2007 Trafficking in Persons Report - Center for Women Policy Studies

398 of 1,514 tourist destinations along the northeast
coast of Brazil, according to a study by the University
of Brasilia. The government in 2006 released a “code
of conduct to combat sex tourism and sexual exploitation,”
and the local governments of the states of
Pernambuco, Espirito Santo, Amazonas, Parana, and
the Federal District enacted laws requiring businesses
to display public warnings of the criminal punishments
for sexually exploiting children. Rio de Janeiro
and Bahia had previously enacted similar legislation.
Protection
The Government of Brazil made improved efforts to
protect victims of sex trafficking during the reporting
period. Several government programs assisted
victims of trafficking, although efforts often were
inconsistent and under-funded. Government officials
encourage victims to assist in the investigation and
prosecution of traffickers, although foreign victims
are not offered legal alternatives to their removal to
countries where they face hardship or retribution.
Brazil’s federal government funded the “Sentinela”
shelter network throughout the country, which
expanded from 400 to 1,104 shelters in 2006. The
Brazilian Ministry of Justice and the UNODC continued
to fund victim assistance centers in Sao Paulo,
Rio de Janiero, Goias, and Ceara states in partnership
with the respective state governments. The Ministry
of Social Development and the Fight against Hunger
provided emergency care for children and adolescent
victims of sexual abuse and sexual exploitation.
During surprise inspections of labor sites in remote
areas of the Amazon, the Ministry of Labor’s Special
Mobile Enforcement Groups rescued a total of
3,390 victims of forced labor in 2006; victims were
provided with immediate medical care, counseling,
and limited compensation. Identified victims are not
penalized for unlawful acts committed as a result of
being trafficked.
Prevention
The government made greater efforts to prevent
trafficking throughout the reporting period. At
the direction of President Lula, the Ministry of
Justice’s Secretariat was tasked in October 2006
with forming a national committee on trafficking
represented by 14 ministries and producing by the
end of August 2007 a comprehensive national plan
of action against trafficking, including budgeted
allocations for funding of anti-trafficking law
enforcement efforts and victim protection. The
National Secretariat for Justice, which coordinates
the government’s anti-trafficking efforts, continued
to lead a governmental public-awareness campaign
to deter international traffickers and increase
awareness among potential victim populations.
In conjunction with the UNODC, the Secretariat
conducted a campaign which included radio
ads and large posters stating “first they take your
passport, then your freedom” in airports around the
country. The second phase of the campaign, which
included the creation of a separate database and
police and prosecutor training, began in late 2006.
BULGARIA (Tier 2)
Bulgaria is a source, transit, and destination country
for men and women trafficked from Moldova,
Romania, Russia, Ukraine, and Armenia to Bulgaria
and through Bulgaria to Spain, Austria, Germany,
France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, the Czech
Republic, and Macedonia for the purposes of
sexual exploitation. Men and women from Bulgaria
are trafficked to Cyprus, Greece, and Turkey for
purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor.
Roma children are trafficked within Bulgaria and to
Austria, Italy, and other West European countries
for purposes of forced begging and petty theft.
Approximately 20 percent of identified trafficking
victims in Bulgaria are children.
The Government of Bulgaria does not fully comply
with the minimum standards for the elimination of
trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts
to do so. Bulgaria improved its victim assistance
infrastructure by opening a government-run child
trafficking shelter and continued to demonstrate
increased law enforcement efforts. However,
Bulgaria’s National Anti-Trafficking Commission
could not effectively monitor and improve national
and local efforts due to inadequate staffing.
Bulgaria should improve support for the Executive
Secretary of the Commission and ensure implementation
of the National Anti-Trafficking Strategy,
which was adopted in February 2005. The government
should focus serious and sustained efforts
to develop its crime statistics database. Bulgaria
should also take steps to reduce the domestic
demand for commercial sexual exploitation.
Prosecution
The Bulgarian government significantly improved
its anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts over
the last year. Bulgaria prohibits trafficking for
both sexual exploitation and forced labor through
Section 159 of its criminal code. Penalties
prescribed for trafficking under Section 159 range
from 1 to 15 years’ imprisonment, are sufficiently
stringent, and are commensurate with punishments
for other grave crimes, such as rape. In 2006, police
conducted 202 sex trafficking and 6 labor traffick-
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