A new law will push the State Department to crack down on foreign diplomats who bring household workers into the United States, many in the Washington region, and then treat them as slaves.
The rule requires the State Department to track the workers diplomats bring to the U.S. If cases of abuse emerge, State Department officials can revoke a country’s right to the visas that allow diplomats to import household staff.
“The law will make sure diplomatic immunity does not become diplomatic impunity,” said Ambassador-at-large Mark Lagon, director of the office to monitor and combat human trafficking at the State Department.
The human trafficking bill gathered congressional support after the Government Accountability Office released a report in July citing 42 cases in which diplomats, most of whom live in the Washington area and New York City, abused their household workers. There are likely many more cases, the report said, but they remain unknown to law enforcement because workers often fear U.S. authorities and the power of their employers.
The report cited gaps in the State Department’s review of the visas given to diplomats’ household staff and noted a failure to track the workers once they’re in the U.S. The lack of oversight, the report said, makes it easy for diplomats to hide behind their immunity as they underpay, mistreat and enslave their employees.
But the new law requires a tracking system be put in place and greater cooperation between the departments of State and Justice. New visa review standards will be implemented, including a requirement that officials who give out the visas meet with workers to inform them of their rights.
Nongovernment organizations, which play a key role in seeking out offenders and protecting workers, agreed with Lagon that the law was a major step forward.
“The act’s additional contractual and reporting requirements make great strides to ensure greater protections to workers who are vulnerable to trafficking because of their dependent immigration status,” said Layli Miller-Muro, executive director of the Falls Church-based Tahirih Justice Center.
It remains to be seen just how the law will be implemented, Lagon said, and “that’s not likely to happen until the new administration takes over.” Among the decisions to be made is the procedure for revoking visas to countries whose diplomats abuse their workers, he added.
