Despite reforms, U.S. says Dominican Republic still fails to meet anti-trafficking standards

Santo Domingo.- The U.S. State Department recognized the Dominican Republic’s progress in combating human trafficking, upgrading the country to Tier 2 in its 2025 Trafficking in Persons Report. Despite the improvement, the report states that the Dominican Republic still “does not fully meet the minimum standards for eliminating human trafficking.”

According to the document, reforms such as the amendment of Law 137-03—which removes the need to prove force, fraud, or coercion in cases involving minors—reflect the government’s increased efforts. Authorities also expanded investigations and prosecutions, identified more victims, and reinforced labor inspections in high-risk sectors. In 2024, 229 new trafficking investigations were opened, more than doubling the 99 from the previous year.

However, the report highlights ongoing challenges, including limited attention to forced labor cases, weak protection mechanisms for male and labor victims, and persistent corruption among public officials. It also notes that stateless and migrant populations remain especially vulnerable due to insufficient documentation and social services. Still, positive initiatives were acknowledged, such as the suspension of companies accused of forced labor, the launch of a 2025–2028 National Action Plan, and a pilot program for formal migrant worker registration. The U.S. urged the Dominican Republic to strengthen institutional coordination, expand victim detection, and ensure harsher penalties for traffickers, stressing that resource limitations and corruption continue to hinder full compliance with international standards.