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USG Reports 2008
Trafficking in Persons Report 2008
MOLDOVA (Tier 3)
Moldova is a major source, and to
a lesser extent, a transit country for women and girls trafficked for the
purpose of commercial sexual exploitation. It is estimated that slightly more
than one percent of the approximately 750,000 Moldovans working abroad are
trafficking victims. Moldovan women are trafficked to Turkey, Russia, the
U.A.E., Ukraine, Israel, Cyprus, Greece, Albania, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia,
the Czech Republic, Italy, France, Portugal, Austria, and other Western
European countries. Girls and young women are trafficked within the country
from rural areas to Chisinau. Children are also trafficked for forced labor and
begging to neighboring countries. Labor trafficking of men to work in the construction,
agriculture, and service sectors of Russia is increasingly a problem. The small
breakaway region of Transnistria in eastern Moldova is outside the central
government's control and remained a significant source and transit area for
trafficking in persons.
The Government of Moldova does
not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of rafficking
and is not making significant efforts to do so. While the new government has
shown initial political will very recently, it was insufficient to make up for
inadequate action in the remainder of the March 2007-March 2008 reporting
period, particularly the lack of follow-up on cases of alleged complicity of
government officials in trafficking in persons cited in the 2007 Report. While
there were a few modest positive developments over the past year-the number of
trafficking investigations increased, the government hired social workers to
focus on vulnerable populations, and a pilot program for the referral of
trafficking victims to protective services continues to develop-the government's
lack of visible follow-up on allegations of government officials complicit in
trafficking in persons greatly offset the aforementioned gains. The government
approved a 2008-2009 antitrafficking national action plan on March 19, 2008, and
while it allocated funds for 2008 and sustained cooperation with NGOs during
the reporting period, it did not demonstrate proactive efforts to identify
trafficking victims.
Recommendations
for Moldova: Demonstrate vigorous investigations and prosecutions of
public officials complicit in trafficking; improve data on investigations,
prosecutions, convictions, and sentences for traffickers, including greater
specificity with respect to the particular punishments imposed for different
crimes, the number of charges reduced from trafficking to pimping, and which
prison sentences are reduced or vacated by amnesties; disburse increased
resources for victim assistance and protection; boost proactive efforts to
identify trafficking victims; and adopt measures to prevent the use of forced
or child labor by trafficking offenders. Prosecution Reports of
Moldovan officials' complicity in trafficking marred anti-trafficking law
enforcement efforts during the last year. The Government of Moldova prohibits
all forms of trafficking through Articles 165 and 206 of its criminal code.
Penalties prescribed range from seven years' to life imprisonment, which are
sufficiently stringent and commensurate with those prescribed for other grave
crimes. The Prosecutor General's Office reported that authorities initiated 507
trafficking investigations in 2007-including 17 criminal investigations under
the child trafficking statute- which is an increase from 466 investigations in 2006.
Moldova's Center to Combat Trafficking in Persons (CCTIP) reported 250
trafficking prosecutions and at least 60 convictions of traffickers. While the
government's statistical system still does not provide complete statistics on length
of sentences for trafficking convictions, CCTIP reported that at least 50
traffickers convicted in 2007 are serving seven- to 10-year prison sentences.
The government has not prosecuted or criminally punished any government
official allegedly complicit in trafficking. The government has also not
informed the international community whether investigations of some government officials
dismissed in August 2006 have yielded sufficient evidence to permit a
prosecution. With respect to allegations of complicity of a former high-level
CCTIP official, the government states that prosecutors investigated the
allegations and found no evidence of a crime. There were several victim reports
that border guards and police officers were complicit in trafficking. Moldovan law
enforcement authorities reported eight bribery attempts by suspects seeking to
have cases dismissed. Prosecutors noted that poor-quality investigations and
corruption may have resulted in light or suspended sentences for traffickers.
Protection
The government provides no
funding to NGOs for victim assistance, although it has allocated $44,000 in its
2008 budget for victim rehabilitation center operating costs, and cooperated
with NGOs and international assistance programs providing legal, medical, and
psychological services for trafficking victims during the reporting period.
Moldova's Ministry of Internal Affairs signed a memorandum of collaboration
with IOM to ensure that victims of trafficking repatriated through IOM are not apprehended
by border guards but allowed to travel unhindered to the IOM Rehabilitation
Center, the only comprehensive victim assistance facility in the country. While
proactive identification of victims remained lacking, the government hired and
paid the salaries of 547 social workers and assisted 162 persons though the
nascent pilot project on referring victims to protective services, which
started in five districts in 2006 and extended to seven more in 2007. The
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in partnership with IOM, launched a project in
January 2007 to develop the capacity of consular department personnel at
Moldovan embassies abroad in assisting Moldovan victims and potential victims of
trafficking. Moldovan law exempts victims from criminal prosecution for illegal
acts committed as a result of being trafficked; however, in practice, some
victims were punished for such acts. Moldova currently does not permit
temporary residence status for foreign-national victims of trafficking, nor
does it provide legal alternatives to deportation to countries where victims
may face retribution or hardship. The government claims that it encourages victims
to assist in investigations and prosecutions of traffickers; however, insufficient
measures were in place to provide for victims' safety.
Prevention
The government approved the
2008-2009 National Action Plan on Combating Trafficking in Persons in March
2008, but there was none in place prior to that date, because the previous plan
expired at the end of 2006. For most of the reporting period, the government's
national anti-trafficking committee remained without a leader; however, the
government appointed a chair at the Deputy Prime Minister level, as required by
Moldovan law, in February 2008. The CCTIP operated a hotline for trafficking
victims during the year. The government acknowledged, both publicly and privately,
that trafficking was a problem; however, the government continued to rely on
NGOs and international organizations to provide the majority of public
awareness campaigns. CCTIP, with NGOs and international organizations,
developed and conducted seminars for high school students, teaching staff from
schools and universities, priests, local authorities, and local law enforcement
officials.
CCTIP leadership provided TV
interviews to update viewers on anti-trafficking operations and increase awareness
regarding the consequences of human trafficking. The Moldovan government
provides free air time for anti-trafficking campaigns.
