2007 Trafficking in Persons Report - Center for Women Policy Studies

served some time in prison; this is a significant
decrease from 2004 when 13 of 16 convicted traffickers
served time in prison. In 2006, Polish authorities
worked closely with foreign counterparts on several
high-profile international trafficking cases. In May
2006, Austrian authorities arrested two Polish policemen
who were involved in a group suspected of
having trafficked 440 Polish and Romanian women
to Austria. To date, there have been no cases of law
enforcement officials punished for trafficking-related
corruption in Poland.
Protection
The Polish government continued to provide quality
assistance to trafficking victims. It increased its
funding to victim support and sustained implementation
of its victim referral mechanism governing
cooperation among police, border guards, and victim
assistance organizations. Once identified, victims
were typically referred to the nearest victim assistance
location. Although the government has invested
significant resources in victim identification training,
the number of identified victims in the country
remained low. Concerns exist that a two-month
victim reflection period for victims, available starting
in 2005, was not properly implemented; at least
one foreign victim identified herself to law enforcement
but was still deported without being offered
the reflection period. The government encouraged
victims to assist in trafficking investigations and
prosecutions; 11 victims assisted authorities in 2006.
Prevention
The government continued to improve its trafficking
prevention efforts. During the reporting period,
the government funded several NGOs to conduct
workshops at orphanages and childcare centers to
raise awareness of the dangers of trafficking. A
government-funded NGO also conducted an awareness
campaign on the Polish-Ukrainian border.
Anti-trafficking awareness guidebooks targeting both
Poles traveling abroad for work and foreign women
migrating to Poland for work were produced and
disseminated among these two groups.
PORTUGAL (Tier 2)
Portugal is primarily a destination and transit country
for women, men, and children trafficked from
Brazil, Ukraine, Moldova, Russia, Romania, and to a
lesser extent Africa. The majority of Brazilian female
victims are trafficked for the purposes of commercial
sexual exploitation. Male victims from Eastern
European countries are trafficked for forced labor in
the construction industry. Some trafficking victims
transit through Portugal to other European countries.
The Government of Portugal does not fully comply
with the minimum standards for the elimination of
trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts
to do so. In 2006, a multi-agency government center
responsible for gathering trafficking-related data
opened and required that police fill out a standard
detailed form with case information. The parliament
should pass the new anti-trafficking penal
code reforms currently before it and the government
should actively implement those reforms.
Prosecution
The Government of Portugal demonstrated weak
efforts to prosecute trafficking in 2006, although it
has established a system to facilitate the compiling
of comprehensive law enforcement data under the
category of trafficking. Portugal prohibits labor trafficking
and most forms of sex trafficking through
various trafficking-related provisions of its penal
code. In addition, sex trafficking of Portuguese
citizens across international borders is specifically
prohibited. To bolster its efforts to combat trafficking,
the government submitted to parliament
reforms that will standardize the penal code as it
relates to trafficking. The reforms explicitly criminalize
labor trafficking, broaden the definition of
sex trafficking, and increase penalties for both types
of trafficking offenses. Current penalties prescribed
by law for commercial sexual exploitation are
commensurate with those for rape, and the laws
generally prescribe penalties that are sufficiently
stringent. However, sentences imposed on convicted
offenders are often suspended. In 2006, a bar
owner accused of sex trafficking was convicted for
related crimes of pimping, aiding illegal immigration,
kidnapping, and illegal possession of weapons.
He was sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment
for recruiting and exploiting Brazilian women.
There is no evidence of government officials
complicit in trafficking.
Protection
The Government of Portugal expanded its efforts to
provide protection assistance to victims of trafficking
in 2006 and encouraged victims to assist
in the investigation and prosecution of traffickers.
Victims may file civil suits against their traffickers.
Victims are allowed a 30 to 60 day reflection period
to decide whether or not they will press charges
against the traffickers and regardless of their decision,
have the right to a one-year residency permit.
Victims who are initially detained are transferred
to shelter facilities and do not face penalties for
unlawful acts committed as a direct part of their
being trafficked. In the last year, Portugal opened
P O R T U G A L
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