Sri Lanka Continues to Maintain Tier 2 Status in the 2026 TIP Report

Sri Lanka has retained Tier 2 status in the United States Department of State’s 2026 Trafficking in Persons Report for a fifth consecutive year, according to the Ministry of Defence.

Tier 2 covers countries whose governments do not fully meet the minimum standards for eliminating trafficking but are making significant efforts to achieve compliance.

The Defence Ministry attributed Sri Lanka’s placement to measures covering victim protection, law-enforcement action, prevention, institutional cooperation and coordination among agencies responsible for migration, labour, child protection and victim assistance.

National coordination is led by the National Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force, chaired by the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence. Its members include government institutions involved in prevention, investigation, prosecution and support for trafficking survivors.

A National Strategic Action Plan to Monitor and Combat Human Trafficking for 2026–2030 was launched during the reporting period. The plan is intended to provide a five-year framework for coordinated action.

District Anti-Trafficking Forums have also been established or expanded to connect local authorities, law-enforcement agencies and other institutions. Their functions include identifying potential victims, improving referrals and coordinating district-level responses.

Training and awareness programmes have focused on frontline officers and emerging trafficking methods, including online recruitment, technology-enabled exploitation and forced criminal activity.

The Tier 2 placement does not mean Sri Lanka fully complies with the international minimum standards. The ministry acknowledged that further work is required in prevention, protection, investigation, prosecution and inter-agency coordination.

The precise findings, recommendations and statistical evidence in the United States report should guide assessment of progress, including the number of victims identified, investigations completed, prosecutions initiated and services provided.