About 10 years ago, when Jamaica was struggling with its legal categorisation issues regarding human trafficking, I actually interviewed a victim. The victim was a male and had been living in Jamaica for about five years. He was originally from India.

Most people don’t realise it, but the opportunity to live at a higher standard of living and to live your entrepreneurial dream is often the driving force of people migrating from India to Jamaica. India, as a country, has developed significantly since World War II and could be considered wealthy. This does not mean that the standard of living for every Indian person is high. Poverty is rampant, the caste system is alive and well, and the regulatory bodies that are busy around the world focusing on easy targets like Jamaica don’t seem to be interested in tearing down this system of virtual indentureship.

When he was recruited, he was told he would be paid a salary, his papers would be sorted out, and eventually after a few years he could become a partner in a future business.