2022 Trafficking in Persons Report: Honduras
Date of Publication
1-1-2022 12:00 AM
Security Theme
Human Rights
Keywords
Sex Trafficking, labor trafficking, gangs, criminal organizations, child sex tourist, human rights
Description
In the last five years, Honduras has experienced severe human trafficking issues, with domestic and foreign victims exploited both within the country and internationally. Honduran women and children are particularly vulnerable to sex trafficking, not only locally but also in nations like Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Spain, and the United States. There's a specific targeting of vulnerable groups, including LGBTQI+ individuals, migrants, internally displaced persons (IDPs), persons with disabilities, child laborers, children of migrants, and residents of crime-controlled areas. The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified risk factors such as family instability, unemployment, and limited healthcare access, worsening the trafficking situation. Exploitation often occurs within victims' homes or communities, sometimes involving relatives or acquaintances. Trafficking forms also include forced labor, with adults and children coerced into street vending, begging, domestic work, drug trafficking, and various roles in the informal sector. This issue extends beyond Honduran borders, notably to Guatemala, Mexico, and the U.S. Children, especially those from Indigenous and Afro-descendant groups, including Miskito boys, face forced labor risks in various industries. Homeless children are especially susceptible to both sex and labor trafficking. Urban areas see criminal networks, including gangs, forcing girls into sex trafficking and children into criminal activities, though there's a reported rise in such gang activities in rural locales. The digital age sees traffickers increasingly using social media to lure victims with deceptive job offers, continuing to prey on vulnerable groups. Honduras is also a hotspot for child sex tourism, with offenders primarily from Canada and the U.S. Moreover, migrants in transit from various continents through Honduras to the U.S. are highly susceptible to trafficking exploitation. Compounding the issue, corruption and official complicity within Honduras have been known to facilitate these trafficking crimes, indicating systemic challenges in addressing the problem.
2022 Trafficking in Persons Report: Honduras
In the last five years, Honduras has experienced severe human trafficking issues, with domestic and foreign victims exploited both within the country and internationally. Honduran women and children are particularly vulnerable to sex trafficking, not only locally but also in nations like Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Spain, and the United States. There's a specific targeting of vulnerable groups, including LGBTQI+ individuals, migrants, internally displaced persons (IDPs), persons with disabilities, child laborers, children of migrants, and residents of crime-controlled areas. The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified risk factors such as family instability, unemployment, and limited healthcare access, worsening the trafficking situation. Exploitation often occurs within victims' homes or communities, sometimes involving relatives or acquaintances. Trafficking forms also include forced labor, with adults and children coerced into street vending, begging, domestic work, drug trafficking, and various roles in the informal sector. This issue extends beyond Honduran borders, notably to Guatemala, Mexico, and the U.S. Children, especially those from Indigenous and Afro-descendant groups, including Miskito boys, face forced labor risks in various industries. Homeless children are especially susceptible to both sex and labor trafficking. Urban areas see criminal networks, including gangs, forcing girls into sex trafficking and children into criminal activities, though there's a reported rise in such gang activities in rural locales. The digital age sees traffickers increasingly using social media to lure victims with deceptive job offers, continuing to prey on vulnerable groups. Honduras is also a hotspot for child sex tourism, with offenders primarily from Canada and the U.S. Moreover, migrants in transit from various continents through Honduras to the U.S. are highly susceptible to trafficking exploitation. Compounding the issue, corruption and official complicity within Honduras have been known to facilitate these trafficking crimes, indicating systemic challenges in addressing the problem.
