La Strada Documentation Center

Second Annual Report on Victims of Trafficking in South Eastern Europe

Document number
1494
Date
2005
Title
Second Annual Report on Victims of Trafficking in South Eastern Europe
Author/publisher
Rebecca Surtees, Regional Clearing Point, International Organisation for Migration (IOM)
Availability
View/save PDF version of this document
Document type(s)
Research/Study/Analysis,
Keywords
Trafficking process, Recruitment, Transportation, Transit, Transfer, Palermo protocol; Definition of (trafficking), Root Causes, Risk Groups, Vulnerability, Pull factors, Push factors, Sending/Receiving countries, Victims (of trafficking), Trafficked persons,
Summary
This second report by the Regional Clearing Point presents a comprehensive picture of the trafficking phenomenon in South Eastern Europe. The thoroughness of this work is a testament both to the author and to the many dozens of NGOs and other organisations that responded to requests to share primary information about victims and their trafficking experiences. The RCP research highlights that victims were trafficked from, through and to SE Europe for a variety of purposes, not just sexual exploitation but forced labour, begging, delinquency and adoption. This indicates the importance of increased skills in recognising different manifestations of trafficking, and of the need for prevention and protection efforts tailored specifically to the different forms of trafficking. The RCP report also provides detailed profiles from a wide range of victims, highlighting trafficking risk and vulnerability. Victims were men, women and children from a range of socio-economic backgrounds and with disparate personal experiences. Importantly, the report moves beyond unicausal explanations of trafficking like poverty and low education, identifying links between various causes and contributors. Finally, the report also outlines the assistance available in each of the countries in SE Europe including a description of good practices and gaps. Of note is the need for specialised assistance and services for less ‘typical’ trafficking victims, and for this assistance to be tailored and adapted on a regular basis and in response to the dynamic nature of trafficking. An important aspect of this is the necessity for quality control to ensure that the victim’s needs are met.
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