Barbados still on Tier 2 Watch List

Barbados has remained on the United States’ Tier 2 Watch List for human trafficking for a second consecutive year, with the US Department of State citing the Government’s failure to prosecute suspected traffickers, identify victims or demonstrate sufficient overall progress in combating the crime.

The 2026 Trafficking in Persons Report acknowledged that Barbados increased investigations into suspected trafficking, trained law enforcement officers and conducted public awareness campaigns. However, it noted that those efforts have not translated into prosecutions or convictions under the country’s anti-trafficking legislation, while authorities have not identified a single trafficking victim since 2021.

The report also highlights the case of Barbadian national Michael Howell, 65, who was sentenced in the United States last year September to between 13 and 29 years in prison for sex trafficking, promoting prostitution and drug possession. US authorities have lodged a detainer to take him into custody for deportation to Barbados after he completes his prison sentence.