pathway to abuse.

Today, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministerial Taskforce on Trafficking in Persons, and the Government of Guyana join the international community in observing World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to preventing and combating human trafficking, protecting victims and survivors, and ensuring that those who profit from human suffering are brought to justice.

Human trafficking is among the gravest violations of human rights. It robs individuals of their dignity, freedom and security through forced labour, sexual exploitation, domestic servitude and other forms of abuse. It is a crime that exploits vulnerability and preys on hope. No nation is immune, and no society can afford complacency.

This year’s theme, “Stronger Connections, Stronger Futures: Together Against Human Trafficking,” reminds us that defeating trafficking requires a whole-of-society response. Governments alone cannot eradicate this crime. Success depends on strong partnerships among law enforcement, government agencies, civil society, the private sector, faith-based organizations, international partners and, critically, an informed and vigilant public.

Guided by our 2026–2030 National Action Plan for the Prevention and Response to Trafficking in Persons and the strengthened legislative framework provided through the amended Combating of Trafficking in Persons Act 2023 and its Regulations, Guyana continues to reinforce its national response. We have expanded victim-centred services, intensified public education campaigns, strengthened intelligence-led enforcement, enhanced regional and international cooperation, and invested in the training of frontline officers to improve prevention, identification and prosecution efforts.

These sustained efforts continue to receive international recognition. For the ninth consecutive year, Guyana has been ranked Tier 1 in the United States Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons Report, an acknowledgement of our continued commitment to meeting the highest international standards in combating trafficking. Yet we recognize that this achievement is not an endpoint. It is a responsibility to continue improving our systems, strengthening our institutions, and delivering even greater protection for vulnerable people.

This year, the Ministry completed the full digitalization of immigration and visa applications and payments, making legitimate migration pathways more accessible while reducing opportunities for exploitation through informal channels. At the same time, public awareness campaigns reached 51 communities across six administrative regions, benefiting more than 4,000 persons, while specialized anti-trafficking training strengthened the capacity of law enforcement officers, healthcare workers, educators, community leaders and other frontline responders.

The Guyana Police Force also continued proactive screening operations, interviewing 235 persons for indicators of trafficking, resulting in charges being laid against two foreign nationals. These are tangible examples of a Government translating commitment into action.

Despite this progress, our work is far from complete.

Traffickers continually adapt their methods, exploiting economic hardship, migration, technology and human vulnerability. Our response must therefore remain equally dynamic, intelligence-driven and uncompromising. We will continue strengthening investigations, increasing labour inspections, enhancing prosecutions, expanding victim support services and deepening collaboration with local, regional and international partners.

I also appeal directly to migrants and other vulnerable persons: seek employment only through legitimate channels; safeguard your identity documents; know your rights; and report any attempt at coercion, deception or exploitation. Your safety and dignity matter, and the Government of Guyana remains committed to protecting both.

Today, I call upon every Guyanese to become part of our national response. Human trafficking often hides in plain sight. It survives where communities remain silent and where exploitation goes unreported. Every citizen has a role to play. Be vigilant. Speak up. Protect those at risk. Stand beside victims and survivors with compassion and dignity.

The Government of Guyana will continue to strengthen our laws, modernize our institutions, expand partnerships and relentlessly pursue those who seek to exploit others for personal gain. Human trafficking has no place in our society, and together we will continue building a country where every individual can pursue opportunity in safety, dignity and freedom.

Anyone with information regarding suspected cases of trafficking in persons is encouraged to report it to the nearest police station, contact the Ministry of Home Affairs’ Ministerial Taskforce on Trafficking in Persons Secretariat, or call the 24-hour hotlines 623-5030, 227-4083, or 624-0079 (Spanish). All reports will be treated with the strictest confidentiality.