Barbados has been downgraded from Tier 2 to the Tier 2 Watch List in the United States’ 2025 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report, signaling concerns over the country’s insufficient progress in combating human trafficking. The Tier 2 Watch List designation is reserved for nations showing declining efforts, failure to identify victims, or worsening trafficking conditions. The US State Department highlighted that while Barbados has made notable efforts, it failed to demonstrate overall improvement compared to the previous reporting period, a critical requirement for maintaining Tier 2 status. This downgrade places Barbados under closer scrutiny for potential backsliding in anti-trafficking measures. The TIP Report, a globally influential assessment, emphasized that Barbados does not fully meet the minimum standards for eliminating trafficking. Key shortcomings include the absence of trafficking investigations, prosecutions, or convictions under the country’s anti-trafficking law. Additionally, no trafficking victims were identified or assisted for the third consecutive year, and no anti-trafficking training was provided to first responders. The government also failed to draft or implement a new national action plan after the previous one expired in 2023. While Barbados continued screening vulnerable populations and conducting public awareness campaigns, these efforts were deemed insufficient to retain Tier 2 status. The report criticized the Trafficking in Persons Prevention Act for allowing fines instead of imprisonment for sex trafficking, a provision the US government argues undermines the severity of the crime. Further concerns were raised about systemic issues within the justice system, including resource shortages, court backlogs, and the lack of dedicated courts for trafficking cases. Civil society groups reported that law enforcement prioritized other high-profile crimes, leaving trafficking cases under-investigated. Experts also pointed to inadequate screening of at-risk populations, such as migrant workers and women in commercial sex, as a significant gap in Barbados’ anti-trafficking efforts.