Human trafficking in Europe

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The dissolution of the Soviet Union has been identified as one of the main contributing factors in explaining the recent increase in human trafficking in Europe. It provided both human capital and new regional opportunities to fuel the expansion.[2] After this period, trafficking victims, primarily women, expanded to include more diverse forms, aided by the rise of organized crime, corruption, and the decline of borders.[3] Porous borders and close proximity of wealthy countries have made it easier and cheaper to transport victims within the region and abroad.[2]

Another factor contributing to the rise in trafficking has been militarization and war in the Balkans. The presence of a large number of foreign men in the Balkans after the war in Yugoslavia led to the trafficking of thousands of women for commercial sex exploitation.[4] The connection between military bases and sex work is a well-known phenomenon and soldiers have helped drive the demand for brothels in this region.[2]

Outside Balkan nations, the legalization of soliciting prostitution has also been linked[5] to increased trafficking, with the Netherlands being identified as having a large percentage of trafficking victims transported there.[6]

Although all forms of trafficking exist in Europe, sex trafficking has received the most attention and exploitation of girls and women in this area has been widely publicized in the media.[3] Between 2003-2004, 85% of the victims that were assisted were victims of sexual exploitation.[7] "The distinctiveness of post-Soviet and Eastern European trafficking is the speed with which it grew and globalized. There was no long-existing trade in human beings or established networks to facilitate this business. Instead, the conditions of the transitional societies created the ideal conditions conducive to trade in human beings. Now, years after initial transition, all forms of human trafficking are endemic in the region, a result of poverty, ineffective counter-measures, the frequent collusion of government officials in this trade, and the rise of criminal entrepreneurship."[3]

Crime groups in the Balkans and the former Soviet Union have achieved success by being flexible and altering their routes and methods to suit the rapidly changing global market.[3] Previous work experience and high education levels have enabled traffickers to "produce fraudulent documents, utilize advanced communications technology, and operate successfully across borders."[3] Their personal connections and ability to utilize advanced technology has posed a challenge for many governments and law enforcement agencies seeking to investigate and prosecute traffickers. Another unique trait is advanced education of many of the trafficked victims. Although well qualified for employment in their home countries, victims often seek better opportunities or pay abroad. Many ploys have been used to recruit more educated victims including marriage and employment agencies, fake modeling agencies, film production studios, and work and study abroad opportunities.[3] Because legitimate opportunities exist in these areas, it is often difficult to separate the fraudulent advertisements from the credible opportunities. These printed advertisements are rarely vetted.

Although anti-trafficking campaigns over the past few years have become more effective in countering some forms of trafficking, data collection and management has continued to be a problem for countries in the Balkans (southeastern Europe).[9] Data collection is an important tool for monitoring country and regional trends and its analysis is often used to shape anti-trafficking policies. It is important to collect data on both the victims and their traffickers and information on investigation and prosecution rates are often utilized when assessing a country's performance.

Some of the data collection problems identified in this region are:[9]

• the percentage of crimes committed versus those identified, investigated, and prosecuted is not well understood
• cooperation is needed by a wide variety of actors and reported statistics need to be standardized across organizations and agencies
• a lack of trust between NGOs and the government may prohibit the open sharing of information, especially if NGOs feel that sharing information about their clients will put either the victim or the organization at risk
• there may be linguistic, cultural, and inter-personal barriers that lead victims to underreport occurrences
• some incidences of trafficking are investigated as smuggling, prostitution, etc., which keeps them from being captured in databases
• incidents investigated as trafficking may continue to remain classified as such, even if they are reclassified as a lesser charge

To address these issues, the International Centre for Migration Policy Development, in cooperation with national governments and NGOs, has begun the process of forming a standardized approach to data collection and reporting all over Europe.

See Further Reading: 'Second Annual Report on Victims of Trafficking in South-Eastern Europe' for a list of NGOs working to combat human trafficking

While there are a multitude of factors that limit the ability of NGOs to respond to trafficking, such as lack of funding, extensive mandates, and lack of government support, NGOs play a critical supporting role for victims.[10] Most NGOs, which emerged during the 1990s, initially struggled to hold their ground against increasingly predatory traffickers.[11] While their success varies from country to country, NGOs are often credited with stepping in and taking initiative where governments have failed. Victims are often more likely to trust NGOs because "many trafficked persons fear and distrust state-based organizations as they frequently enter destination countries illegally, or have had their documentation removed on arrival."[11] Fear of deportation, being forced to testify, or retaliation by their traffickers also contribute to their reluctance to approach statutory agencies for support. NGOs have risen to fill this gap and provide services to victims. Services they offer include:[10]

• legal, social, and psychological counseling and reintegration support
• education and awareness about the risks of trafficking
• informational and statistical support and research
• lobbying for victims rights[11]

TIERS [12]

TIER 1 Countries whose governments fully comply with the Trafficking Victims Protection Act's (TVPA) minimum standards

TIER 2 Countries whose governments do not fully comply with the TVPA's minimum standards, but are making significant efforts to bring themselves into compliance with those standards

TIER 3 Countries whose governments do not fully comply with the minimum standards and are not making significant efforts to do so

• Sex trafficking in Europe

• Surtees, Rebecca. "Second Annual Report on Victims of Trafficking in South-Eastern Europe 2005" (PDF). IOM International Organization for Migration. Retrieved 24 April 2011.
• "UN Global Report on Trafficking in Persons" (PDF). UN. Retrieved 24 April 2011.
• "Trafficking in Human Being in South Eastern Europe" (PDF). UNICEF. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 December 2010. Retrieved 24 April 2011.