Deadline expires to reintroduce the Trafficking Bill to Congress

The Executive Branch had set a 45-day deadline for the reintroduction of the Comprehensive Law on Trafficking in Persons, Exploitation, and Smuggling of Migrants to the Legal Department after it was withdrawn from the Senate for modification. The withdrawal was instructed by President Luis Abinader on February 7 to achieve a necessary public consensus. However, the Inter-Institutional Commission against Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants (CITIM) members were not able to complete their observations within the given time frame.

As per the latest update, three institutions had not yet concluded their criticisms of the modifications made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MIREX), and not all institutions had sent their comments and reactions. The legislative piece will be divided into two parts to avoid confusion about the measures to care for victims of trafficking and people who are the object of migrant smuggling. The first bill is estimated to have 85 articles and be called the “Comprehensive Law on Trafficking in Persons,” with a volume of approximately 36 pages.

It is worth noting that the 45-day deadline was not established in the law.