by Linda Straker
- Fishermen found boat with personal effects and passports but no occupants
- Found passports are property of Ivory Coast or Côte d’Ivoire
- Ivorian Government identified 1,190 trafficking victims in 2022 Trafficking in Person report
Police have confirmed that the passports found in the boat drifting in the northeast Atlantic maritime space of Grenada about 3 weeks ago are the property of the Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d’Ivoire, a country on the southern coast of West Africa.
Two fishermen found the boat with no occupants but some personal effects such as shoes, clothing and two passports. At the time of the original discovery confirmation, Police refrained from disclosing the state named on the passports.
“We have now officially informed the relevant agencies and authorities, so I can now disclose that the passports were from the Ivory Coast,” said ASP Simon Douglas of the Community Relations Department. When asked if the names are female or male, he said his office could not diverge further information because the matter is under investigation.
In December 2021, a boat with 7 dead bodies was discovered drifting off the northern coast of Grenada. At the time, Police said that preliminary digital forensic analysis that had occurred with electronic devices found on the boat led the authorities to believe that this incident may have been associated with human trafficking or human smuggling. Because investigations are not yet closed, the Police are yet to officially update on the 7 bodies, thought to be in cold storage.
According to the 2022 Trafficking in Person report, the Ivorian Government identified 1,190 trafficking victims, in contrast to the identification of 302 trafficking victims the year prior. Children accounted for most victims. Additionally, out of the total, sex trafficking victims equalled 437 people and forced labour victims amounted to 753.
The US Department of State ranks Côte d’Ivoire as a Tier 2 country, meaning it “does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so” as set out in the Trafficking Victims Protection Act.
Trafficking is a bit misleading. They paid someone to take them to the EU (probably the Canaries or Azures) and went adrift without adequate food, equipment, etc. They were migrants, not slaves….
What do you think trafficking means? It doesn’t mean enslaved, nor subjugated. In this case, it means that people are being moved thru illegal means, from one point to another. Whether that be illegal immigration or sex trafficking… please educate yourself on the term.