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The Global Persecution of Women
Glossary
Human Rights
Article 1, UDHR.
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.
Article 3, UDHR.
Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.
Article 4, UDHR.
No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.
Article 5, UDHR.
No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
Article 6, CEDAW.
States Parties shall take all appropriate measures, including legislation, to suppress all forms of traffic in women and exploitation of prostitution of women.
Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, Supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime
Article 3. Use of Terms
(a) “Trafficking in persons” shall mean the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs;
(b) The consent of a victim of trafficking in persons to the intended exploitation set forth in subparagraph (a) of this article shall be irrelevant where any of the means set forth in subparagraph (a) have been used;
(c) The recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of a child for the purpose of exploitation shall be considered “trafficking in persons” even if this does not involve any of the means set forth in subparagraph (a) of this article;
(d) “Child” shall mean any person under eighteen years of age.
Article 5. Criminalization
1. Each State Party shall adopt such legislative and other measures as may be necessary to establish as criminal offences the conduct set forth in article 3 of this Protocol, when committed intentionally.2. Each State Party shall also adopt such legislative and other measures as may be necessary to establish as criminal offences:
(a) Subject to the basic concepts of its legal system, attempting to commit an offence established in accordance with paragraph 1 of this article;
(b) Participating as an accomplice in an offence established in accordance with paragraph 1 of this article; and
(c) Organizing or directing other persons to commit an offence established in accordance with paragraph 1 of this article.
Definitional
Human Rights Watch, Campaign against the Trafficking of Women and Girls. 5 June 2006.
Trafficking in persons — the illegal and highly profitable recruitment, transport, or sale of human beings for the purpose of exploiting their labor — is a slavery-like practice that must be eliminated. The trafficking of women and children into bonded sweatshop labor, forced marriage, forced prostitution, domestic servitude, and other kinds of work is a global phenomenon. Traffickers use coercive tactics including deception, fraud, intimidation, isolation, threat and use of physical force, and/or debt bondage to control their victims. Women are typically recruited with promises of good jobs in other countries or provinces, and, lacking better options at home, agree to migrate. Through agents and brokers who arrange the travel and job placements, women are escorted to their destinations and delivered to the employers. Upon reaching their destinations, some women learn that they have been deceived about the nature of the work they will do; most have been lied to about the financial arrangements and conditions of their employment; and all find themselves in coercive and abusive situations from which escape is both difficult and dangerous.
U.S. Dept. of State, Trafficking in Persons Report (TIPR).
The annual "Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000: Trafficking in Persons Report" ... covers "severe forms of trafficking in persons" defined as:
"(a) sex trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such act has not attained 18 years of age; or (b) the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery."Human Rights Watch, "We'll Kill You if You Cry": Sexual Violence in the Sierra Leone Conflict. January 2003.
Sexual slavery, defined by the 1926 Slavery Convention and the 1953 Protocol amending the same convention, refers to "[t]he status or condition of a person over whom any or all of the powers attaching to the right of ownership are exercised, including sexual access through rape or other forms of sexual violence." The Statute of the ICC includes the trafficking of women and children in its definition of enslavement.
Country Profiles
The following country profiles are taken from the U.S. Department of State, Trafficking in Persons Report (TIPR) for 2006.
Afghanistan is a source country for women and children trafficked internally and to Iran, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia for forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation. Children are trafficked internally for forced labor as beggars or into debt bondage in the brick kiln and carpet-making industries. Afghan women and girls are kidnapped, lured by fraudulent marriage or job proposals, or sold into marriage or commercial sexual exploitation within the country and in Iran, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia. Women are also exchanged to settle debts or resolve conflicts. The Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission reported 150 cases of child trafficking this year, though many suspect the actual level of trafficking is higher.
Albania is primarily a source country for women and children trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor. Victims are trafficked to Greece and Italy, with many of these victims trafficked onward to the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Norway, Germany, and the Netherlands. Internal trafficking within Albania and re-trafficking of Albanian victims to other countries remained a problem in 2005. Reports of Roma and Egyptian children trafficked for forced labor or begging continued.
Algeria is a transit and destination country for men, women, and children from sub-Saharan Africa and Asia trafficked for forced labor and sexual exploitation. Although many victims willingly migrate to Algeria en route to European countries such as Austria, Belgium, and Italy with the help of smugglers, they are often abandoned once they enter Algeria or are forced into prostitution, labor, and begging to pay off their smuggling debt. Armed militants also reportedly traffic Algerian women for sexual exploitation and involuntary servitude, and Algerian children may be trafficked for forced labor as domestic servants or street vendors.
Angola is a source country for small numbers of women and children trafficked, primarily internally, for forced labor and sexual exploitation. Angolan children are trafficked internally for commercial agriculture, porting, street vending, and forced prostitution; some children are trafficked to Namibia and South Africa for domestic servitude and sexual exploitation.
Argentina is primarily a destination country for women and children trafficked for the purposes of sexual and labor exploitation. Most victims are trafficked internally, from rural to urban areas, for exploitation in prostitution. Argentine women and girls are trafficked to neighboring countries for sexual exploitation. Foreign women and children are trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation, primarily from Paraguay, but also from Bolivia, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, and Chile; and Bolivians are trafficked for forced labor.
Armenia is a major source and, to a lesser extent, a transit and destination country for women and girls trafficked for sexual exploitation largely to the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) and Turkey. Traffickers, many of them women, route victims directly into Dubai or through Moscow. Traffickers also route victims to Turkey through Georgia via bus. Profits derived from the trafficking of Armenian victims reportedly increased dramatically from the previous year.
Australia is a destination country for women from Southeast Asia, South Korea, and the People's Republic of China (P.R.C.) trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation. The majority of trafficking victims are women who travel to Australia voluntarily to work in both legal and illegal brothels but are deceived or coerced into debt bondage or sexual servitude. The Australian Crime Commission reports that deceptive practices in contract terms and conditions, which often mask debt bondage, appear to be increasing among women in prostitution, while deceptive recruiting practices appear to be decreasing. There were also some reports of internal trafficking in Australia.
Austria is a transit and destination country for women from Romania, Bulgaria, Russia, Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine, and some African countries trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation. The IOM estimates there are 7,000 foreign victims in Vienna alone. Victims are transited through Austria to Italy, France, and Spain. In 2005, 700 Roma girls from Bulgaria were identified in Vienna; these children were trafficked for purposes of forced petty theft and commercial sexual exploitation.
Azerbaijan is primarily a source and transit country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor. Most Azerbaijani victims were trafficked for sexual exploitation to Turkey and the Persian Gulf. Other destinations include Russia, Germany, and Greece. Reports of internal trafficking also continued, as did reports of men trafficked to Turkey and Russia for forced labor.
Bahrain is a destination country for men and women trafficked for the purposes of involuntary servitude and sexual exploitation. Men and women from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines migrate willingly to Bahrain to work as laborers or domestic servants, but may be subjected to conditions of involuntary servitude when faced with exorbitant recruitment and transportation fees, withholding of their passports, restrictions on their movement, non-payment of wages, and physical or sexual abuse. Women from Thailand and Eastern Europe are also believed to be trafficked to Bahrain for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation or forced labor. For instance, the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports that it assisted 154 Thai women to return to Thailand, many of whom are believed to be victims of trafficking.
Bangladesh is a source and transit country for men, women, and children for the purposes of sexual exploitation, involuntary domestic servitude, child camel jockeying, and debt bondage. Women and children from Bangladesh are trafficked to India and Pakistan for sexual exploitation. Bangladeshi women migrate legally to Gulf states (Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, the U.A.E., and Saudi Arabia) for work as domestic servants, but often find themselves in situations of involuntary servitude. In addition, Bangladeshi boys are trafficked to the Gulf to serve as camel jockeys and internally as bonded laborers in the fishing industry. Women and girls from rural areas are trafficked internally for sexual exploitation and domestic servitude. Burmese women trafficked to India for sexual exploitation transit Bangladesh.
Belarus is primarily a source country for women and children trafficked to Europe, North America, the Middle East, Japan, and South Korea for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Reports of men trafficked for forced labor to Russia increased significantly in 2005. IOM assisted an increased number of Belarusian men and women trafficked for sexual exploitation and forced labor over the last year. Traffickers continued to utilize the open border between Russia and Belarus to move victims both eastward and westward.
Belgium is a destination and transit country for women and children from Central Europe, Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa, primarily trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Men are trafficked for exploitive labor in restaurants and sweatshops. Reportedly, trafficking for forced labor and forced begging increased from past low levels. There were reportedly eight domestic servants who were brought to Belgium by diplomatic personnel and then subjected to conditions of involuntary servitude. Six of these cases are in advanced stages of investigation.
Belize is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of labor and sexual exploitation. Women and girls are trafficked to Belize, mainly from Central America, and exploited in prostitution. Children are trafficked to Belize for labor exploitation. Belize's largely unmonitored borders with Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico facilitate the movement of illegal migrants who are vulnerable to traffickers. Girls are trafficked within the country for sexual exploitation, sometimes with the consent and complicity of their close relatives. There are also unconfirmed reports that Indian and Chinese migrants are trafficked for involuntary servitude in homes and shops.
Benin is a source, transit, and destination country for children trafficked for forced labor and sexual exploitation. According to the ILO, the vast majority of Beninese victims are trafficked within Benin, while most of the remaining victims are trafficked to Nigeria, Gabon, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, and Niger. A much smaller number of victims are trafficked to Benin from Niger, Togo, and Burkina Faso. Children are trafficked as domestic servants, plantation laborers, and street vendors, and for work in commercial enterprises, the handicraft industry, and construction.
Bolivia is a source and transit country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of labor and sexual exploitation. Victims are primarily trafficked within the country, but a significant number are also trafficked to neighboring South American countries and to Spain. Many victims are minors trafficked internally for sexual exploitation, forced mining, and agricultural labor. Bolivian workers have been trafficked to sweatshops in Argentina and Brazil, and to Chile for involuntary servitude. Illegal migrants from Asia transit Bolivia; some may be trafficking victims.
Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) is a country of origin, transit, and destination for women and girls trafficked internationally and domestically for the purpose of sexual exploitation. There were some reports of trafficking of Roma children within BiH for forced labor. Victims primarily originate from Moldova, Ukraine, and Romania; other source countries include Russia and Serbia and Montenegro. As in most countries in the region, traffickers targeted younger victims and trafficking occurred increasingly underground, from cafes and gas stations to private apartments and homes.
Brazil is a source and destination country for women and children trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation, and for men trafficked for forced labor. Women and girls are trafficked for sexual exploitation within Brazil and to destinations in South America, the Caribbean, Western Europe, Japan, the U.S., and the Middle East. Approximately 70,000 Brazilians, mostly women, are engaged in prostitution in foreign countries; some are trafficking victims. Child sex tourism is a problem within the country, particularly in the resort areas and coastal cities of Brazil's northeast. An estimated 25,000 Brazilian victims, mostly men, are trafficked within the country for forced agricultural labor. Some foreign victims from Bolivia, Peru, China, and Korea are trafficked to Brazil for labor exploitation in factories but the number of foreign victims is much smaller than the number of Brazilians trafficked from or within the country.
Bulgaria is a source, transit, and destination country for women and girls trafficked from Romania, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, Lebanon, and Central Asia to and through Bulgaria to Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Kosovo, and Macedonia for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Roma children were trafficked within Bulgaria and abroad for purposes of forced begging and petty theft. In 2005, Austrian authorities identified 700 Roma children trafficked from Bulgaria to Austria for forced begging and commercial sexual exploitation. The Ministry of Interior noted an increase of men and boys trafficked for purpose of labor exploitation.
Burkina Faso is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children trafficked for forced labor and sexual exploitation. Burkinabe children are trafficked within Burkina Faso as well as to Benin, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, and Togo. Nigerian and Malian children are trafficked to Burkina Faso. To a lesser extent, Burkinabe women are trafficked to Europe for sexual exploitation.
Burma [Myanmar] is a source country for women and men trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and sexual exploitation. Burmese men, women, and children are trafficked to Thailand, the People's Republic of China (the P.R.C.), Bangladesh, Malaysia, Korea, and Macau for sexual exploitation, domestic service, and forced labor, including commercial labor. A significant number of men, women, and children from Burma are economic migrants who wind up in forced or bonded labor and forced prostitution. To a lesser extent, Burma is a country of transit and destination for women trafficked from the P.R.C. for sexual exploitation. There are some cases of persons trafficked from Bangladesh to Malaysia and from the P.R.C. to Thailand through Burma. Internal trafficking of persons occurs primarily for labor in industrial zones and agricultural estates. Internal trafficking of women and girls for sexual exploitation occurs from villages to urban centers and other areas, such as truck stops, fishing villages, border towns, and mining and military camps. The military junta's economic mismanagement, human rights abuses, and its policy of using forced labor are driving factors behind Burma's large trafficking problem.
Burundi is a source country for children trafficked for the purposes of child soldiering and forced labor. The country is emerging from a 12-year civil war in which government and rebel forces used approximately 7,000 children in a variety of capacities, including as cooks, porters, spies, sex slaves, and combatants. In contrast with past years, there were no reports over the last year that the Burundian security services used children as soldiers or sex slaves, although there were infrequent reports that some soldiers continued to force children to perform menial tasks. The one rebel faction that remains outside the peace process, the PALIPEHUTU-FNL, continued to recruit children from the four provinces in which it operates and used them as child soldiers in Burundi's ongoing internal civil conflict. Burundian children may be trafficked internally, as well as to neighboring countries, for forced labor or commercial sexual exploitation.
Cambodia is a source, destination, and transit country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor. A significant number of Cambodian women and children are trafficked to Thailand and Malaysia for commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor. Cambodian men are trafficked primarily to Thailand for forced labor in the construction and agricultural sectors (particularly the fishing industry) while Cambodian women and girls are trafficked for factory and domestic work. A significant number of Cambodian children are trafficked to Vietnam and Thailand for the purpose of forced begging. Cambodia is a transit and destination point for women from Vietnam trafficked for sexual exploitation. Trafficking for sexual exploitation also occurs within Cambodia's borders, from rural areas to the country's capital, Phnom Penh, and other secondary cities in the country.
Cameroon is a source, transit, and destination country for children and women trafficked for labor and sexual exploitation. The majority of child victims are trafficked within the country, although some are also trafficked from Cameroon to Nigeria, Gabon, and the Central African Republic and to Cameroon from Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Gabon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, Benin, and Niger. Children are trafficked for domestic servitude and street vending; as forced laborers on tea, cocoa, banana, and rubber plantations; for forced work in spare-parts shops; and for commercial sexual exploitation. A smaller number of women and girls are trafficked to Equatorial Guinea and Europe for sexual exploitation, often lured away by fraudulent marriage proposals.
Canada is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of labor and sexual exploitation. In 2004, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) estimated that 600-800 persons are trafficked into Canada annually and that additional 1,500-2,200 persons are trafficked through Canada into the United States. Women and children are trafficked from Africa, Central and South America, Eastern Europe, and Asia for sexual exploitation. Most trafficking victims have been identified from source countries in Asia including South Korea, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, and Vietnam. On a much lower scale, men, women, and children are trafficked for forced labor. Some Canadian girls and women are trafficked internally for commercial sexual exploitation.
The Central African Republic is a source and destination country for children trafficked for forced labor and sexual exploitation. While the majority of child victims are trafficked within the country, some are also trafficked to and from Cameroon and Nigeria. Children are trafficked for domestic servitude, sexual exploitation, and forced labor in shops and commercial labor activities.
Chad is a source, transit, and destination country for children trafficked for forced labor and sexual exploitation. The majority of victims are trafficked within Chad to work in involuntary domestic servitude, herding, or as beggars. Minors are also trafficked from Cameroon and the Central African Republic for commercial sexual exploitation to Chad's oil-producing regions. Chadian children are trafficked to Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Nigeria, and possibly Saudi Arabia.
Chile is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Most victims are Chilean minors trafficked internally for sexual exploitation. Chileans are also trafficked to Argentina, Peru, Bolivia, the United States, Europe, and Asia for sexual and labor exploitation. Foreign victims are brought to Chile for commercial sexual exploitation or involuntary domestic servitude from Peru, Argentina, Colombia, Bolivia, and China.
The People's Republic of China (P.R.C.) is a source, transit, and destination country for women, men, and children trafficked for purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor. The majority of trafficking in China is internal, but there is also international trafficking of Chinese citizens to Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and North America. Women are lured through false promises of legitimate employment only to be forced into commercial sexual exploitation largely in Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, and Japan. There also are cases involving Chinese men and women smuggled into destination countries throughout the world at an enormous personal financial cost and then forced into commercial sexual exploitation or exploitative labor to repay debts to traffickers. Women and children are trafficked into China from Mongolia, Burma, North Korea, Russia, and Vietnam for forced labor, marriage, and sexual slavery. Most North Koreans seeking to leave North Korea enter northeastern China voluntarily but some are forced into sexual servitude or forced labor after arriving in China. Others reportedly are trafficked into China from North Korea. Domestic trafficking remains the most significant problem in China, with an estimated minimum of 10,000-20,000 victims trafficked internally each year; the actual number of victims could be much greater. International organizations report that 90 percent are women and children, trafficked primarily from Anhui, Henan, Hunan, Sichuan, and Yunnan and Guizhou Provinces to prosperous provinces along China's east coast for sexual exploitation. Some experts believe that the serious and prolonged imbalance in the male-female birth ratio may now be contributing to Chinese and foreign girls and women being trafficked as potential brides.
Colombia is one of the Western Hemisphere's major source countries for women and girls trafficked abroad for the purpose of sexual exploitation. The government estimates that 45,000-50,000 Colombian nationals engage in prostitution overseas and that many of them have been trafficked. Colombian women and girls are trafficked to South, Central, and North America, the Caribbean, Western Europe, Japan, Hong Kong, and the Middle East. Within the country, although some Colombian men are trafficked for forced labor, trafficking by organized crime networks (some related to terrorist organizations) of women and children from rural to urban areas for sexual exploitation remains a much larger problem. Internal armed violence in Colombia has displaced many rural communities, making them more vulnerable to trafficking, and insurgent and paramilitary groups have forcibly recruited and exploited an estimated 6,000 to 11,000 children as soldiers, or in forced labor and prostitution. Child sex tourism is a problem in Cartagena and resort areas on the Caribbean coast. Some reports also suggest that Colombia is a transit point for movement of victims from other Andean countries on their way to Europe and the United States.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a source and destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for forced labor and sexual exploitation. The vast majority of trafficking occurs within the country's unstable eastern provinces, where transitional government control is nominal and members of armed groups continue to perpetrate violent acts with impunity. Indigenous and foreign armed rebels continue to abduct and forcibly recruit Congolese men, women, and children to serve as laborers, porters, domestics, combatants, and sex slaves, albeit at a much reduced rate from previous years. Many people abducted in past years, including a limited number of Ugandan nationals being detained by Ugandan militia operating in Congolese territory, are still being held by these armed groups. There were reports of Congolese children in prostitution in brothels in the country. There were also numerous reports indicating that some local authorities attempted to recruit child soldiers for armed groups. During the year, there was one known case of Congolese children trafficked to Zambia.
Costa Rica is principally a source, transit, and destination country for women and children trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Women and girls from Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Guatemala, Ecuador, Cuba, Peru, China, Russia, and the Philippines are trafficked to the country for sexual exploitation; Costa Rican women and children are trafficked within the country for the same purpose. The government acknowledges that child sex tourism is a serious problem. Costa Rica serves as a transit point for victims trafficked to the United States, Mexico, Canada, and Europe. Men, women, and children are also trafficked, usually within the country, for forced labor as domestic servants, agricultural workers, and workers in the fishing industry.
Cote d'Ivoire is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children trafficked for forced labor and sexual exploitation. Women and girls are trafficked for domestic servitude and used in prostitution. Boys are trafficked for agricultural labor on cocoa and palm oil plantations, in mines and for combat. Internal trafficking is prevalent, with children in refugee zones increasingly vulnerable to being trafficked. Internationally, Ivoirian women and children are trafficked to Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Syria and Libya. Other victims are trafficked to Cote d'Ivoire from Burkina Faso, Ghana, Liberia, North Africa, Ukraine, China, and the Philippines.
Croatia is a country of transit, and increasingly a source and destination, for women and girls trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Female victims from Romania, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), and other parts of Eastern Europe are trafficked through BiH and Serbia and Montenegro to Croatia. Due to Croatia's border with the EU, many victims are trafficked into Western Europe. There was one reported case of trafficking for forced labor in 2005.
Cuba is a source country for women and children trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced child labor. The nature and extent of trafficking in the country is hard to gauge due to the closed nature of the government and a lack of non-governmental reporting. However, Cuba is a major destination for sex tourism, which largely caters to hundreds of thousands of European, Canadian, and Latin American tourists. Cuba's thriving sex trade involves large numbers of minors and there is anecdotal evidence that state-run hotel workers, travel company employees, taxicab drivers, bar and restaurant workers, and law enforcement personnel are complicit in the commercial sexual exploitation of these children. There are also reports that Cuban women have been trafficked to Mexico for sexual exploitation, in addition to unconfirmed reports that Cubans are forced to work as deckhands on smuggling trips in order to pay off large smuggling debts. Cuban forced labor victims also include children coerced into working in commercial agriculture.
Cyprus is primarily a destination country for a large number of women trafficked from Eastern and Central Europe for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Other countries of origin include the Philippines and the Dominican Republic. Traffickers continued to fraudulently recruit victims for work as dancers in cabarets and nightclubs on short-term "artiste" visas, for work in pubs and bars on employment visas, or for illegal work on tourist or student visas. Traffickers often rotated victims between different cabarets in cities throughout Cyprus. There were credible reports of female domestic workers from India, Sri Lanka and the Philippines forced to work excessively long hours and denied proper compensation.
The Czech Republic is a source, transit, and destination country for women from the former Soviet Union, China, and Vietnam trafficked to and through the Czech Republic for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Czech women are trafficked to Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, and Scandinavia. The Czech Republic is a transit and destination country for men and women trafficked from Ukraine, Belarus, China, Vietnam, India, and North Korea for the purposes of labor exploitation. IOM reported in 2005 that labor trafficking is a growing problem in the Czech Republic. Ethnic Roma women remain at the highest risk for trafficking within the country.
Denmark is primarily a transit and destination country for women and children trafficked from Ukraine, Moldova, Russia, the Baltic States, Thailand, and Nigeria for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation. In 2005, there was one reported case of internal trafficking. Most cases of child trafficking involved the commercial sexual exploitation of young women aged 14 to 18. The government recognizes that trafficking is a problem in Denmark.
Djibouti is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and possibly forced labor. Small numbers of girls are trafficked to Djibouti from Ethiopia, Somalia, and the self-proclaimed Republic of Somaliland for sexual exploitation; economic migrants from these countries also at times fall victim to trafficking upon reaching Djibouti City or the Ethiopia-Djibouti trucking corridor. A small number of girls from impoverished Djiboutian families also engage in prostitution as a means of income, and they may be victims of trafficking. Children in prostitution are found on the streets or in brothels. Individuals acting as pimps or protectors are frequently used to set up transactions; older children reportedly force younger children to engage in prostitution and then collect their earnings. Women and children from neighboring countries reportedly transit Djibouti for Arab countries, Somalia, and Somaliland for ultimate use in forced labor or sexual exploitation.
The Dominican Republic is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor. IOM estimates that 50,000 Dominican women work in prostitution around the world and that an estimated one-third of these women are trafficking victims. Other international organizations estimate that between 30,000 and 50,000 Dominicans are victims of trafficking. Dominican women are often recruited through acquaintances or family networks, and by means of false promises and misleading employment advertisements. Many are unaware of the true nature of the work, the coercive demands that later will be made of them, or the amount of money they will receive. The primary destinations include Argentina, Australia, the Netherlands, Brazil, Costa Rica, the Netherlands Antilles, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Panama, Suriname, and Switzerland. There is also significant internal trafficking of women and children from rural areas to cities and tourist districts. Haitians are trafficked to the Dominican Republic to work in the sugarcane industry in shantytowns, referred to as "bateys." The conditions in the bateys are substandard; in some bateys, armed guards reportedly kept workers? clothes and documents.
East Timor is a destination country for women trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation. There are also unverified reports of men trafficked for forced labor. The majority of women trafficked to East Timor are from Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, and the P.R.C. Within the country, there is internal trafficking of women and girls from rural areas to the capital, Dili, for commercial sexual exploitation. There are reports indicating that the decline in the international peacekeepers' presence has resulted in a decrease in the number of foreign trafficking victims.
Ecuador is a source, transit, and destination country for persons trafficked for the purposes of sexual and labor exploitation. Many victims are children trafficked for sexual exploitation. Ecuadorians are trafficked to Western Europe, particularly Spain and Italy, and Colombia and Venezuela. Traffickers also move Colombian women and girls to Ecuador for exploitation in prostitution. However, most victims are trafficked within the country?s borders. Child sex tourism is also a problem.
Egypt is a transit country for women trafficked from Eastern Europe ? primarily Uzbekistan, Moldova, Ukraine, and Russia ? to Israel for the purpose of sexual exploitation. These women generally arrive in Egypt through air and seaports as tourists and are subsequently trafficked through the Sinai Desert by Bedouin tribes. Men and women from sub-Saharan Africa and Asia are similarly believed to be trafficked through the Sinai Desert to Israel and Europe for labor exploitation. Bedouins, who are very knowledgeable of desert routes and methods of avoiding detection, routinely rape and abuse victims during journeys that can take up to two months to complete. In addition, some Egyptian children from rural areas are trafficked within the country to work as domestic servants or laborers in the agriculture industry.
El Salvador is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation. El Salvador is also a source country for forced labor. Salvadorans are trafficked to Guatemala, Mexico, and the United States. Salvadoran women and children are also trafficked internally from rural to urban areas for exploitation in prostitution. The vast majority of foreign victims are women and children from Nicaragua and Honduras trafficked for sexual exploitation.
Equatorial Guinea is a transit and destination country for women and children trafficked for forced labor, involuntary domestic servitude, and commercial sexual exploitation. Children are trafficked from surrounding countries -- primarily Benin, Nigeria, Mali, and Cameroon -- to work in the agricultural and commercial sectors of Malabo and Bata, where demand is high due to a booming oil sector. Children work as farmhands, street vendors, and household servants. Girls and women are trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation from Cameroon, Togo, Nigeria, and China to Malabo and Bata.
Estonia is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Estonian women and girls are trafficked to Finland, Sweden, Norway, and, to a lesser extent, other EU countries. Women from Russia, Latvia, and Ukraine are trafficked through Estonia to Nordic countries and some victims are believed to be transited to China. Women from Russia, Latvia, and Ukraine are also trafficked to Estonia primarily for sexual exploitation.
Ethiopia is a source country for men, women, and children trafficked for forced labor and sexual exploitation. Children and adults are trafficked within the country for domestic servitude and, to a lesser extent, for commercial sexual exploitation and labor, such as street vending. Small numbers of men are trafficked to Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States for low-skilled forced labor. Ethiopian women are trafficked to the Middle East, particularly Lebanon, for domestic servitude; other destinations include Egypt, South Africa, Sudan, and Djibouti. Small percentages of these women are trafficked for sexual exploitation. Transit countries for trafficked Ethiopians reportedly include Djibouti, Egypt, Kenya, Libya, Somalia, and Sudan.
Finland is a transit and destination country for women and girls trafficked from Russia, China, and to a lesser extent from Moldova, the Caucuses, and Thailand, for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Victims are trafficked through Finland to other Nordic and Western European countries and to the United States. Finland is also a destination country for men and women trafficked from Russia, Estonia, Turkey, and Asia for the purpose of forced labor. Most victims are exploited in the construction industry, restaurants, and as domestic servants. In April 2005, authorities intercepted a bus of potential labor trafficking victims from Georgia; authorities believe these women were possibly being trafficked to Italy for the purpose of domestic servitude.
France is a destination country for women and girls trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation, primarily from Romania and Bulgaria. Other countries of origin include Albania, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Cameroon. Reports continued of women and children trafficked into involuntary domestic servitude, the majority from Africa. The government estimates that there are 10,000 to 12,000 likely trafficking victims in France. Trafficking of Brazilian women and girls for sexual exploitation to French Guiana ? a French possession? remained a serious problem.
Gabon is a destination country for children trafficked from Benin, Togo, Nigeria, and Guinea, with smaller numbers coming from Sierra Leone, Liberia, Burkina Faso, and Cameroon, for the purpose of labor exploitation. Girls work in domestic servitude, market vending, and restaurants, while boys work in small workshops and street vending. Victims are typically trafficked into the country by boat, arriving on deserted beaches where their likelihood of detection is small.
Gambia is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children trafficked for forced labor and sexual exploitation. Trafficking occurs within the country and internationally. Women and girls are trafficked for domestic servitude and sexual exploitation, while boys are trafficked for street vending, sexual exploitation, work in the fishing industry, and by religious leaders for begging. Women and children are trafficked to Gambia from Senegal, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, and Nigeria. Frequent tourists to Gambia from the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, and Belgium have created a demand for child sex tourism. Children are trafficked from Gambia to Senegal and Europe.
Georgia is a source and transit country for women, children, and men trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor. Many Georgian victims are trafficked to Turkey, mostly attributed to the lack of a visa regime between the two countries. Victims from Ukraine, Moldova, Russia, and other former Soviet states are trafficked through Georgia to Turkey, the U.A.E., Greece, and Western Europe. According to IOM, at least 500 Georgian women are trafficked abroad every year. Reports of internal trafficking for both sexual exploitation and forced labor continued. Victims are reportedly trafficked for the purpose of forced labor in the breakaway region of Abkhazia and traffickers may be using South Ossetia to traffic victims from Russia into Georgia and onwards.
Germany is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of sexual and labor exploitation. Victims come primarily from Central and Eastern Europe as well as Africa (mainly Nigeria), Asia (mainly Thailand), and to a lesser extent from North and South America. The government identified 972 victims in Germany in 2004, the latest year for which statistics are available; of the 972 victims, 127 were German nationals.
Ghana is a source, transit, and destination country for children and women trafficked for forced labor and sexual exploitation. Children are trafficked within the country as domestic servants, cocoa plantation laborers, street vendors, porters, for work in the fishing industry, and for use in sexual exploitation. IOM estimates that the number of trafficked children working in fishing villages along the Volta Lake is in the thousands. Children are also trafficked to and from Cote d'Ivoire, Togo, Nigeria, and The Gambia as domestic servants, laborers, and in the fishing industry. Children and women are trafficked for sexual exploitation from Ghana to Europe, from Nigeria through Ghana to Europe, and from Burkina Faso through Ghana to Cote d?Ivoire.
Greece is a destination and, to a lesser extent, transit country for women and children trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor. Some men are trafficked for forced labor. Most victims are trafficked from Eastern Europe, the Balkans, and Africa, especially Nigeria. Although NGOs reported a decrease in the number of Albanian children trafficked to Greece in 2005, there were reports that Albanian Roma children continued to be trafficked for forced begging and stealing.
Guatemala is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children from Guatemala and other Central American countries trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Guatemalan and foreign women and children are exploited in Guatemala, and they are also trafficked for exploitation in other Central American countries, Mexico, and the United States. Exploitation of minors and illegal foreign migrants may be decreasing in the capital and moving to outlying areas due to law enforcement efforts in Guatemala City. The border with Mexico remains an area of heightened concern due to a steady flow of illegal migrants, many of whom fall victim to traffickers.
Guinea is a source, transit, and destination country for children and women trafficked for forced labor and sexual exploitation. Most trafficking occurs within the country, with girls subjected to domestic servitude, forced hawking, and sexual exploitation. Boys work as shoe shiners and street vendors, on plantations, in mines, and are forced to beg by religious leaders. Children and women are also trafficked from Guinea to Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Senegal, Nigeria, Mali, South Africa, Spain, and Greece for domestic servitude, restaurant work, and sexual exploitation. Children and women are trafficked to Guinea from Niger, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Liberia, Senegal, Guinea Bissau, Mali, and China.
Guinea-Bissau is a source country for children trafficked to neighboring countries (primarily Senegal and, to a lesser extent, Mali and Guinea) for the purposes of forced begging by religious teachers and forced agricultural labor. Key source areas for victims are the cities of Bafata and Gabu and primary points of departure out of the country are through the towns of Pirada and Sao Domingos.
Guyana is a country of origin, transit, and destination for young women and children trafficked for the purposes of sexual and labor exploitation. Most reported cases involve internal trafficking of adolescent girls. Much of this trafficking takes place in remote areas of the interior, or involves Amerindian girls from the interior trafficked to coastal areas to engage in prostitution and involuntary domestic servitude. Girls promised employment as domestics, waitresses, and bar attendants are trafficked into prostitution; young Amerindian men are exploited under forced labor conditions in timber camps. In some instances, victims are forcibly abducted. Guyanese girls and young women are trafficked for sexual exploitation to neighboring countries such as Suriname and Barbados.
Honduras is a source and transit country for women and children trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Many victims are Honduran children trafficked from rural areas to urban and tourist centers such as San Pedro Sula, the North Caribbean coast, and the Bay Islands. Honduran women and children are trafficked to Mexico, the United States, and Guatemala. Most foreign victims trafficked into Honduras for commercial sexual exploitation come from neighboring countries. Honduras is also a transit country for illegal migration originating outside the region, including China, and there are unconfirmed reports that some of these migrants are forced into debt bondage in Honduras to pay off their smuggling fees.
Hong Kong is a transit and destination territory for men and women trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor. Hong Kong is primarily a transit point for illegal migrants, some of whom are subject to conditions of debt bondage, sexual exploitation, and forced labor upon arrival in a destination country. To a lesser extent, Hong Kong is a destination for women from the P.R.C. and Southeast Asian countries trafficked for sexual exploitation. There are credible reports that women are recruited in their home country to work in Hong Kong as entertainers, waitresses, or musicians, but are subsequently forced into prostitution through the coercive use of debts imposed on them. While there are reports that foreign domestics are abused in the territory, Hong Kong’s continuing efforts to regulate the thousands of domestics currently working in Hong Kong appear to have greatly reduced abuses.
Hungary is a source, transit, and destination country for women and girls trafficked from Ukraine, Moldova, Poland, the Balkans, and the P.R.C. to Austria, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Italy, France, Switzerland, Japan, the United States, the U.K., and several countries in Scandinavia and Central America for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Hungarian women are trafficked primarily to Western and Northern Europe and to North America. There is also evidence that men and boys as young as 12 are trafficked from Romania to Budapest for the purpose of sexual exploitation. The majority of victims of sexual exploitation within Hungary are minors.
India is a source, destination, and transit country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of forced or bonded labor and commercial sexual exploitation. The large population of men, women, and children — numbering in the millions — in debt bondage face involuntary servitude in brick kilns, rice mills, and zari embroidery factories. Some children endure involuntary servitude as domestic servants. Internal trafficking of women and girls for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and forced marriage also occurs. The Ministry of Home Affairs estimates that 90 percent of India's sex trafficking is internal. India is also a destination for women and girls from Nepal and Bangladesh trafficked for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation. In addition, boys from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh are trafficked through India to the Gulf states for involuntary servitude as child camel jockeys. Reportedly, Bangladeshi women are trafficked through India for sexual exploitation in Pakistan. Moreover, Indian men and women migrate willingly to the Gulf for work as domestic servants and low-skilled laborers, but some later find themselves in situations of involuntary servitude including extended working hours, nonpayment of wages, restrictions on their movement by withholding of their passports or confinement to the home, and physical or sexual abuse.
Indonesia is a source, transit, and destination country for women, children and men trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor. Indonesian victims are trafficked to Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore. A significant number of Indonesian women who go overseas each year to work as domestic servants are subjected to exploitation and conditions of involuntary servitude. An unknown number of child domestic workers also face conditions of forced child labor, a severe form of trafficking in persons. Some Indonesian women who travel legally to Japan as "cultural performers" are trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation. To a minimal extent, Indonesia is a destination for women from the People’s Republic of China (P.R.C.), Thailand, Taiwan, Uzbekistan, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Venezuela, Spain, and Ukraine who are trafficked for sexual exploitation. There is extensive trafficking within Indonesia from rural to urban metropolitan areas particularly for sexual exploitation and involuntary domestic servitude. Endemic poverty, a high unemployment rate, corruption and a weak rule-of-law environment all contribute to Indonesia’s trafficking problem.
Iran is a source, transit, and destination country for women and girls trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and involuntary servitude. According to foreign observers, women and girls are trafficked to Pakistan, Turkey, the Gulf, and Europe for sexual exploitation. Boys from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan are trafficked through Iran en route to the Gulf states where they are ultimately forced to work as camel jockeys, beggars, or laborers. Afghan women and girls are trafficked to the country for forced marriages and sexual exploitation. Similarly, women and children are trafficked internally for the purposes of forced marriage, sexual exploitation, and involuntary servitude.
Ireland. There are reports, which the Government of Ireland is investigating, which suggest that Ireland is a transit and destination country for a significant number of trafficking victims from Eastern Europe, Africa, Latin America, or Asia. While Ireland has a growing population of migrants, there is not yet evidence of a large number of trafficking victims. Unaccompanied minors from various source countries, particularly in Africa, represent a vulnerable group in Ireland that is susceptible to trafficking and exploitation.
Israel is a destination country for low-skilled workers from the P.R.C., Romania, Jordan, Turkey, Thailand, the Philippines, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and India who migrate voluntarily for contract labor in the construction, agriculture and health care industries. Some are subsequently subjected to conditions of involuntary servitude. Many labor recruitment agencies in source countries and in Israel require workers to pay up-front fees ranging from $1,000-10,000 – a practice that often leads to debt bondage and makes these workers highly vulnerable to forced labor once in Israel. 144 Israel is also a destination country for women trafficked from Eastern Europe – primarily Ukraine, Moldova, Uzbekistan, Belarus, and Russia – for the purpose of sexual exploitation. NGOs estimate that in 2005 between 1,000-3,000 women were trafficked into Israel for sexual servitude and 16,000-20,000 foreign workers faced involuntary servitude, though NGOs do not provide evidence to support their claim.
Italy is a destination and transit country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of sexual and labor exploitation. The number of victims originating from Albania and Nigeria decreased in 2005, while the number of victims from Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine, and Moldova increased. Other countries of origin included Russia, East and North Africa, China, and South America. The percentage of minors who are trafficking victims increased slightly. Eastern European and Nigerian traffickers routinely moved victims within Italy and Europe. The Italian social research institute PARSEC estimated 2,500 new trafficking victims in 2005. Both NGO and government sources reported an overall decline in the number of identified trafficking victims and women in prostitution in Italy.
Jamaica is a source country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and labor. Information from international organizations and embassies working in Jamaica suggests that women from the Dominican Republic and Eastern Europe are trafficked to Jamaica for sexual exploitation. Women and children are also internally trafficked from rural to urban and tourist areas for sexual exploitation. In a 2005 exploratory assessment, IOM stated that trafficking is occurring in the country, primarily for sexual exploitation. The report also states there may be trafficking for domestic servitude and forced labor.
Japan is a destination and transit country for men, women, and children trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation. The majority of trafficking victims are foreign women who migrate to Japan seeking legal work, but are deceived or coerced into debt bondage or sexual servitude. There are also anecdotal reports of forced labor exploitation of Chinese and Thai migrants. Women and children are primarily trafficked to Japan from Thailand, the Philippines, Russia, and Eastern Europe for commercial sexual exploitation. On a smaller scale, women and children are trafficked from Colombia, Brazil, Mexico, South Korea, Malaysia, Burma, and Indonesia for sexual servitude. Internal trafficking of Japanese minor girls for sexual exploitation is an ongoing problem. There are no clear estimates on the number of trafficking victims in Japan, but most agree the number is significant and many women will not come forward for fear of reprisal by their traffickers. Japanese organized criminal syndicates (yakuza) operate internationally and are thought to be involved in trafficking.
Jordan is a destination and transit country for women and men from South and Southeast Asia trafficked for the purpose of labor exploitation. Women from Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and the Philippines travel legally to Jordan to work as domestic servants, but are sometimes subjected to conditions of involuntary servitude, including restrictions on movement, and physical and sexual abuse. Chinese and South Asian men and women sometimes face similar conditions of restricted movement, non-payment of wages, long hours, and withholding of passports while working in factories in Jordan. Additionally, late in the reporting period credible but unverified information was received alleging lack of access to food, water, and medical care, and physical and sexual abuse of foreign workers in some textile and apparel factories. In addition, Jordan is a transit country for South Asian men who are deceived with fraudulent job offers in Jordan, but are instead trafficked to work involuntarily in Iraq.
Kazakhstan is a source, transit, and destination country for people trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and sexual exploitation. Kazakhstani men, women, and children are trafficked to the U.A.E., Turkey, Israel, South Korea, Greece, Russia, and Western Europe. Last year saw a slight decrease in the number of cases of Kazakhstani victims being trafficked abroad and an increase in the number of labor trafficking victims into and within Kazakhstan. Men, women, and children from Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan are trafficked through or to Kazakhstan primarily for forced labor in construction and agriculture. Women and girls are trafficked for sexual exploitation. International experts estimate that the number of trafficking victims is in the low thousands.
Kenya is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for forced labor and sexual exploitation. Kenyan children are trafficked within the country for domestic servitude, street vending, agricultural labor, and sexual exploitation, including the coastal sex tourism industry. Kenyan men, women, and girls are trafficked to the Middle East, other African nations, Western Europe, and North America for domestic servitude, enslavement in massage parlors and brothels, and manual labor. Chinese women trafficked for sexual exploitation reportedly transit Nairobi and Bangladeshis may transit Kenya for forced labor in other countries. Burundian and Rwandan nationals engaged in coastal sex tourism may have been trafficked for this purpose.
The Republic of Korea (R.O.K.) is a source, transit, and destination country for women who are trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Women from Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, the People's Republic of China (P.R.C.), the Philippines, Thailand, and other Southeast Asian countries are trafficked for sexual exploitation to the R.O.K. Korean women are trafficked to Japan and to the United States, sometimes via Canada or Mexico, for forced prostitution.
Kuwait is a destination country for men and women who migrate legally from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Indonesia, and the Philippines for domestic or low-skilled labor, but are subjected to conditions of involuntary servitude by employers in Kuwait. Victims suffer conditions including physical and sexual abuse, non-payment of wages, confinement to the home, and withholding of passports to restrict their freedom of movement. Kuwait is reportedly a transit point for South and East Asian workers recruited by Kuwaiti labor recruitment agencies for low-skilled work in Iraq; some of these workers are deceived as to the true location and nature of this work, and others are subjected to conditions of involuntary servitude in Iraq. In past years, Kuwait was also a destination country for children from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sudan, Yemen, and Eritrea exploited as camel jockeys; this form of trafficking appears to have ceased.
The Kyrgyz Republic is a source, transit, and growing destination country for men, women, and boys trafficked from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, South Asia, and the Kyrgyz Republic itself for purposes of forced labor and sexual exploitation. Victims of forced labor are trafficked to Kazakhstan for work in the agricultural sector, to Russia for work in construction, and to China for bonded labor. Kyrgyz and foreign women are trafficked to the U.A.E, China, South Korea, Turkey, Greece, Cyprus, Thailand, Germany, and Syria for sexual exploitation. Kyrgyz boys are trafficked to Russia and Kazakhstan for sexual exploitation. Kyrgyzstan is a growing destination for women trafficked from Uzbekistan for the purpose of sexual exploitation.
Laos is a source country for men and women trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and sexual exploitation. A significant number of men, women, and children from Laos are economic migrants who are subjected to commercial sexual exploitation or conditions of forced or bonded labor in Thailand. To a much lesser extent, Laos is a transit and destination country for women who are trafficked for sexual exploitation. A small number of victims from the People’s Republic of China (P.R.C.) and Vietnam are trafficked to Laos to work as street vendors and for sexual exploitation in prostitution.
Latvia is a source and, to a lesser extent, a transit country for women and some children trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Latvian women are trafficked to Germany, Spain, the U.K., and Norway. Women from Lithuania are transited through Latvia to Western Europe. In one instance, seven possible trafficking victims from Somalia were intercepted en route to a Nordic country. The government acknowledged reports that the number of trafficking victims in Latvia continued to increase over the last year.
Lebanon is a destination country for the trafficking of Asians and Africans–primarily women–for domestic servitude, and possibly for Eastern European women trafficked for sexual exploitation. Women from Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Somalia, and Ethiopia enter Lebanon legally, but often find themselves subjected to conditions of involuntary servitude as domestic servants. An undetermined number of the domestic servants suffer physical and sexual abuse, nonpayment of wages, and withholding of passports that confines them to the employer’s home. In 2005, the government and NGOs who work in this area reported less than 100 cases of abused foreign workers; experts, however, estimate that the true incidents of migrant worker abuse are considerably higher. Eastern European women come to Lebanon on "artiste" visas to work as adult entertainers, but may become victims of involuntary sexual servitude.
Libya is a transit and destination country for men, women, and children from sub-Saharan Africa and Asia trafficked for forced labor and sexual exploitation. Many victims willingly migrate to Libya en route to Europe with the help of smugglers, but may be forced into prostitution or to work as laborers and beggars to pay off their $800-$1,200 smuggling debt. Laborers from Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia are also reportedly trafficked to Libya for the purpose of labor exploitation. Although precise figures are unavailable, trafficking victims are believed to be among the nearly 1.5 million illegal migrants in Libya.
Lithuania is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Commercial sexual exploitation of children is a significant problem. Official and NGO sources estimate that between 10 and 20 percent of persons working in prostitution are under the age of 18. Data collected by Europol indicates that more than 1,200 Lithuanian women are trafficked abroad annually, although NGOs claim higher estimates. One-third of Lithuanian victims are trafficked to the United Kingdom. Lithuania also serves as a transit point and destination for victims trafficked from Belarus, Russia (Kaliningrad region), and Ukraine.
Luxembourg is a destination country for women trafficked transnationally for the purpose of sexual exploitation. In 2005, Luxembourg officials uncovered a trafficking network moving victims from Brazil to France, Switzerland, and Luxembourg. In part due to its small size, Luxembourg has a modest trafficking challenge.
Macau is a transit and destination territory for women trafficked for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation. While there have been few documented cases of trafficking in Macau in recent years, evidence suggests there may be other victims who are afraid, unable, or unwilling to come forward. Most females in Macau's sizeable sex industry come from the interior regions of the P.R.C or Mongolia, though a significant number also come from Russia, Eastern Europe, Thailand, and Vietnam. The majority of women in Macau's prostitution trade appear to have entered Macau and the sex trade voluntarily, though there is evidence that some are deceived or coerced into sexual servitude, often through the use of debt bondage. Press reports and NGOs state that some women live in poor conditions under threats of violence and coercion. The Russian Consulate in Hong Kong estimates that up to 200 Russian women are in Macau on tourist visas at any given time engaging in prostitution, and NGOs in Russia have information that some of these women are trafficking victims. Similarly, an estimated 200-300 Mongolian women are estimated to be in prostitution in Macau at any given time. Organized criminal syndicates are reportedly involved in bringing women to Macau. Fear of reprisals from these groups may prevent some women from seeking help.
Macedonia is a source, transit, and, to a lesser extent, destination country for women and children trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Some Macedonian victims are trafficked internally within the country. Victims also originated from Moldova, Albania, and to a lesser extent Romania and Bulgaria. Traffickers moved victims through the country en route to Serbia and Montenegro and Kosovo, Albania, and Western Europe.
Madagascar is a source country for children trafficked internally for sexual exploitation and forced labor. A sex tourism problem exists in the coastal cities of Tamatave and Nosy Be, with a significant number of children, mostly girls between the ages of 13 and 18, engaged in prostitution; some were recruited in the capital under false pretenses of employment as waitresses and domestic servants before being forced into prostitution. A network also appears to traffic young girls to the capital for prostitution; cases of encouragement or facilitation by family, taxi and rickshaw drivers, friends, or traditional procurers were reported. Children may be trafficked from rural areas for forced work in salt and gemstone mining, loading fruit onto trucks, or as domestic servants.
Malawi is a country of origin and transit for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and sexual exploitation. Trafficking victims, both children and adults, are lured into exploitative situations by offers of lucrative jobs within Malawi or in South Africa. Children are trafficked within the country for forced agricultural labor. Women in prostitution reportedly draw underage children into prostitution. Anecdotal reports indicate that child sex tourism may be occurring along Malawi’s lakeshore.
Malaysia is a destination, and to a lesser extent, a source and transit country for men and women trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor. Foreign trafficking victims, mostly women and girls from the People’s Republic of China (P.R.C.), Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam are trafficked to Malaysia for commercial sexual exploitation. Some economic migrants from countries in the region who work as domestic servants and as laborers in the construction and agricultural sectors face exploitative conditions in Malaysia that meet the definition of involuntary servitude. Some Malaysian women, primarily of Chinese ethnicity, are trafficked abroad for sexual exploitation.
Mali is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and sexual exploitation. Women and girls are trafficked for domestic servitude and sexual exploitation, and boys are trafficked for work in rice fields, gold mines, and for begging. The majority of victims are trafficked internally, often from central regions to southeast and urban zones. Available information indicates a recent increase in trafficking between Mali and Burkina Faso, Guinea, Senegal, and Mauritania and a decrease in trafficking from Mali to Cote d’Ivoire. Malians are also trafficked to Libya and Europe.
Malta is primarily a destination country for men and women trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor. There is evidence that at least one person was trafficked to Malta from Serbia in 2005, and there were 30 to 40 victims of trafficking in 2004. Although there is not yet clear evidence that the number of identified trafficking victims exceeds 100, any number of victims is a cause for concern given Malta’s relatively small size. Women are trafficked from Ukraine, Russia, and other countries in Eastern Europe to Malta for commercial sexual exploitation.
Mauritania is a source and destination country for children trafficked for the purpose of forced labor. Mauritanian boys are trafficked within the country by religious leaders, called marabouts, for forced begging. These boys, called talibes, often work for up to 12 hours or more a day. Mauritanian girls are trafficked within Mauritania and to Mali for domestic servitude. Both adults and children are subjected to slavery-related practices rooted in ancestral master-slave relationships in isolated parts of the country where a barter economy exists.
Mauritius is a source country for children internally trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation. The scope of the trafficking problem is limited to children engaged in prostitution, though numbers of these child trafficking victims are estimated to be in the hundreds. Increases in prostitution are likely the result of school girls engaging in prostitution, possibly with the support of their peers. Other children may be introduced into prostitution through older female family members. Taxi drivers are reported to provide transportation and introductions to both the girls and the clients.
Mexico is a source, transit, and destination country for persons trafficked for sexual exploitation and labor. The vast majority of trafficking in the country involves Central Americans who are trafficked along Mexico’s southern border. Trafficking to Mexico also occurs from South America, the Caribbean, Eastern Europe, Africa, and Asia. Women and children are trafficked from Mexico’s poorest rural regions to urban centers and tourist areas for sexual exploitation, often through fraudulent offers of employment or through threats of physical violence. Child sex tourism in Mexico remains a problem, mainly in the border and tourist areas. Women are also trafficked into Mexico’s sex trade as well as trafficked via Mexico into the United States’ illegal sex trade under false pretenses by organized criminal networks. The Mexican trafficking problem is often conflated with alien smuggling, although frequently the same criminal networks are involved. Pervasive corruption among state and local law enforcement often impedes investigations.
Moldova is a major source country for trafficking in women and girls for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Victims are trafficked throughout Europe and the Middle East, increasingly to Turkey, Israel, the U.A.E., and Russia. To a lesser extent, Moldova serves as a transit country to European destinations for victims trafficked from other former Soviet states. Reports of internal trafficking of girls from rural areas to Chisinau continued. 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.
Mongolia is a source country for women and men trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor. Mongolian women are trafficked to China, Macau, and South Korea; a small number of Mongolian women were also trafficked to Turkey and Israel. Up to 200 North Korean contract laborers in Mongolia are not free to leave their employment, raising strong concerns that their labor is compulsory. There are reports that Mongolian women have been trafficked to Hungary, Poland, and other East European countries, as well as France and Germany. Some Mongolian men working overseas face exploitative conditions that meet the definition of involuntary servitude — a severe form of trafficking. Mongolia also faces a problem of children trafficked internally for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation. In 2005, the government documented over 150 Mongolian children exploited as prostitutes.
Morocco is a source, transit, and destination country for girls, women, and men trafficked from sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Internal trafficking involves young girls from rural areas recruited to work as child maids in major cities. Morocco is also a source country for men, women, and children trafficked to Italy, Spain, and other parts of Europe for forced labor and sexual exploitation. Moroccan women are similarly trafficked to Saudi Arabia, Syria, and the U.A.E. for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Men and women from Nigeria, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan are increasingly trafficked through Morocco to Europe or Middle Eastern countries for forced labor. In 2005, the Government of Morocco, international organizations, and numerous NGOs claimed that the number of Moroccans trafficked into Spain, Italy, and elsewhere in Europe has increased significantly.
Mozambique is a source country for men, women, and children trafficked for forced labor and sexual exploitation. The use of forced and bonded child laborers is a common and increasing practice in rural areas, often with the complicity of family members. Women and girls are trafficked internally and to South Africa for forced labor and sexual exploitation; young men and boys are similarly trafficked for farm work or domestic servitude. Trafficked Mozambicans often labor for months in South Africa without pay before the "employer" reports them as illegal immigrants or trespassers; they are then arrested and deported. Traffickers are typically part of small networks of Mozambican and/or South African citizens; however, involvement of larger Chinese and Nigerian syndicates in the trafficking of Mozambicans has also been reported.
Nepal is a source country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and involuntary servitude. An estimated 12,000 Nepali women and children are trafficked every year into sexual exploitation in Indian brothels, and an unspecified number are victims of internal sex trafficking. Women also migrate willingly to Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and other Gulf states to work as domestic servants, but some subsequently face conditions of involuntary servitude because their passports and wages are withheld and they are physically and sexually abused by their employers. Despite the Government of Nepal's ban on traveling to Iraq for work, some Nepalis are reportedly trafficked into Iraq after being offered jobs in Jordan and Kuwait.
The Netherlands is a destination and transit country for the trafficking of women and girls for the purpose of sexual exploitation; some trafficking for labor exploitation occurs. Victims continued to be trafficked from Central and Eastern Europe, Nigeria and Brazil. Reportedly, a significant percentage of the 25,000 individuals engaged in prostitution are trafficking victims. Internal trafficking of young, mostly foreign girls by Moroccan and Turkish pimps into sexual exploitation continued. The Netherlands Antilles, where the Netherlands exercises responsibility over visa issuance according to guidelines issued by the Netherlands Antilles, continued to be a concern as a transit region and destination for illegal migrants, some of whom may have been trafficked.
New Zealand has a sizable number of children engaged in prostitution who may be victims of internal trafficking; it is a destination country for women from Thailand and other countries in Asia trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation. There are a significant number of foreign women in the country engaged, both legally and illegally, in the commercial sex trade. Some of these women may be trafficking victims. The majority of these women are from Thailand and Southeast Asia, but over the past year there have been anecdotal reports of women coming to New Zealand from Brazil and the Czech Republic. Children are trafficked within the country for commercial sexual exploitation. Estimates of international trafficking victims are modest; there have been reports of debt bondage and confiscation of documents among women in prostitution.
Nicaragua is a source country for women and children trafficked internally and across borders for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Exploitation of minors in prostitution is believed to be the most prevalent form of internal trafficking. Nicaraguan victims were detected by law enforcement in neighboring countries such as Guatemala, El Salvador, and Costa Rica, with Guatemala remaining the primary foreign destination for young women and girls trafficked for sexual exploitation. Recent reports suggest that young men from border areas in southern Nicaragua are also trafficked to Costa Rica for the purpose of labor exploitation. The government acknowledges that trafficking and child sex tourism are significant problems.
Niger is a source, transit, and destination country for children, women, and men trafficked for forced labor and sexual exploitation. Children are trafficked within Niger for forced begging by religious teachers, manual labor, domestic servitude, work in mines, and sexual exploitation. Internationally, children are trafficked to Niger for labor exploitation from Benin, Burkina Faso, Gabon, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria, and Togo. Women and girls are also trafficked from Niger to North Africa, the Middle East, and Europe for forced domestic labor and sexual exploitation. Men are also trafficked through Niger to North Africa for forced labor. Traditional forms of caste-based servitude, rooted in ancestral masterslave relationships, also continue in isolated areas of the country. Between 10,000 and 43,000 Nigeriens are estimated to live in conditions of traditional servitude, which range in practice from societal discrimination to outright slavery.
Nigeria is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children trafficked for forced labor and sexual exploitation. Victims are trafficked for domestic servitude, street hawking, agricultural labor, and sexual exploitation. Within Nigeria, women and children are trafficked from rural areas to urban zones. Internationally, they are trafficked to the Central African Republic, Mali, Gabon, Sudan, North Africa, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and Austria. Women and children are also trafficked to Nigeria from Togo, Benin, Chad, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Niger, and Ghana.
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (D.P.R.K. or North Korea) is a source country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and sexual exploitation. The D.P.R.K.’s own system of political repression includes forced labor in a network of prison camps where an estimated 150,000 to 200,000 persons are incarcerated. Many North Koreans seeking to escape the dire conditions in the country attempt to leave by crossing the border into northeast China, where an estimated tens of thousands of North Koreans may reside illegally. There are no completely reliable estimates on the number of these North Koreans, more than half of whom appear to be women victims of trafficking. The illegal status of North Koreans in China and other countries increases their vulnerability to trafficking schemes and sexual and physical abuse. In the most common form of trafficking, North Korean women and children already in China are picked up by trafficking rings and sold as brides to Korean-Chinese men or placed in forced labor. In a less common form of trafficking, some North Koreans are lured from the D.P.R.K. into China with promises of freedom and employment, only to be forced into prostitution, marriage, or exploitative labor arrangements. The scale of the problem is blurred by the operation of "professional border crossers" who help North Koreans voluntarily enter China. North Koreans forcibly returned from China may be subject to hard labor in prison camps operated by the government.
Norway is a destination country for women trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation, primarily from Nigeria, Albania, Russia, and the Baltic countries. There is no evidence of trafficking for other purposes. The government acknowledges that trafficking is a problem in Norway.
Oman is a destination country for men and women primarily from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India who migrate willingly, but may subsequently become victims of trafficking when subjected to conditions of involuntary servitude as domestic workers and laborers. There have been occasional reports from foreign entities that expatriate children engaged in camel racing may transit or reside in Omani territory.
Pakistan is a source, destination, and transit country for men, women, and children for the purposes of sexual exploitation, involuntary servitude, and servitude as child camel jockeys. Pakistani women and men migrate voluntarily to Gulf states, Iran, Turkey, and Greece for work as domestic servants or construction workers; men are recruited for work in Iraq. Some of these men and women, however, may find themselves in situations of involuntary servitude when faced with overwhelming recruitment and transportation fees, restrictions on their movement, non-payment of wages, and physical or sexual abuse. Pakistani girls are also reportedly trafficked to the Gulf for sexual exploitation and Pakistani boys are trafficked primarily to the U.A.E. and Qatar to serve as camel jockeys. Pakistan faces a significant internal trafficking problem reportedly involving thousands of women and children trafficked from rural areas and sold to settle debts and disputes or forced into sexual exploitation, domestic servitude, or marriage. Unconfirmed estimates of Pakistani victims of bonded labor in the brick, glass, carpet, and fishing industries are in the millions. Women and children from Bangladesh, India, Burma, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan are also trafficked to Pakistan for sexual exploitation and involuntary servitude. In addition, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Nepalese, and Burmese women are trafficked through Pakistan en route to the Gulf or Greece.
Panama is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children trafficked for the purposes of sexual and labor exploitation. Women and children are trafficked primarily within Panama for sexual exploitation. There are also credible reports of women and children trafficked from Colombia and the Dominican Republic to and through Panama for sexual exploitation. Panamanian women have been trafficked from Panama to Jamaica, Guatemala, and Mexico. Child domestic laborers who may be trafficking victims are transported from the western provinces to Panama City.
Paraguay is a source and destination country for women and children trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor. Paraguayan victims are primarily trafficked to Argentina, Spain, and Brazil. This transnational trafficking appears to be increasing; authorities in Spain have identified a growing number of Paraguayan victims exploited in prostitution and forced labor. Poor children are also trafficked within the country, from rural to urban areas for sexual exploitation and involuntary domestic servitude. Recruiters of all types of trafficking are typically Paraguayan. Trafficking of Paraguayan and Brazilian women and girls, principally for sexual exploitation, remains an ongoing problem in the tri-border area of the Brazil-Paraguay- Argentina border.
Peru is primarily a source country for women and children trafficked internally for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced domestic labor. Most victims are girls and young women moved internally from rural to urban areas or from city to city, and lured or coerced into prostitution in nightclubs, bars, and brothels. Peruvians have also been trafficked for sexual exploitation to Spain, Japan, the United States, and Venezuela for the purpose of labor exploitation. The government also acknowledges that sex tourism occurs, particularly in the Amazon region of the country.
The Philippines is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor. A significant share of the over one million Philippine men and women who go overseas each year to work as domestic servants or in the construction and garment industries are subjected to conditions of involuntary servitude. Women are often lured abroad with false promises of legitimate employment and are trafficked to destinations throughout Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and North America. A large percentage of the Philippine women who migrate legally to Japan as overseas performing artists are believed to have been trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation. To a lesser extent, the Philippines is a transit point and destination for women from the P.R.C. who are trafficked for sexual exploitation. There is substantial internal trafficking within the Philippines, primarily from rural to urban metropolitan areas, and sexual exploitation of children. Endemic poverty, a high unemployment rate, a cultural propensity toward migration, a weak rule-of-law environment, and sex tourism all contribute to significant trafficking activity in the Philippines.
Poland is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children from Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, and Bulgaria trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation. There were isolated reports of Vietnamese nationals trafficked to Poland for labor exploitation. Polish women are trafficked to Germany, Italy, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Japan, and Israel for purposes of sexual exploitation. The reported number of victims forced to work in the agricultural industry, sweatshops, and begging rings continued to increase in 2005.
Portugal is primarily a destination and transit country for women, men, and children trafficked from Brazil, Eastern Europe, and, to a lesser extent, Africa. Some victims are trafficked for forced labor. The majority of victims trafficked from Brazil are trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation.
Qatar is a destination country for men and women from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, the Philippines, and Indonesia who migrate willingly, but are subsequently trafficked into involuntary servitude as domestic workers and laborers. The problem of trafficking of foreign children for camel jockey servitude in Qatar — which has been highlighted in previous Reports — was thoroughly addressed by Government of Qatar action over the last year, though independent confirmation of the problem's complete elimination is not yet available.
Romania is a source and transit country for women and girls trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Females from Moldova, Ukraine, and Russia are trafficked through Romania to Italy, Spain, Germany, Greece, France, Austria, and Canada. There were reports that Romanian boys and young men were trafficked to another Eastern European country for purposes of sexual exploitation. Romanian girls are trafficked within the country for commercial sexual exploitation, and boys are trafficked from Eastern and Northern Romania to urban cities for purposes of forced labor including forced petty theft.
Russia is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for various purposes. It remains a significant source of women trafficked to over 50 countries for commercial sexual exploitation. In the Russian Far East, men and women are trafficked to China, Japan, and South Korea for both forced labor and sexual exploitation. Russia is also a transit and destination country for men and women trafficked from Central Asia, Eastern Europe including Ukraine, and North Korea, to Central and Western Europe and the Middle East for purposes of forced labor and sexual exploitation. Internal trafficking remains a problem in Russia; women are trafficked from rural areas to urban centers for commercial sexual exploitation, while forced labor in the maritime industry remains a concern in the Far East. Men are trafficked internally and from Central Asia for forced labor in the construction and agricultural industries. The ILO estimates that 20 percent of the five million illegal immigrants in Russia are victims of forced labor. Debt bondage is common among trafficking victims. Child sex tourism remains a concern.
Rwanda is a source country for children trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and child soldiering. As a result of extreme poverty, deficient education, and lack of family support, a small number of Rwandan girls resort to prostitution. There were no reports of brothels, organized sex trafficking networks, or of women or girls being lured to urban areas or sold into commercial sexual exploitation. However, there were limited reports of older women working in loose association with younger girls, an activity which may constitute trafficking in persons. While living as refugees in Democratic Republic of the Congo, some children of Rwandan background were trafficked by armed rebel groups for forced labor and child soldiering; numbers of returning child ex-combatants decreased in 2005, but more are expected to be repatriated in the future.
Saudi Arabia is a destination country for workers from Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Indonesia, an indeterminate number of whom are subjected to conditions that constitute involuntary servitude. There were reports that victims are subjected to physical and sexual abuse, non-payment of wages, confinement, and withholding of passports as a restriction on their movement. Domestic workers are particularly vulnerable because some are confined to the house in which they work, unable to seek help. Saudi Arabia is also a destination country for Nigerian, Yemeni, Pakistani, Afghan, Somali, Malian, and Sudanese children trafficked for forced begging and involuntary servitude as street vendors. There were also reports that some Nigerian women were trafficked into Saudi Arabia for commercial sexual exploitation.
Senegal is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children trafficked for forced labor and sexual exploitation. Boys are trafficked within Senegal for forced labor, particularly for begging by Koranic teachers called marabouts. Girls are trafficked within Senegal for domestic servitude and sexual exploitation. Boys are trafficked to Senegal from The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, and Guinea for forced labor and begging. Women and girls are trafficked from Senegal to neighboring West African countries, the Middle East, Europe, and to a lesser extent, North America. They are also trafficked to Senegal from neighboring West African countries and from these countries through Senegal to the Middle East and Europe.
The union of Serbia and Montenegro (SaM) is a source, transit, and destination country for women and girls trafficked within the country and transnationally for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Victims identified in Serbia and Montenegro in 2005 came from SaM, Moldova, Ukraine, Russia, Romania, Bulgaria, and Croatia. Victims trafficked from or through the union were often trafficked through Croatia, then on to Western Europe. Roma children were trafficked internally for forced begging. IOM reported a growing trend in internal trafficking involving both Serbian and Montenegrin victims; a number of these cases involved repeated exploitation of the victims. An estimated 30-50 percent of females in prostitution in Montenegro are victims of trafficking; of that number, one-half are children.
Sierra Leone is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children trafficked for forced labor and sexual exploitation. Within the country, women and children are trafficked from rural areas to towns and diamond mining areas for work in mining, domestic servitude, petty trading, begging, agriculture, and the fishing industry and for sexual exploitation. Women and children are trafficked from Sierra Leone to Liberia, Guinea, Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Guinea-Bissau, The Gambia, the Middle East, and Europe.
Singapore is a destination country for women and girls trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Some women and girls from Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and the People's Republic of China (P.R.C.) who travel to Singapore voluntarily for prostitution or non-sexual work are deceived or coerced into sexual servitude. A small minority of foreign domestic workers in Singapore face seriously abusive labor conditions that amount to involuntary servitude, a severe form of trafficking.
The Slovak Republic is a transit and, to a lesser extent, a source country for women trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Victims from Moldova, Ukraine, and the Balkans are trafficked through Slovakia to the Czech Republic, Germany, Switzerland, France, Italy, Austria, the Netherlands, and Japan. Some women are exploited in Slovakia while in transit to their final destinations in Western Europe. In one case, a man was trafficked to Japan for purposes of forced labor; evidence suggests recruitment of additional men may be ongoing. The Roma within Slovakia continued to be a vulnerable group targeted by traffickers.
Slovenia is primarily a transit and, to a lesser extent, a source and destination country for women and girls trafficked from Ukraine, Slovakia, Romania, Moldova, and Bulgaria for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Some of these victims are trafficked onward to Italy, the Netherlands, and other Western European countries.
South Africa is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for forced labor and sexual exploitation. South African women and girls are trafficked internally and occasionally by organized crime syndicates to European and Asian countries for sexual exploitation. Women from other African countries are trafficked to South Africa and, less frequently, onward to Europe for sexual exploitation. Men and boys are trafficked from neighboring countries for forced agricultural labor. Thai, Chinese, and Eastern European women are trafficked to South Africa for debt-bonded sexual exploitation.
Spain is a destination and transit country for women trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor. These victims are trafficked from Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, South and Central America, and Africa. The most prominent source countries for these victims are Romania, Russia, Brazil, Colombia, and Nigeria. Spain continued to serve as a transit country for victims destined for Portugal, France, and Germany. Romanian trafficking networks continued to expand their operations in Spain.
Sri Lanka is a source and destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for sexual exploitation, and domestic labor, especially to the Middle East, China, and South Korea. Internal trafficking of women, girls, and boys for commercial sexual exploitation also occurs. An unsubstantiated number of women from Thailand, China, Russia, and other former Soviet Union countries are trafficked to Sri Lanka for commercial sexual exploitation. Sri Lanka is also considered a popular destination for child sex tourists. In areas controlled by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, children have been forced to become child soldiers.
Sudan is a source country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and, at times, sexual exploitation. Sudan may also be a transit and destination country for Ethiopian women trafficked for domestic servitude. Young Sudanese boys from the country's eastern Rashaida tribe are trafficked to the Middle East, particularly Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, for use as camel jockeys. Small numbers of Sudanese girls are reportedly trafficked within Sudan for domestic servitude, as well as for commercial sexual exploitation in small brothels in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps. The terrorist rebel organization "Lord's Resistance Army" (LRA) continues to abduct and forcibly conscript small numbers of children in Southern Sudan for use as cooks, porters, and combatants in its ongoing war against the Government of Uganda; some of these children are then trafficked across borders into Uganda or possibly the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Sudanese children are utilized by rebel groups in Sudan's ongoing conflict in Darfur; the Sudanese Armed Forces and associated militias reportedly continue to utilize children in this region. Vulnerable boys often perceive that voluntarily attaching themselves to an armed group, whether a rebel militia or the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), is their best option for survival. Forcible recruitment of adults and particularly children by virtually all armed groups involved in Sudan's recently ended North-South civil war was commonplace; thousands of children now require demobilization and reintegration into their communities of origin.
Suriname is primarily a transit and destination country for women and children trafficked internationally for the purpose of sexual exploitation. It is also a source country for children trafficked internally for sexual exploitation. Foreign girls and women are trafficked from Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Guyana, and Colombia for commercial sexual exploitation; some transit Suriname en route to Europe. Chinese nationals transiting Suriname risk debt bondage to migrant smugglers; men are exploited in forced labor and women in commercial sexual exploitation. Haitians migrating illegally through Suriname are also vulnerable to forced labor exploitation in the country.
Sweden is a destination and, to a lesser extent, a transit country for women and children from Estonia, Russia, the Balkans, and Nigeria trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Authorities noted an increase in ethnic Roma women and children trafficked from Romania. Victims transit Sweden as they are trafficked to Denmark, Norway, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Recently, a large number of Chinese children were trafficked through Sweden to Denmark, Germany, Italy, France, and the Netherlands.
Switzerland is a destination and, to a lesser extent, a transit country for women trafficked from Ukraine, Romania, Hungary, Lithuania, Slovakia, Moldova, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Thailand, Cambodia, and countries in Africa for the purpose of sexual exploitation. The government estimates the total number of potential victims currently in Switzerland is 1,500 to 2,000. Limited cases of domestic servitude and forced labor in the agricultural, construction, and tourism industries were also reported.
Syria is a destination country for women from South and Southeast Asia and Africa for domestic servitude and from Eastern Europe and Iraq for sexual exploitation. Women from Indonesia, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Ethiopia, and Sierra Leone are recruited for work in Syria as domestic servants, but some face conditions of exploitation and involuntary servitude including long hours, non-payment of wages, withholding of passports and other restrictions on movement, and physical and sexual abuse. Similarly, Russian, Ukrainian, and Belarussian women recruited for work in Syria as cabaret dancers are not permitted to leave their work premises without permission and have their passports withheld — indicators of involuntary servitude. In addition, of the 450,000 Iraqis in Syria, some of the women and children are reportedly forced into sexual exploitation.
Taiwan is primarily a destination for men, women, and children trafficked for forced labor and sexual exploitation. Women from the P.R.C. and Southeast Asian countries are trafficked to Taiwan for sexual exploitation and forced labor. Women and children, primarily from Vietnam, are trafficked to Taiwan through the use of fraudulent marriages, deceptive employment offers, and illegal smuggling for commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor.
Tajikistan is a source country for women and children trafficked to the U.A.E., Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Iran for purpose of sexual exploitation; men are trafficked to Russia for labor exploitation. In 2005, at least 420 women were trafficked to the U.A.E. and other Arab countries for sexual exploitation, according to IOM. IOM confirmed that 2,000 men were trafficked to Russia to labor in the construction and agricultural industries. Media reports linked trafficking rings to financing terrorist organizations, although the government denies such reports.
Tanzania is a source and possibly transit country for children trafficked for forced labor and sexual exploitation. Girls from rural areas are trafficked to urban centers for domestic servitude and commercial sexual exploitation. Domestics fleeing abusive employers as well as voluntary migrants unable to find work in urban centers sometimes fall prey to exploitation in prostitution. Boys are trafficked within the country for exploitative work on farms, in mines, and in the informal sector. Small numbers of girls are also reportedly trafficked to South Africa, Oman, the United Kingdom, and possibly other European or Middle Eastern countries for domestic servitude. Citizens of neighboring countries may be trafficked through Tanzania for forced domestic labor and sexual exploitation in South Africa and the Middle East.
Thailand is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor. A significant number of Thai women are trafficked to Japan, Malaysia, Bahrain, Australia, Singapore, South Africa, Taiwan, Europe, and North America for sexual exploitation. Thai laborers working abroad often pay excessive recruitment fees prior to departure, resulting in situations of severe indebtedness which can lead to debt bondage, a form of trafficking in persons. Burmese, Cambodian, and Lao men are primarily trafficked to Thailand for forced labor in the construction and agricultural sectors, particularly the fishing industry, while Burmese, Cambodian, and Lao women and girls are trafficked for factory and domestic work and the sex trade. A significant number of Cambodian children are trafficked to Thailand for the purpose of begging. The majority of trafficking victims from Burma, Laos, Cambodia, and the People’s Republic of China (P.R.C.) are economic migrants who are subjected to conditions of forced or bonded labor and commercial sexual exploitation in Thailand. Regional economic disparities drive significant illegal migration into Thailand, presenting traffickers with opportunities to move victims into labor or sexual exploitation. Internal trafficking also occurs in Thailand, involving victims from Northern Thailand, especially ethnic hill tribe women and girls who are denied Thai citizenship. The denial of citizenship to ethnic hill tribe people makes them more susceptible to trafficking. Widespread sex tourism in Thailand encourages trafficking for sexual exploitation.
Togo is a source, transit, and destination country for children, women, and men trafficked for forced labor and sexual exploitation. The majority of victims are children, and trafficking within the country is more prevalent than international trafficking. Children are trafficked within Togo, and to Gabon, Benin, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Niger, Cote d’Ivoire, Lebanon, and Europe to work as domestic servants, produce porters, roadside sellers, agricultural laborers, and for sexual exploitation. Togolese women may be trafficked to Europe for forced labor and sexual exploitation.
Tunisia is a transit country for North and sub-Saharan African men and women migrating to Europe, some of whom may be trafficked for the purposes of involuntary servitude or sexual exploitation. The Government of Tunisia does not systematically differentiate trafficking victims from illegal migrants traveling through the country. Tunisia may also be a source country for internal trafficking of children for commercial sexual exploitation.
Turkey is a major destination and transit country for women and children trafficked primarily for sexual exploitation and, to a lesser extent, forced labor. In 2005, IOM's office in Turkey reported that 60 percent of cases identified involved victims from Ukraine and Moldova; other victims are trafficked from throughout Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Reports of trafficking within Turkey continued. Turkish traffickers used violence to control their victims, often using threats against victims’ families as a powerful form of coercion.
Uganda is a source country for men, women, and children trafficked for forced labor and sexual exploitation. The terrorist rebel organization Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) abducts children and adults in northern Uganda and southern Sudan to serve as cooks, porters, agricultural workers, and combatants; girls are subjected to sex slavery and forced marriage. Some abducted children and adults remain within Uganda, while others are taken to southern Sudan or eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. There are reports of a small number of children serving in the Uganda People's Defense Forces (UPDF) and various local militias known as Local Defense Units; there is no evidence that security forces conscript children. Ugandan girls are trafficked within the country from rural villages to border towns and urban centers for commercial sexual exploitation.
The United Arab Emirates is a destination country for men, women, and children trafficked from South and East Asia, Eastern Europe, Africa, and the Middle East for involuntary servitude and for sexual exploitation. An estimated 10,000 women from sub-Saharan Africa, Eastern Europe, South and East Asia, Iraq, Iran, and Morocco may be victims of sex trafficking in the U.A.E. Women also migrate from India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Ethiopia, and the Philippines to work as domestic servants, but may have their passports confiscated, be denied permission to leave the place of employment in the home, and face sexual or physical abuse by their employers. Similarly, men from India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan come to the U.A.E. to work in the construction industry, but may be subjected to conditions of involuntary servitude as they are coerced to pay off recruitment and travel costs that can exceed two years’ wages, sometimes having their wages denied for months at a time. Victims of child camel jockey trafficking may still remain in the U.A.E. Once a destination for thousands of young boys trafficked from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sudan, and Mauritania to work as camel jockeys, the U.A.E. enacted a law banning the practice in July 2005, and all identified victims were repatriated at the government’s expense to their home countries. Questions persist as to the effectiveness of the ban, and the number of victims is still unidentified.
Ukraine is primarily a source country for men, women, and children trafficked internationally for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor. Primary destination countries include Turkey, Russia, and Poland. Other major destinations include the Czech Republic, Italy, Israel, Greece, Serbia and Montenegro, the United Kingdom, Lithuania, and Portugal. Reports of internal trafficking continued. The number of destination countries used by traffickers increased in 2005, with almost 50 countries serving as destination points throughout Europe and eastward, including China.
The United Kingdom is primarily a destination country for trafficked women, children, and men from Eastern Europe, the Balkans, and East Asia for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor. Some victims are trafficked through the U.K. to Western Europe. It is estimated that a number of the foreign nationals in prostitution in London’s brothels, saunas, and massage parlors are trafficking victims. NGOs report a problem of children trafficked into domestic servitude, particularly from West Africa.
Uruguay is principally a source country for women and children trafficked within the country, and particularly to states bordering Brazil, for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Prostitution rings may also exploit children in popular tourist areas of Maldonado. Reports were received of poor parents turning over their children to third parties for domestic service or agricultural labor in conditions of involuntary servitude. Authorities have identified no transborder trafficking cases since the discovery in January 2005 of a group of Chinese migrants exploited in forced agricultural labor.
Uzbekistan is a source and, to a lesser extent, a transit country for women trafficked to the U.A.E., Israel, India, Malaysia, South Korea, Russia, Japan, Thailand, and Turkey for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Women from other Central Asian countries and China are trafficked through Uzbekistan. Men are trafficked for purposes of forced labor in the construction and agricultural industries to Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. Men and women are also trafficked within the country. A significant number of Uzbek victims are trafficked annually.
Venezuela is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor. Women and children from Colombia, China, Peru, Ecuador, and the Dominican Republic are trafficked to and through Venezuela and subjected to commercial sexual exploitation or forced labor. Venezuelans are trafficked internally and to Western Europe, particularly Spain and the Netherlands, and countries in the region such as Mexico, Aruba, and the Dominican Republic for commercial sexual exploitation. Venezuela is a transit country for illegal migrants from other countries in the region – particularly Peru and Colombia – and for Asian nationals; some are believed to be trafficking victims.
Vietnam is a source and destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor. Vietnamese women and girls are trafficked to Cambodia, the P.R.C., Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, Taiwan, and the Czech Republic for sexual exploitation. State-owned labor export companies recruit and send workers abroad; some of these laborers have been known to suffer conditions of involuntary servitude or bonded or forced labor. Women from Vietnam are trafficked to Taiwan through fraudulent marriages for sexual exploitation and labor. Other Vietnamese women are recruited to travel to Singapore by offers of marriage to Singaporean men; after arrival they face coercion or pressure that makes them vulnerable to trafficking. Vietnam is a destination country for Cambodian children who are trafficked for the purpose of begging. There is also internal trafficking from rural to urban areas.
Yemen is a source country for children trafficked internally for sexual exploitation and to Saudi Arabia for forced begging, unskilled labor, or street vending, as well as a possible destination country for Iraqi women trafficked for sexual exploitation. Children are often lured by family members or trusted adults with promises of well-paying jobs in Saudi Arabia or in the Yemeni cities of Aden and Sanaa. Estimates reflect that the age of children trafficked for forced begging ranges from seven to 16 years of age, with the majority being between 12 and 14 years old. The number of child victims of sex trafficking is believed to be in the low hundreds.
Zambia is a source and transit country for women and children trafficked for forced labor and sexual exploitation. Zambian children are internally trafficked for forced agricultural labor, domestic servitude, and sexual exploitation; some reportedly are trafficked to Europe for sexual exploitation.
Zimbabwe is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children trafficked for forced labor and sexual exploitation. Large, well-organized rings may be involved. Zimbabwean children may be trafficked internally for forced agricultural labor, domestic servitude, and sexual exploitation. Trafficked women and girls are lured out of the country to South Africa, China, Egypt, and Zambia with false job or scholarship promises that result in domestic servitude or commercial sexual exploitation. There are reports of South African employers demanding sex from undocumented Zimbabwean workers under threat of deportation. Women and children from Malawi, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo transit Zimbabwe en route to South Africa. Small numbers of South African girls are trafficked to Zimbabwe for domestic labor.
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