2007 Trafficking in Persons Report - Center for Women Policy Studies

AFGHANISTAN (Tier 2)
Afghanistan is a source, transit, and destination
country for men, women, and children trafficked
for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation
and involuntary servitude. Afghan children are trafficked
internally and to Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia,
Oman, and Zimbabwe for commercial sexual
exploitation, forced marriage to settle debts or
disputes, forced begging, debt bondage, service as
child soldiers, or other forms of involuntary servitude.
Afghan women are trafficked internally and to
Pakistan and Iran for commercial sexual exploitation,
and men are trafficked to Iran for forced labor.
Afghanistan is also a destination for women and
girls from China, Iran, and Tajikistan trafficked for
commercial sexual exploitation. Tajik women and
children are also believed to be trafficked through
Afghanistan to Pakistan and Iran for commercial
sexual exploitation.
The Government of Afghanistan does not fully
comply with the minimum standards for the elimination
of trafficking; however, it is making significant
efforts to do so. The government provided land to
IOM for the construction of a shelter for trafficking
victims. The government should take additional
steps to enact a comprehensive anti-trafficking law
and increase law enforcement efforts against internal
trafficking, particularly trafficking of children for
commercial sexual exploitation, forced marriage,
and involuntary servitude. Afghanistan also should
institute a formal mechanism to refer trafficking
victims to NGO protection services and should not
punish sex trafficking victims for crimes committed
as a direct result of their being trafficked.
Protection
The Government of Afghanistan made modest
improvements in its efforts to protect victims of
trafficking, but deficiencies in its overall efforts
remained. In March 2007, the government provided
land for IOM to build a shelter specifically designed
for child victims of trafficking. The government also
assisted in supporting 400 child victims of trafficking
repatriated from Saudi Arabia, Oman, Pakistan,
and Zimbabwe by facilitating family reunification
and providing the children shelter in existing juvenile
centers or orphanages, as well as medical care
and educational services. Due to cultural mores,
some victims of trafficking, however, continue to be
arrested or otherwise punished for prostitution and
morality crimes. The government does not encourage
victims to assist in investigations of their traffickers,
nor does it provide them with legal alternatives
to removal to countries in which they may face
hardship or retribution. Afghanistan should take
immediate steps to end the arrest and incarceration
of trafficking victims, and should work with
NGOs to establish a formal victim identification
and referral mechanism. The government should
also improve protection of victims of involuntary
servitude, including bonded laborers and forced
child beggars.
A F G H A N I S TA N / A L B A N I A
Prosecution
Over the year, Afghanistan made no clear progress
in its anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts.
Afghanistan does not prohibit all forms of trafficking
in persons, but the government relies on kidnapping
and other statutes to charge some trafficking
offenses. This year, Afghanistan did not provide
sufficient evidence of arresting, prosecuting, or
convicting traffickers. Both the Ministry of Interior
and the Attorney General’s Office reported data
indicating that traffickers had been arrested, prosecuted,
and convicted, but they were unable to
provide disaggregated trafficking data from other
related law enforcement data. The government did
not demonstrate any efforts to investigate, arrest, or
prosecute government officials facilitating trafficking
offenses despite reports of widespread complicity
among border and highway police. The government
should enact an anti-trafficking law without further
delay and increase law enforcement action against
complicit government officials. Officials should also
take law enforcement measures to curb internal trafficking
of minors for commercial sexual exploitation
and involuntary servitude, including bonded labor.
Prevention
During the year, Afghanistan made limited progress
in preventing trafficking in persons. The Ministry
of Labor and Social Affairs, with the assistance
of UNICEF, conducted a broad public awareness
campaign to educate the public on the dangers of
trafficking and resources for assistance. Afghanistan
does not adequately monitor its borders, but has
developed a pilot program to begin monitoring for
evidence of trafficking into or out of the country at
two sites along the Afghan-Pakistan and Afghan-
Iran borders. Afghanistan has not ratified the 2000
UN TIP Protocol.
ALBANIA (Tier 2)
Albania is a country of origin for women and girls
trafficked transnationally and internally for the
purpose of commercial sexual exploitation; it is no
longer considered a major country of transit, and it
is not a significant country of destination. Albanian
victims are trafficked to Greece and Italy, with many
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