The CIA World Factbook Every edition, 2008 to 2024 Africa
Trafficking in persons Gabon, in 10 editions.
The entry for Gabon published Trafficking in persons in 10 editions of 36, from 2008 to 2024. The text changed in 4 editions. Each is shown as published. Trafficking in persons in every entry.
- editions changed the text
- 4
- the first edition with it
- 2008
- the latest edition with it
- 2024
Published as “Trafficking in persons” (2008 to 2024).
field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe edition shownChoose an edition on the strip beside the text, or step through them with the arrows. Mark changes compares it with the edition before: the marks are ours, words added and words removed.
2024 edition
Rewritten since 2023- current situation:
- Gabon is predominantly a destination country for children trafficked from other African countries for the purpose of forced labor;
- girls are primarily trafficked for domestic servitude, forced market vending, forced restaurant labor, and sexual exploitation, while boys are trafficked for forced street hawking and forced labor in small workshops
- tier rating:
- Tier 2 Watch List - Gabon is on the Tier 2 Watch List for its failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat human trafficking in 2007, particularly in terms of efforts to convict and punish trafficking offenders;
- the government has not reported the convictions or sentences of any trafficking offenders;
- the government did not take steps to reduce demand for commercial sex acts (2008)
current situation: Gabon is predominantly a destination country for children trafficked from other African countries for the purpose of forced labor; girls are primarily trafficked for domestic servitude, forced market vending, forced restaurant labor, and sexual exploitation, while boys are trafficked for forced street hawking and forced labor in small workshops
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Gabon is on the Tier 2 Watch List for its failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat human trafficking in 2007, particularly in terms of efforts to convict and punish trafficking offenders; the government has not reported the convictions or sentences of any trafficking offenders; the government did not take steps to reduce demand for commercial sex acts (2008)
The same text in 2009 and 2010.
- current situation:
- Gabon is predominantly a destination country for children trafficked from other African countries for the purpose of forced labor;
- girls are primarily trafficked for domestic servitude, forced market vending, forced restaurant labor, and sexual exploitation, while boys are trafficked for forced street hawking and forced labor in small workshops
- tier rating:
- Tier 2 Watch List - Gabon is on the Tier 2 Watch List for its failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat human trafficking in 2007, particularly in terms of efforts to convict and punish trafficking offenders;
- the government has not reported the convictions or sentences of any trafficking offenders;
- the government did not take steps to reduce demand for commercial sex acts (2008)
current situation:
Gabon is predominantly a destination country for children trafficked from other African countries for the purpose of forced labor; girls are primarily trafficked for domestic servitude, forced market vending, forced restaurant labor, and sexual exploitation, while boys are trafficked for forced street hawking and forced labor in small workshops
tier rating:
Tier 2 Watch List - Gabon is on the Tier 2 Watch List for its failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat human trafficking in 2007, particularly in terms of efforts to convict and punish trafficking offenders; the government has not reported the convictions or sentences of any trafficking offenders; the government did not take steps to reduce demand for commercial sex acts (2008)
The entry for Gabon did not include Trafficking in persons.
The same text in 5 editions, 2016 to 2020.
- current situation:
- Gabon is primarily a destination and transit country for adults and children from West and Central African countries subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking;
- boys are forced to work as street vendors, mechanics, or in the fishing sector, while girls are subjected to domestic servitude or forced to work in markets or roadside restaurants;
- West African women are forced into domestic servitude or prostitution;
- men are reportedly forced to work on cattle farms;
- some foreign adults end up in forced labor in Gabon after initially seeking the help of human smugglers to help them migrate clandestinely;
- traffickers operate in loose, ethnic-based criminal networks, with female traffickers recruiting and facilitating the transport of victims from source countries;
- in some cases, families turn child victims over to traffickers, who promise paid jobs in Gabon
- tier rating:
- Tier 2 Watch List – Gabon does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking;
- however, it is making significant efforts to do so;
- Gabon’s existing laws do not prohibit all forms of trafficking, and the government failed to pass a legal amendment drafted in 2013 to criminalize the trafficking of adults;
- anti-trafficking law enforcement decreased in 2014, dropping from 50 investigations to 16, and the only defendant to face prosecution fled the country;
- government efforts to identify and refer victims to protective services declined from 50 child victims in 2013 to just 3 in 2014, none of whom was referred to a care facility;
- the government provided support to four centers offering services to orphans and vulnerable children – 14 child victims identified by an NGO received government assistance;
- no adult victims have been identified since 2009 (2015)
Rewritten: too little of the 2010 text remains to mark the changes.
current situation: Gabon is primarily a destination and transit country for adults and children from West and Central African countries subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; boys are forced to work as street vendors, mechanics, or in the fishing sector, while girls are subjected to domestic servitude or forced to work in markets or roadside restaurants; West African women are forced into domestic servitude or prostitution; men are reportedly forced to work on cattle farms; some foreign adults end up in forced labor in Gabon after initially seeking the help of human smugglers to help them migrate clandestinely; traffickers operate in loose, ethnic-based criminal networks, with female traffickers recruiting and facilitating the transport of victims from source countries; in some cases, families turn child victims over to traffickers, who promise paid jobs in Gabon
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List – Gabon does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; Gabon’s existing laws do not prohibit all forms of trafficking, and the government failed to pass a legal amendment drafted in 2013 to criminalize the trafficking of adults; anti-trafficking law enforcement decreased in 2014, dropping from 50 investigations to 16, and the only defendant to face prosecution fled the country; government efforts to identify and refer victims to protective services declined from 50 child victims in 2013 to just 3 in 2014, none of whom was referred to a care facility; the government provided support to four centers offering services to orphans and vulnerable children – 14 child victims identified by an NGO received government assistance; no adult victims have been identified since 2009 (2015)
The entry for Gabon did not include Trafficking in persons.
- tier rating:
- Tier 2 Watch List — Gabon does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so;
- officials increased funding and capacity at an NGO-run shelter for victims, and also increased prosecutions and convictions of alleged traffickers;
- however, the government did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts, compared to the previous year, to expand its anti-trafficking capacity;
- authorities did not report any referrals of victims to services and did not report efforts to identify, protect, or provide justice for adult victims—potential efforts that have been inadequate for several years;
- for the fourth consecutive year, the government did not adopt its anti-trafficking National Action Plan and lacked inter-ministerial coordination;
- officials did not report investigating allegations of judicial corruption related to trafficking crimes;
- therefore, Gabon remained on Tier 2 Watch List for the second consecutive year (2023)
- trafficking profile:
- human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Gabon, as well as victims from Gabon abroad;
- Gabon is a primary destination and transit country for West and Central African men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking;
- poverty continues to represent a key risk factor in forced labor and sex trafficking;
- girls are exploited in forced labor in domestic service, markets, or roadside restaurants, and boys are forced to work as street vendors, mechanics, and laborers in the fishing sector;
- West African women are coerced into domestic servitude or commercial sex within Gabon;
- criminals may exploit children in illegal gold mines and wildlife trafficking;
- Gabonese labor recruiters associated with large agricultural firms exploit English-speaking Cameroonians displaced by violence and insecurity in Cameroon’s Northwest and Southwest regions, forcing some Cameroonians to work on rubber and palm oil plantations in northern Gabon;
- West African traffickers reportedly exploit children from other countries to work in markets and urban centers in Gabon;
- smugglers who assist foreign adults migrating to or through Gabon subject them to forced labor or commercial sex;
- some families willingly give children to intermediaries promising education or employment who instead subject the children to forced labor;
- women are exploited in sex trafficking at roadside bars, and brothel owners reportedly conduct child sex trafficking;
- traffickers often operate outside the capital to avoid detection and take advantage of Gabon’s porous borders and unguarded beaches to import victims by car or boat (2023)
Rewritten: too little of the 2020 text remains to mark the changes.
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List — Gabon does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so; officials increased funding and capacity at an NGO-run shelter for victims, and also increased prosecutions and convictions of alleged traffickers; however, the government did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts, compared to the previous year, to expand its anti-trafficking capacity; authorities did not report any referrals of victims to services and did not report efforts to identify, protect, or provide justice for adult victims—potential efforts that have been inadequate for several years; for the fourth consecutive year, the government did not adopt its anti-trafficking National Action Plan and lacked inter-ministerial coordination; officials did not report investigating allegations of judicial corruption related to trafficking crimes; therefore, Gabon remained on Tier 2 Watch List for the second consecutive year (2023)
trafficking profile: human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Gabon, as well as victims from Gabon abroad; Gabon is a primary destination and transit country for West and Central African men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; poverty continues to represent a key risk factor in forced labor and sex trafficking; girls are exploited in forced labor in domestic service, markets, or roadside restaurants, and boys are forced to work as street vendors, mechanics, and laborers in the fishing sector; West African women are coerced into domestic servitude or commercial sex within Gabon; criminals may exploit children in illegal gold mines and wildlife trafficking; Gabonese labor recruiters associated with large agricultural firms exploit English-speaking Cameroonians displaced by violence and insecurity in Cameroon’s Northwest and Southwest regions, forcing some Cameroonians to work on rubber and palm oil plantations in northern Gabon; West African traffickers reportedly exploit children from other countries to work in markets and urban centers in Gabon; smugglers who assist foreign adults migrating to or through Gabon subject them to forced labor or commercial sex; some families willingly give children to intermediaries promising education or employment who instead subject the children to forced labor; women are exploited in sex trafficking at roadside bars, and brothel owners reportedly conduct child sex trafficking; traffickers often operate outside the capital to avoid detection and take advantage of Gabon’s porous borders and unguarded beaches to import victims by car or boat (2023)
- tier rating:
- Tier 2 Watch List — Gabon does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, but the government has devoted sufficient resources to a written plan that, if implemented, would constitute significant efforts to meet the minimum standards;
- therefore, Gabon was granted a waiver per the Trafficking Victims Protection Act from an otherwise required downgrade to Tier 3 and remained on Tier 2 Watch List for the third consecutive year;
- for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2024-trafficking-in-persons-report/gabon/
Rewritten: too little of the 2023 text remains to mark the changes.
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List — Gabon does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, but the government has devoted sufficient resources to a written plan that, if implemented, would constitute significant efforts to meet the minimum standards; therefore, Gabon was granted a waiver per the Trafficking Victims Protection Act from an otherwise required downgrade to Tier 3 and remained on Tier 2 Watch List for the third consecutive year; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2024-trafficking-in-persons-report/gabon/
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Cite this page
Central Intelligence Agency. “Gabon: Trafficking in persons.” The World Factbook, 2008–2024 editions. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/gabon/trafficking-in-persons.