COMBATING TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS IN THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA

1. COMBATING TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS IN THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA Vienna, October 24th 2005

2. General Information Location: South-East of Central Europe Neighboring countries: Romania, Ukraine Area: 33 700 km 2 Population: 4 431 000 people Capital: Chişinău Form of Government: Parliamentary Republic Administrative divisions: 32 administrative regions, ATU Gagauzja, Trans-Dniestria Official language: Moldavian /Romanian Local currency: Moldovan Leu (MDL) Independence: 27 August 1991 (from Soviet Union) National holiday: Independence Day, 27 August 1991

3. Migration, Prostitution and Trafficking • 800,000 to 1 mln Moldavians live abroad; • Annual income of approx. 400 mln USD remitted by migrant laborers to the country; • 80% Moldavian population (aged 18-29) willing to migrate; • 37% wish to leave abroad for a permanent residence; • 9% wish to stay in Moldova; • Prostitution is widespread in hotels, in the areas near train and bus stations; • The majority of prostitutes come from rural areas seeking for employment or training; • 80% victims had been subjected to domestic violence before trafficking; • Recruitment of victims through: advertising, Tourist Agencies, Job Agencies, Marriage Agencies and Internet Service;

4. REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA is a primary source country for women and children to the following countries: • Russian Federation, • Ukraine

5. THB in Republic of Moldova (2) • Turkey, Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon, Israel, United Arab Emirates • Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Bosnia - Herzegovina, Albania, Kosovo, Serbia & Montenegro • Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Poland • Italy, France, Portugal, Germany, Great Britain.

6. THE REPUBLIC of MOLDOVA is also a transit country for victims trafficked from Ukraine and Romania. The border region of Transnistria, not under the central government’s control, serves as a source and transit point for trafficking victims. We can notice a decrease in number of victims in region of Eastern Balkans, while in countries as: Turkey and Russia the number of victims is growing.

7. National Anti-Trafficking System • Ministry of Foreign Affairs • Ministry of Internal Affairs • Ministry of Justice • Ministry of Health • Ministry of Economy • Ministry of Education • Ministry of Labor and Social Protection • Department of Tourism development • Department of Migration • Department of Border Police • Customs Department • Department of Youth and Sport • Department of Statistic s and Sociology • General Prosecution Office • Information and Security Service • Licensing Chamber Ministry of Internal Affairs Anti-Trafficking Center The National Committee to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings Regional Police Sections Municipal and Regional Commissions • Local NGOs: • La Strada • “Save the Children”, • “Terre des homes” • “La Strada” • “ Center for Prevention Trafficking in Women”other International organisations: UNICEF, OSCE IOM, Other

8. The National Committee to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings • The National Committee to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings adopted the National Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings in November, 2001. • In August 25th, 2005 in the Republic of Moldova was adopted a new activity Plan for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings.

9. The objectives of National Plan of Action on Combating Trafficking in Human Beings • Research and assessment • Raising awareness • Prevention/addressing social-economic causes of trafficking • Victim Assistance • Return and social reintegration of victims • Law reform • Law enforcement • International co-operation and co-ordination

10. IN THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA IT WAS ADOPTED THE LAW REGARDING COMBATING TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS • The main objectives: • Prevention and combating trafficking in human beings; • Protection and assistance of the victims of THB and the respecting of their rights; • Cooperation between the public authorities, ONGs and other social societies regarding the prevention and combating THB; • Cooperation between other countries, as well the cooperation with regional and international organisations in this field.

11. Anti-Trafficking Legislation Art. 164 - Kidnapping of a person Art. 165 - Trafficking in human beings Art. 166 - Illegal deprivation of liberty Art. 167 - Slavery and similar conditions of slavery Art. 168 - Forced Labor Art. 205 - Abuse of parents and of other persons in the children adoption Art. 206, 207 – Trafficking in children Art. 220 - Pimping Art. 359 - Buying or selling of official documents Art. 360 - Taking, stealing, hiding, degrading or destroying the documents, the printers, the stamps or the seals Art. 362 - Illegal border crossing No article regarding illegal migration.

12. STATISTIC DATA

13. As the results of operational investigations performed by the Anti – Trafficking Center officers there were detected and liquidated 39 trafficking channels: •     TURKEY – 16 channels • RUSSIAN FEDERATION – 12 channels • UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – 8 channels •    OTHER – 3 channels

14. ARRESTED PERSONS

15. COOPERATION AGREEMENTS WITH REGIONAL COUNTRIES ON COMBATING THB SIGNED WITH: Russian Federation, 25 February 1993 Belarus, 22 January 1993 Ukraine, 13 December 1993 Lithuania, 09 February 1993 Latvia, 14 April 1993 Romania, 06 July 1996 Turkey, 22 May 1996 Italy, 2002 ONGOING NEGOTIATION WITH: Israel, United Arab Emirates

16. International Cooperation

17. ASSISTED VICTIMS BY INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATION FOR MIGRATION

18. PERSPECTIVES AND PROPOSALS: • To enhance an efficient cooperation with specialised police units in the countries of South-Eastern and Western Europe, particularly with origin, transit and destination countries.

19. To intensify the cooperation with prosecutors, NGOs, to set up meeting with victims of THB, with a view of gathering intelligence on traffickers and international trafficking routes.

20. To ensure the exchange of experiences in this field by mutual delegations of the police officers specialized in countering of THB, in order to gather the best practice on investigation of traffic cases.

21. To provide judicial assistance in matter of searching, arrest and extradition of offenders, by applying the Agreement other countries.

22. This event facilitated a positive exchange of opinions and intelligence with other colleagues of all participating member-countries. The Moldavian authorities highly appreciate the role of the ICMPD in combating trafficking in human beings. We assure you of our full support in all our common endeavours in the interests of police cooperation.

23. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION !