TRAFFICKING LAWS OF THE
WORLD
This page provides links to the trafficking laws of the following countries:
ALBANIA
Law No. 9188, 12 February 2004 [amends the Penal Code with respect to trafficking].
ARGENTINA
Resolution No. 746/2007 of 13 July 2007 of the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights
[creates a Program for the Prevention of Trafficking].
AUSTRALIA
Crimes Legislation Amendment (People Smuggling, Firearms Trafficking and Other
Measures) Act 2002 (Act No. 141 of 2002).
Criminal Code Amendment (Trafficking in Persons Offences) Act 2005, Act No. 96 of
2005.
AUSTRIA
Criminal Law Amendment Act 2004, 1 March 2004 [amends the Penal Code with respect
to trafficking].
AZERBAIJAN
Law on the Fight against Human Trafficking, June 2005.
BANGLADESH
Prevention of Women and Child Repression Act 2000.
BELARUS
Regulation No. 1636 of 8 November 2001 on the State Programme of Comprehensive
Measures for Combatting Trafficking in Persons and the Spread of Prostitution for 20022007.
Law No. 15-3 of 4 May 2005 [amends the Penal Code with respect to trafficking].
Presidential Decree No. 3 of 9 March 2005 on certain measures to combat trafficking in
persons.
Decree No 352 of 8 August 2005 on Prevention of the Consequences of Trafficking in
Human Beings.
BELGIUM
Law of 13 April 2005, as amended through 2005 [amends the Penal Code with respect to
trafficking].
BELIZE
Families and Children Act, 1998 (Act No. 17 of 1998), 8 July 1998 [prohibits the
trafficking of children].
BOLIVIA
Law No. 3325 of 3 February 2006 [amends the Penal Code with respect to trafficking].
BRUNEI
Trafficking and Smuggling of Persons Order, 2004, 20 December 2004.
BULGARIA
Combating Trafficking in Human Beings Act, 2003, as amended through 2008.
CAMBODIA
Act of 29 February 1996 on the Suppression of the Kidnapping, Trafficking and
Exploitation of Human Persons.
CAMEROON
Law No. 2005/015 of 29 December 2005 [combats trafficking].
CANADA
Act to amend the Criminal Code (trafficking in persons) (Chapter 43 of 2005), 25
November 2005.
CHINA
China National Plan of Action on Combating Trafficking in Women and Children
(2008-2012), 13 December 2007.
COLOMBIA
Law No. 747 of 19 July 2002 [amends the Penal Code with respect to trafficking].
Law No. 985 of 26 August 2005 [adopts measures with respect to trafficking].
COMMONWEALTH OF THE NORTHERN MARIANAS
Public Law No. 14-88, 23 September 2005 [prohibits trafficking].
COOK ISLANDS
Crimes Amendment Act 2003 (Act No. 6 of 2003), 7 May 2003.
COSTA RICA
Law No. 7999 of 5 May 2000 [amends the Penal Code with respect to trafficking].
Law No. 8002 of 8 June 2000 amending Article 161 and 162 of the Penal Code, Law No.
4573 of 4 May 1970 [deals with trafficking].
CROATIA
National Programme for Suppression of Trafficking in Persons 2005-2008, 2004.
CYPRUS
Law No. 3(1) of 2000 on Combating of Trafficking in Persons and Sexual Exploitation of
Children.
CZECH REPUBLIC
Guidelines on the Programme of support and protection of victims of trafficking in
human beings and its institutional support, 2005.
EAST TIMOR
Law No. 9/2003 of 15 October 2003 [prohibits trafficking].
ECUADOR
Decree No. 1823 of 30 August 2006 [combats trafficking].
EL SALVADOR
Decree No. 210 of 25 November 2003 [amends the Penal Code with respect to
trafficking].
Decree No. 457 of 18 October 2004 [amends the Penal Code with respect to trafficking].
Decree No. 568 of 4 October 2001 [amends the Penal Code with respect to trafficking].
FIJI
Immigration Act 2003 (Act No. 17 of 2003), 6 November 2003 [prohibits trafficking].
FINLAND
Act No. 650 of 2004 [amends the Penal Code with respect to trafficking].
GABON
Law No. 09/2004, 29 June 2004 [combats trafficking].
GEORGIA
Law of Georgia of 2006 on combating human trafficking, 28 April 2006.
Amendment to the Criminal Code, 2003 [prohibits trafficking].
GERMANY
Thirty-seventh Law amending the Penal Code, 11 February 2005 [amends the Penal Code
with respect to trafficking].
GUATEMALA
Decree No. 14-2005 of 2 March 2005 [amends the Penal Code with respect to
trafficking].
HAITI
Law of 5 June 2003 [prohibits trafficking].
ICELAND
Act No. 40 of 2003 [amends the Penal Code with respect to trafficking].
IRELAND
Child Trafficking and Pornography Act, 1998 (Act No. 22 of 1998), 29 June 1998.
Child Trafficking and Pornography Act (Amendment) Act 2004 (Act No. 17 of 2004).
ISRAEL
Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (Legislative Amendments) Law, No. 5766-2006.
ITALY
Law No. 228 of 11 August 2003 [combats trafficking].
Decree No. 237 of 19 September 2005 of the President of the Republic [regulates the
above Law].
JAMAICA
Child Care and Protection Act, 2004 [prohibits trafficking].
JAPAN
Act on Punishment of Activities Relating to Child Prostitution and Child Pornography,
and the Protection of Children, as amended through Act No. 106 of 2004.
Action Plan of Measures to Combat Trafficking in Persons, December 2004.
LATVIA
Law of 25 April 2002 [amends the Penal Code with respect to trafficking].
Cabinet Regulation No 889 of 31 October 2006, Regulations regarding the Procedures,
by Which Victims of the Traffic in Human Beings Receive Social Rehabilitation
Services, and the Criteria for the Recognition of a Person as a Victim of the Traffic in
Human Beings.
MALAYSIA
Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act 2007 (Act No. 670), 17 July 2007.
MALTA
Act No. 3 of 2002 [amends the Penal Code with respect to trafficking].
MAURITIUS
The Child Protection (Amendment) Act, 2005 [prohibits trafficking].
MEXICO
Decree of 12 March 2007 [amends the Penal Code with respect to trafficking].
MOLDOVA
Law No. 241-XVI of 20 October 2005, Law on Preventing and Combating Trafficking in
Human Beings.
Decision of the Supreme Court of Justice of Moldova of 22 November 2004 [sets forth a
detailed explanation of how the crime of trafficking is to be understood under the
Criminal Code].
MYANMAR
The Anti-Trafficking in Persons Law 2005, 13 September 2005.
NEW ZEALAND
Crimes Amendment Act 2002 (Act No. 20 of 2002) [prohibits trafficking].
NIGERIA
Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Law Enforcement and Administration Act, 2003
(Act No. 24 of 2003), 14 July 2003, and the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Law
Enforcement and Administration (Amendment) Act, 2005.
PAKISTAN
Prevention and Control of Human Trafficking Ordinance, 2002.
Prevention and Control of Human Trafficking Rules, 2004.
PANAMA
Law No. 16 of 30 March 2004 amends the Penal Code with respect to trafficking].
PERU
Law No. 28950 of 15 January 2007 [amends the Penal Code with respect to trafficking].
PHILIPPINES
Republic Act No. 9208 of 26 May 2003, Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003.
ROMANIA
Law No. 678 of 21 November 2001 on the Prevention and Combat of Trafficking in
Human Beings.
Law No. 287 of 11 October 2005 [amends the above Law].
RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Law No. 162-FZ of 8 December 2003 [amends the Penal Code with respect to
trafficking].
SENEGAL
Law No. 2005-06 of 10 May 2005 on trafficking in persons and related practices and on
the protection of victims.
SIERRA LEONE
The Anti-Human Trafficking Act, 2005, 18 August 2005.
SINGAPORE
Children and Young Persons Amendment Act 2001 (Act No. 20 of 2001), amending the
Children and Young Persons Act [prohibits trafficking].
SRI LANKA
Penal Code (Amendment) Act, No. 16 of 2006, 24 April 2006 [prohibits trafficking].
Convention on Preventing and Combating Trafficking in Women and Children for
Prostitution Act, No. 30 of 2005, 20 September 2005 [gives effect to the SAARC
Convention on Preventing and Combating Trafficking in Women and Children for
Prostitution].
TAJIKISTAN
Law on the Fight against Human Trafficking, 8 July 2004.
TANZANIA
Sexual Offences Special Provisions Act, 1998 (Act No. 4 of 1998), 1 July 1998 [amends
the Penal Code with respect to trafficking].
TOGO
Law No. 2005-009 of 3 August 2005 on the trafficking of children in Togo.
UKRAINE
Law to introduce the changes to the Criminal Code of Ukraine (on improvement of the
criminal responsibility for trafficking in human beings and making others involved in
prostitution, 12 January 2006.
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Law on Anti-Trafficking, 11 November 2006.
UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Act 2004, Act No. 19 of 2004,
22 July 2004 [prohibits trafficking].
URUGUAY
Law No. 17815 of 6 September 2004 [prohibits trafficking].
VIETNAM
Law on Child Protection, Care and Education, 15 June 2004 [prohibits trafficking].