Trafficking in Women has no boundaries

The global annual profit from trafficking in women is between seven and twelve billion US dollars. Trafficking of human beings for sexual exploitation is a matter of concern all over the world and is of particular concern to Belarus because the country is located at the 'crossroads' between the East and the West. This geographical location and the domestic economic situation create favourable conditions for exporting girls and women to countries with higher standards of living. In order to prevent trafficking in human beings in Belarus and to develop comprehensive measures to tackle the issue, a joint project of the European Union and the UN Development Programme "Fighting against trafficking in Women in Belarus" was initiated in March 2003 and implemented in December 2005. The Project was funded by the European Commission with a total budget of 885,687 USD.

"Unlike weapons and drugs, human beings can be sold several times"

A Project Manager Mr. Jury Fedorov pointed out, that "the criminal activity in this sphere is reminiscent of a hydra; once you cut of one head, another one re-grows. Criminals are attracted by the opportunity to make huge profits at minimal cost (unlike weapons and drugs, human beings can be resold several times). This makes cooperation between countries extremely important, due to the fact that acting on its own a country is not capable of clamping down this Evil". The Project has been successfully implemented. How is that reflected in practice?

Dura lex, sed lex

A comprehensive analysis of legislation was carried out and concrete recommendations were proposed to amend Belarusian legislation in the area of trafficking of human beings. Belarus has signed nine relevant International Conventions and bilateral treaties have been concluded with Great Britain, Turkey, Israel and several other countries.

A unique electronic database of European and Belarusian organizations providing assistance to victims of traffickers (" Belarus against trafficking"). This information search engine includes three modules: "European and CIS Organisations", containing information about 400 organisations from 50 countries; "Belarusian Projects" and "Legislative summaries".

Advertising Awareness and Security

A social PR-campaign was held to advertise the sources of information where one could verify whether a planned job abroad was safe. A 'hot line' was set up to provide free information for those who were planning a trip abroad in order to find a job, to study or to get married. A free 'green line' 8-801-100-8-801 is operating, and this brings down territorial barriers and makes the 'hot line' available in any region of Belarus. The database is updated every month and can be accessed via the website: http://www.basw-ngo-by.net

Based in Minsk City Centre of Social Aid to Families and Children a rehabilitation centre for victims of human trafficking was opened where victims receive medical, psychological and legal aid. Individual rehabilitation programmes help the victims of trafficking to find appropriate ways to solve their problems and the Centre employs professional psychologists, sociologists and lawyers to assist with this.

Exchange of Information – Exchange of Experience

Technical equipment was supplied (PCs, faxes, scanners, copying machines, laptops, photo and video cameras, and special equipment) to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the State Border Committee, the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare and NGOs in order to set up a computer network for exchange of information within the Project.

In November 2003 an International Conference: "Legislation of the Republic of Belarus and European Union Member States in the area of combating trafficking in human beings" was held in Minsk. This brought together participants from Belarus, Belgium, Great Britain, Germany, Moldova, Switzerland and Sweden. In February 2004 Belarusian representatives took part in a seminar: "Means of cooperation between state and non-governmental organizations in the area of combating trafficking in human beings. Reintegration and rehabilitation of victims" in Chisinau, Moldova. Seminars were also held in other cities of Belarus: Vitebsk, Gomel, Minsk, Raubichi.

Representatives of governmental and non-governmental organizations learned from the experience of the Netherlands in the area of reintegration and rehabilitation of victims of human trafficking (November 2004, Amsterdam), Germany (April 2005, Berlin). An International round table was organized: " Europe: common efforts in fighting the trafficking in human beings". A documentary "Elka's Dream" based on a real life story of an 11 year old Belarusian girl becoming a victim of human trafficking was screened in 30 countries all over the world and received feedback and acclaim from viewers.

To be warned means to be prepared

However probably the most significant achievement of the Project was that the government and citizens received complete information regarding the issue of human trafficking. This project was implemented with joint efforts of the governmental and non-governmental sectors. The government was represented by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, State Border Committee, Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare. The 'third sector' was represented by the Belarusian Association of Young Christian Women and Programme 'La Strada: Prevention of trafficking in human beings in Central and Eastern Europe (unites nine countries, i.e. the Netherlands, Poland, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Macedonia, Bosnia, Herzegovina).

"La Strada" is active in three main areas: lobbying the Media, preventive and training activities and concrete social support for the victims. Since 2002 the 'hot line' set up by "La Strada" received around 15,000 phone calls from victims and their relatives and friends.

Problems still remain

Before 2007 in a report from the US State Department on trafficking in human beings Belarus was classified as a country where the situation was under strict control. Last year however the country was listed in a so-called 'watch list', meaning that the US State Department noted the worsening of the situation with regard to human trafficking in the country. The Coordinator of the "La Strada" Programme for Belarus Ms. Irina Alkhovka has not observed any major change in the situation: "I wouldn't say that anything has changed dramatically. A new State Programme on "Fighting human trafficking for 2008 – 2010" was adopted. To be honest, the process of drafting this document was not transparent neither for civil society nor for the international organizations, which could provoke certain circumspection rather than fear".

Confiscated goods for assistance to the victims

The establishment of a Special Foundation to assist victims of human trafficking in Belarus is under discussion. Contributions to this Foundation will be made from confiscated funds, resources, property and will be used for rehabilitation of the victims. There are several hundred criminal cases initiated annually in Belarus in connection with the trafficking in human beings, however not all of them go through trial. Periodically information appears in the Media that the guilty were punished. Though, there is no comprehensive statistics, says Ms. Alkhovka: "we do not have the statistics on the exact number of offenders sentenced. From time to time we receive letters from the convicts or from their relatives with requests for assistance. Quite a few of them disagree with the court's sentences, but it is not within our competence to assist them. The most we can do is to redirect such requests to the competent authorities".

By Ludmila Korsak

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