Congressman Chris Smith, Vice Chairman of the House Committee on International Relations and the prime author of the nation’s landmark law against human trafficking, made the following statement today regarding the release of the State Department’s annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report, which monitors human trafficking in other nations.

    “This year’s Trafficking in Persons report is the most significant report released to date because the law now gives the president the authority to implement sanctions against foreign nations that have thus far done little to nothing to crack down on the barbaric practice of human slavery.

    “As the author of our nation’s trafficking law, I am pleased that more countries are taking human slavery seriously, that victims – most of whom are women and children – are being protected, and traffickers are being prosecuted. 

    “While 15 nations remain the worst offenders and were given “Tier 3” status in the report, the good news, by all accounts, is that with sanctions looming, there has been significant progress with a number of nations instituting reforms like new laws and protection policies, especially within the last three months.

    “One example is Russia, which just a few years ago did not take the issue seriously but which is now poised to soon pass a sweeping trafficking law which is modeled after our own.

    “Unfortunately, other nations still have much progress to make.  For example, Montenegro recently dropped charges against four men, one of whom is a deputy state prosecutor, who were accused of raping, torturing, and beating a Moldovan woman who was enslaved as a prostitute for more than three years.

    “I am also encouraged by our own government’s enforcement of my law and am particularly grateful for the hard work of John Miller and his staff in the State Department’s Trafficking Office; and U.S. Attorney Chris Christie of my home state of New Jersey, who has been particularly aggressive in prosecuting traffickers.”