Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor - Anguilla

Child Labor and Forced Labor Reports

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Anguilla

2022 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor:

English

No Advancement

Although research found no evidence that child labor exists in Anguilla, in 2022, the government made no advancement in efforts to prevent the worst forms of child labor. The law does not prohibit the involvement of children in illicit activities, including the production and trafficking of drugs. In addition, the minimum age of 12 for work and 14 for hazardous work does not meet international standards, and Anguilla lacks a list of prohibited hazardous occupations and activities for children.

Table 1 provides one key indicator on children's education in Anguilla.

**Table 1. Statistics on Children's Work and Education**
Children	Age	Percent
Primary Completion Rate (%)		95.6

Source for primary completion rate: Data from 2019, published by UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2023. (1)

Data were unavailable from International Labor Organization's analysis, 2023. (2)

British Overseas Territories recognize the jurisdiction and sovereignty of the UK but are not constitutionally part of the UK. They are self-governing, except in the areas of foreign affairs and defense. (3) Domestic UK law does not generally apply unless explicitly extended to Anguilla. Under Article 35(4) of the ILO Constitution, when the UK ratifies a Convention, the Territory must consider if it will accept the Convention. (3,4) If the Convention is accepted, it is considered applicable to that Territory. The following Convention has been extended to and accepted by Anguilla (Table 2).

**Table 2. Ratification of International Conventions on Child Labor**
Convention	Ratification
ILO C. 138, Minimum Age
ILO C. 182, Worst Forms of Child Labor
UN CRC	✓
UN CRC Optional Protocol on Armed Conflict
UN CRC Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography
Palermo Protocol on Trafficking in Persons

The Government of Anguilla has established laws and regulations related to child labor (Table 3). However, gaps exist in Anguilla's legal framework to adequately protect children from the worst forms of child labor, including the failure to criminalize the use of children in illicit activities.

**Table 3. Laws and Regulations on Child Labor**
Standard	Meets International Standards	Age	Legislation
Minimum Age for Work	No	12	Articles 1, 3, and 4 of the Employment of Women, Young Persons and Children Act; Articles 1 and 2 of the Employment of Children (Restriction) Act (5,6)
Minimum Age for Hazardous Work	No	14	Articles 1, 3, and 4 of the Employment of Women, Young Persons and Children Act; Articles 1 and 2 of the Employment of Children (Restriction) Act (5,6)
Identification of Hazardous Occupations or Activities Prohibited for Children	No		Article 6 of the Employment of Women, Young Persons and Children Act (5)
Prohibition of Forced Labor	Yes		Articles 242 and 243 of the Criminal Code; Chapter 1, Section 4 of the Constitution Order (7,8)
Prohibition of Child Trafficking	Yes		Articles 242, 243, 247, and 248 of the Criminal Code (7)
Prohibition of Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children	Yes		Article 244 of the Criminal Code (7)
Prohibition of Using Children in Illicit Activities	No
Minimum Age for Voluntary State Military Recruitment	N/A†
Prohibition of Compulsory Recruitment of Children by (State) Military	N/A*†
Prohibition of Military Recruitment by Non-state Armed Groups	No
Compulsory Education Age	Yes	17	Article 117 of the Education Act (9)
Free Public Education	Yes		Article 106 of the Education Act (9)

* Country has no conscription (3)
† Country has no standing military (10)

The minimum age of 12 for work does not meet international standards. The minimum age of 14 for hazardous work also does not meet international standards as it applies only to industrial undertakings, transportation of passengers or goods by roads or rail, and work on ships. (5,6) Anguilla lacks a list of prohibited hazardous occupations and activities for children. However, there is a prohibition of night work for children under age 16 in the manufacturing of raw sugar and a prohibition of night work in other industrial undertakings for children under age 18. (5) In addition, Anguilla's laws do not criminally prohibit the use of children in illicit activities, including in the production and trafficking of drugs. (7,11,12) As the minimum age for work is lower than the compulsory education age, children may be encouraged to leave school before the completion of compulsory education. (6,9)

As there is no evidence of a problem, there appears to be no need for enforcement actions to address child labor, including its worst forms. However, Anguilla has established institutional mechanisms for the enforcement of laws and regulations on child labor (Table 4).

**Table 4. Agencies Responsible for Child Labor Law Enforcement**
Organization/Agency	Role & Activities
Department of Labor of the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development, Investments, and Tourism	Through the Employment of Children (Restriction) Act, the Labor Commissioner has the authority to enforce all labor laws pertaining to child labor and may freely enter and inspect any premises in which violations of child labor laws may be occurring. The Labor Commissioner is also the head of the Department of Labor. (6)
Royal Anguilla Police Force Safeguarding Investigation Unit	Investigates child protection cases through interviews and forensic assessments. (3)

Based on the reporting above, the following actions would advance the continued prevention of child labor in Anguilla (Table 5).

**Table 5. Suggested Government Actions to Eliminate Child Labor**
Area	Suggested Action	Year(s) Suggested
Legal Framework	Ratify ILO Convention 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labor.	2020 – 2022
	Ratify the UN CRC Optional Protocol on Armed Conflict.	2020 – 2022
	Ratify the UN CRC Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution, and Child Pornography.	2020 – 2022
	Ratify the Palermo Protocol on Trafficking in Persons.	2020 – 2022
	Establish a minimum age for work of at least 15 years, and preferably up to the compulsory education age of 17.	2016 – 2022
	Establish age 18 as the minimum age for hazardous work and determine by national law or regulation the types of hazardous work prohibited for children, in consultation with employers' and workers' organizations.	2011 – 2022
	Ensure that the law criminally prohibits the use of children in illicit activities, including in the production and trafficking of drugs.	2014 – 2022
	Ensure that the law criminally prohibits the recruitment of children under age 18 by non-state armed groups.	2016 – 2022

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