Trafficking report stresses vulnerability of children

WASHINGTON — Children removed from their families and placed in institutional care are at greater risk of being trafficked, the U.S. warned Thursday in an annual report.

The State Department report, which ranks governments in their efforts to combat slavery and the flesh trade, left the Trump administration open to accusations of hypocrisy as the administration’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy has separated more than 2,000 migrant children from their parents on the country’s southern border.

The Trafficking in Persons report was unveiled in a ceremony at the State Department by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and presidential adviser Ivanka Trump.

“Our commitment to fighting [human trafficking] and ending this together is incredibly strong,” Pompeo said. “The world should know that we will not stop before we know human trafficking is a thing of the past.”

Ivanka Trump attended the ceremony and handed out awards to individuals recognized for helping fight human trafficking, but did not make any public remarks.

Among the countries demoted to “tier 3,” the ranking system’s lowest category, was Myanmar, also known as Burma. The report cited its military operations in Rakhine State that forced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims to flee to Bangladesh. Other countries with “tier 3” status include China, North Korea and Iran.

Countries on tier 3 can be penalized with sanctions, including the withholding of nonhumanitarian aid and assistance that could affect agreements with the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. The president retains the authority to waive the sanctions in U.S. national interests or if the penalties could adversely affect vulnerable populations. Countries given the worst designation have often been granted such waivers.

The United States is listed on tier 1, among countries most effectively combating human trafficking.