Trafficking victims become more isolated and vulnerable, international report says
(Teun Voeten/Hollandse Hoogte, 1999)Trafficked women in the Balkans, victims of modern-day slavery. (Teun Voeten/Hollandse Hoogte, 1999) Photo details
VIENNA, 11 December 2003 - Failure to protect the human rights of trafficking victims is a key obstacle to progress in the fight against trafficking and organised crime in south-eastern Europe, according to a joint report of the OSCE, the UN and the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe, launched in Vienna today.
The report, Trafficking in Human Beings in South Eastern Europe, finds a decline in the number of trafficking victims identified and assisted. However, it also reveals that this decrease is the result of ineffective law enforcement and a lack of options for women and children who have been trafficked, rather than any actual decline in the scale of trafficking. At the same time, there has been no real increase in the prosecution or sentencing of traffickers. While law enforcement relies on the testimonies of the victims, it is unable to provide them with the necessary safety and support.
The report examines the situation in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro (including the UN-administered province of Kosovo), Moldova and Romania from November 2002 to April 2003.
It is published by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR) and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), within the framework of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe and its Task Force on Trafficking in Human Beings.
The comprehensive report assesses the impact of law enforcement and migration approaches to anti-trafficking actions in south-eastern Europe, as well as the implications for current anti-trafficking structures. It concludes that there is an urgent need to adopt a human rights approach to victim identification, protection and assistance.
The report highlights a paradox: an increase in anti-trafficking activities in the region, such as legislative reform and concerted police actions, but little progress on assisting the actual victims.
The report draws attention to the fact that trafficking patterns have changed, making it increasingly difficult for law enforcement agencies to find and identify women and children who become victims. There is evidence of an increase of trafficking within countries, blurring the distinctions between countries of origin, transit and destination. Weak law enforcement and a narrow focus on migration combine to prevent effective response to these changes. As a result, trafficking in women and children is more hidden and victims have become even more isolated and vulnerable.
The report also focuses on the lack of protection or legal support for trafficking victims who agree to testify against their traffickers. Instead of receiving protection, the ordeal of many women and children often continues during the assistance and repatriation process. They are left without sufficient support and are often stigmatised upon their return. This report blames the lack of minimum standards for agencies assisting victims, the limited options available to women and children who have been trafficked prior to repatriation, and gaps in services for trafficking victims in both countries of destination and origin.
Key recommendations of the report include:
The report, Trafficking in Human Beings in South Eastern Europe, finds a decline in the number of trafficking victims identified and assisted. However, it also reveals that this decrease is the result of ineffective law enforcement and a lack of options for women and children who have been trafficked, rather than any actual decline in the scale of trafficking. At the same time, there has been no real increase in the prosecution or sentencing of traffickers. While law enforcement relies on the testimonies of the victims, it is unable to provide them with the necessary safety and support.
The report examines the situation in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro (including the UN-administered province of Kosovo), Moldova and Romania from November 2002 to April 2003.
It is published by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR) and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), within the framework of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe and its Task Force on Trafficking in Human Beings.
The comprehensive report assesses the impact of law enforcement and migration approaches to anti-trafficking actions in south-eastern Europe, as well as the implications for current anti-trafficking structures. It concludes that there is an urgent need to adopt a human rights approach to victim identification, protection and assistance.
The report highlights a paradox: an increase in anti-trafficking activities in the region, such as legislative reform and concerted police actions, but little progress on assisting the actual victims.
The report draws attention to the fact that trafficking patterns have changed, making it increasingly difficult for law enforcement agencies to find and identify women and children who become victims. There is evidence of an increase of trafficking within countries, blurring the distinctions between countries of origin, transit and destination. Weak law enforcement and a narrow focus on migration combine to prevent effective response to these changes. As a result, trafficking in women and children is more hidden and victims have become even more isolated and vulnerable.
The report also focuses on the lack of protection or legal support for trafficking victims who agree to testify against their traffickers. Instead of receiving protection, the ordeal of many women and children often continues during the assistance and repatriation process. They are left without sufficient support and are often stigmatised upon their return. This report blames the lack of minimum standards for agencies assisting victims, the limited options available to women and children who have been trafficked prior to repatriation, and gaps in services for trafficking victims in both countries of destination and origin.
Key recommendations of the report include:
- the need to give practical effect to human rights standards for trafficked persons and special protection for all children under 18 years of age;
- the need to establish national referral mechanisms: ensuring that victims are referred to appropriate support services and ensuring co-operation agreements between law enforcement agencies and non-governmental and international organisations dealing with trafficked people, with special procedures for children.