The United States Department of State has retained Sierra Leone on Tier 2 in its 2026 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report, recognizing improvements in the Government’s efforts to combat human trafficking while raising serious concerns about inadequate funding, corruption, weak victim protection services and the continued exploitation of vulnerable Sierra Leoneans at home and abroad.
The report acknowledges that Sierra Leone has demonstrated increased commitment to addressing trafficking through additional investigations, prosecutions, victim identification and assistance programmes. However, it maintains that the country has not fully satisfied the minimum standards required for eliminating human trafficking.
According to the State Department, Sierra Leone’s continued placement on Tier 2 reflects measurable progress compared with the previous reporting period, although significant challenges remain in law enforcement, victim rehabilitation and prevention.
One of the major developments highlighted was the increase in trafficking investigations from 13 cases during the previous reporting period to 39 cases. Authorities also prosecuted 39 suspects, compared with 20 previously, demonstrating greater law enforcement activity.
Despite those improvements, convictions declined from four to two, raising concerns about the effectiveness of prosecutions and the criminal justice system’s ability to hold traffickers accountable. The Government did not provide sentencing information for those convicted.
The report noted that Sierra Leone’s Anti-Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling Act of 2022 criminalizes sex trafficking and forced labour, prescribing a minimum punishment of 25 years’ imprisonment for offenders.
However, enforcement continues to face difficulties because specialized investigators and judges are unavailable in several districts. Limited resources, inadequate training and insufficient understanding of trafficking legislation also affect investigations and prosecutions.
The Transnational Organized Crime Unit of the Sierra Leone Police leads trafficking investigations, supported by the Family Support Unit in cases involving children, while State Counsel within the Law Officers’ Department prosecute offenders.
The report further observed that some trafficking allegations are investigated as fraud or labour violations, resulting in charges carrying lighter penalties than those prescribed under anti-trafficking legislation.
Corruption and suspected official complicity were also identified as significant concerns. Although no Government officials were reportedly investigated or prosecuted for trafficking-related offences, the State Department warned that corruption continues to undermine effective law enforcement.
Regarding victim protection, the report recorded improvements in identifying and assisting survivors. Authorities identified 72 trafficking victims, compared with 57 during the previous reporting period.
Those identified included 37 women, four men, 18 boys and 13 girls. All were referred for assistance, while the Government reported providing support to 72 victims, compared with no victims reportedly assisted during the preceding period.
Nevertheless, victim protection services remain inadequate, particularly in providing safe accommodation, medical treatment, counselling, legal representation and rehabilitation assistance.
The Government currently lacks dedicated shelters capable of accommodating trafficking survivors and depends heavily on non-governmental organizations to deliver essential services.
Two organizations provide shelter facilities primarily for women and children, leaving male survivors with limited access to appropriate accommodation and specialized assistance.
Working in partnership with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Government provided assistance valued at NLe829,500, approximately US$35,000, to support services delivered through the two organizations.
Authorities also revised the National Referral Mechanism to address emerging trafficking patterns and developed operational procedures intended to improve standards within shelters nationwide.
However, the report noted that victims received no court-ordered restitution following criminal convictions, limiting their opportunities to obtain financial compensation for exploitation.
On prevention, Sierra Leone continued implementing its 2024–2028 National Action Plan against human trafficking and maintained an interagency task force responsible for coordinating national interventions.
The Government also established a trafficking survivors’ network to incorporate the experiences and recommendations of survivors into national policies and prevention programmes.
Despite those initiatives, financial allocations for prevention declined considerably. Government funding dropped from NLe245,700, approximately US$10,876, during the previous reporting period to NLe90,000, approximately US$3,797.
The reduction highlighted continuing concerns about the availability of adequate resources to sustain awareness campaigns, investigations and protection activities.
Among positive developments, the Government resumed operations of its toll-free anti-trafficking hotline, enabling members of the public to report suspected trafficking offences and seek assistance.
Two telecommunications companies also partnered with the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Agency to distribute SIM cards intended to strengthen reporting mechanisms.
Additionally, authorities collaborated with the Sierra Leone Football Association on public awareness activities targeting communities particularly vulnerable to trafficking.
The report acknowledged improvements in regulating overseas employment recruitment agencies, including stricter licensing requirements, verification of employment contracts and measures prohibiting recruitment fees charged to prospective migrant workers.
However, trafficking networks continue exploiting economic hardship, unemployment and limited opportunities to deceive individuals seeking employment abroad.
According to the report, traffickers frequently recruit victims from rural communities and transport them to urban centres and mining areas, where they experience forced labour, sexual exploitation and other abusive conditions.
Children face particular risks in agriculture, artisanal mining, fishing, domestic servitude, begging, quarrying, ceramics production and petty trading.
The report also identified homelessness, forced marriages, natural disasters and economic vulnerability as circumstances that increase exposure to trafficking.
Social media has become another recruitment channel, with criminal networks advertising fraudulent employment opportunities and promising attractive salaries to unsuspecting individuals.
Sierra Leoneans travelling to Guinea, Mauritania, Europe and Middle Eastern countries, including Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon and Oman, reportedly face exploitation through forced labour and sexual trafficking.
Particularly concerning were reports that young African women, including Sierra Leoneans, were allegedly recruited through deceptive vocational training programmes before being placed in military drone production facilities in Russia.
Media and civil society organizations cited in the report described hazardous working environments, surveillance, contract manipulation, wage violations and recruitment fees as indicators of possible trafficking.
The report additionally highlighted the exploitation of Sierra Leoneans in fraudulent online operations abroad.
Although Sierra Leone has recorded improvements, the findings demonstrate that substantial challenges remain in preventing trafficking, protecting survivors and prosecuting offenders.
The assessment underscores the importance of stronger institutional coordination, increased financial investment, effective law enforcement and international cooperation to protect vulnerable citizens and strengthen Sierra Leone’s response to human trafficking.
