The report on human trafficking released last week (Thu.15) by the US State Department reveals that Mozambique has fallen to subcategory two due to a lack of evidence in the fight against the evil.

The sub-group groups together countries that are making efforts to combat human trafficking, but which have a "very significant" number of "victims of serious forms of trafficking or which fail to provide evidence of their growing efforts".

The ambassador of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, Cindy Dyer, pointed out that Mozambique had not met "the minimum standards established in the Human Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA)". She acknowledged the country's efforts, but said there had been no "increased global efforts".

"The government has failed to identify any trafficking victims and lacks adequate procedures for frontline staff to screen these trafficking victims. And for the seventh year in a row, the government has failed to adopt its draft national referral mechanism, which would establish screening procedures," said Cindy Dyer, quoted by the portal. Voice of America Portuguese.

Among the Portuguese-speaking countries, Angola, Cape Verde, Brazil and Portugal are also in sub-category two. Guinea-Bissau occupies the worst position in the report, level three. This also includes Equatorial Guinea, Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Russia, China, Iran and North Korea.

The Trafficking in Persons Report 2023 divides countries into three categories and one subcategory, based on the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of the United States of America.

The document estimates that around 27 million people in the world are victims of human trafficking and forced labor, a phenomenon that mainly affects women and people from the LGBTQ+ community.