In this year’s annual Trafficking in Persons Report (TIP Report), the U.S. State Department has added seven nations to its list of most severe offenders which have failed to adequately combat human trafficking and involuntary servitude. Countries which are placed on the worst offender list are subject to immediate consequences from the United States, which may include the “prohibition of grants or sale of security items”.  The list now includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Algeria, Equatorial Guinea and Malaysia

Some critics are saying that this years TIP Report was too lenient on the worlds two most populated countries: India and China.  The two countries were placed on the intermediate list, which rather than imposing immediate sanctions, allots several months for the country to make changes to their human trafficking policies.   

In order to see the full TIP Report, click here (pdf., 240 pages)

Compiled from: Allies Cited for Human Trafficking, Nora Boustany, Washington Post Foreign Service, 13 June 2007.