▁performance , ▁particularly ▁impact ing ▁the ▁effect iveness ▁of ▁law ▁enfor cement ▁activities ; ▁the ▁government ▁failed ▁to ▁investigate ▁or ▁pro sec ute ▁tra ff ick ers ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 9 . ▁Therefore , ▁Mad agas car ▁is ▁placed ▁on ▁Tier ▁ 2 ▁Watch ▁List . ▁U . S . ▁State ▁Department ' s ▁Office ▁to ▁Mon itor ▁and ▁Com bat ▁Tra ff ick ing ▁in ▁Pers ons ▁placed ▁the ▁country ▁in ▁" T ier ▁ 2 ▁Watch list " ▁ ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 7 . ▁ ▁Pro sec ution ▁The ▁Mal ag asy ▁government ' s ▁anti - tra ff ick ing ▁law ▁enfor cement ▁efforts ▁dimin ished ▁over ▁the ▁years , ▁as ▁it ▁reported ▁no ▁investig ations ▁or ▁pro sec utions ▁of ▁tra ff ick ing ▁off enders . ▁Anti - Tra ff ick ing ▁Law ▁No . ▁ 2 0 0 7 - 0 3 8 ▁prohib its ▁all ▁forms ▁of ▁human ▁tra ff ick ing , ▁though ▁it ▁only ▁pres cri bes ▁pun ish ments ▁for ▁sex ▁tra ff ick ing ; ▁these ▁range ▁from ▁two ▁years ' ▁to ▁life ▁imprison ment , ▁pen alt ies ▁that ▁are ▁sufficiently ▁string ent ▁and ▁comm ens ur ate ▁with ▁those ▁pres cribed ▁for ▁other ▁serious ▁cr imes , ▁such ▁as ▁ra pe . ▁Article ▁ 2 6 2 ▁of ▁the ▁Labor ▁Code ▁criminal izes ▁labor ▁tra ff ick ing , ▁for ▁which ▁it ▁pres cri bes ▁in ade qu ate ▁pen alt ies ▁of ▁one ▁to ▁three