Mrs Diahann Gordon Harrison’s proposal for the addition of a sports layer to existing human trafficking laws is worthy of serious examination. For, based on what we have read so far, this seems to be a growing problem that, if neglected, could mushroom with devastating effects.

Mrs Gordon Harrison, Jamaica’s national rapporteur on trafficking in persons and children’s advocate, made the proposal at a forum on the issue at Princess Grand Jamaica Resort in Hanover on July 31.

She argued that because Jamaica is involved in a wide variety of sports, a lot of athletes, and “many children who are waiting to become discovered as the next big thing” are open to exploitation by unscrupulous people.

In our report from that forum we pointed to a comprehensive global thematic report on sports trafficking, released by Loughborough University in partnership with Mission 89 and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, in March this year.

Described as a rigorous academic and policy-oriented analysis of human trafficking in the global sports ecosystem, the report details a comprehensive literature review, interdisciplinary expert consultations, forensic analysis of documented trafficking incidents, comparative international policy assessment, and contributions from global experts.

The report states that industry stakeholders have pointed out that the absence of a specific definition for sport trafficking has presented significant challenges in distinguishing the phenomenon from migrant smuggling, irregular migration, and other forms of human trafficking, thereby preventing targeted interventions.

Its working definition of trafficking in sports describes it as “the act of recruiting, transporting, transferring, harbouring, or receiving an individual — typically an athlete or aspiring athlete — within or across borders, through coercive, deceptive, or other abusive means for the purpose of exploitation in, through, or around sports. Exploitation may manifest as forced labour, sexual exploitation, slavery, servitude within sport-related activities or events. In the case of children, no means need to be present”.

According to the report, “15,000 young players are trafficked yearly from West Africa with hopes of becoming professional footballers”.

It also said that “in 2023, 47 young players, including 36 minors from Africa, Asia, and South America, believed to be victims of human trafficking from a football academy in Portugal, were rescued by local authorities”.

Additionally, it stated that “during the 2017 Super Bowl, a nationwide sweep by the US police authorities, who defined this top sporting event as a ‘magnet for illicit sex’, resulted in about 750 arrests related to human trafficking activities, highlighting the intersection of major sporting events and increased trafficking vulnerabilities”.

We share the concern of the report’s lead researcher, Dr Serhat Yilmaz, that: “Without a precise, sport-specific definition of trafficking we are dealing with inadequate legal protections, ineffective policy development, challenges in identifying and supporting victims, limited prevention strategies, and blurred legal distinctions that allow perpetrators to escape accountability.”

Dr Yilmaz is therefore correct in asserting that it is extremely important to “bring sport trafficking out of the shadows and into focused, actionable legal and social frameworks”.

That is the point Mrs Gordon Harrison has made. An encouraging sign is that her position is supported by Mr Michael Morgan, chief technical director in the Ministry of National Security with responsibility for law enforcement.

He suggested that the legislation be looked at to determine if there is a gap and have it addressed.

We urge the next Parliament to place this issue on the legislative agenda and avoid stalling.