Trafficking in Human Beings in Southeastern Europe - Iom

Trafficking in Human Beingsin Southeastern Europetarily willing to return home, and offers medical and social services, providedby IOM. Women and girls can stay in the shelter during the time it takes toprepare the travel documentation. If necessary, they can stay in the countryfor up to 3 months for stabilization.AlbaniaThe local NGO NPF is working on the reintegration of children coming backfrom Greece. According to their assessments, 80 percent of their beneficiarieshave been trafficked. The programme of reintegration for children traffickedto Greece includes:• Assessment of the situation in Greece, in co-operation with Greekorganisations;• Monitoring of informal repatriation (by NGOs);• Reintegration of children into schools (special classes, special education,support in adaptation, vocational training);• Development of a legal model for the protection of trafficked children,and lobbying for children’s rights.The local NGO Women’s Hearth in Vlora is managing a shelter for Albaniantrafficked women and girls returned from abroad and for foreign illegalmigrants, who have been stopped while in transit through Albania to Italy. Theshelter is supported by Save the Children and USAID. It also provides basicassistance for illegal migrants who have been deported from a third countryand await deportation from Albania. These women are screened by UNHCR atthe shelter, and those who are willing to return home are referred on to IOMin Tirana. The shelter will be a part of the Reintegration and Support Networkof governmental and non-governmental organisations which is being set up toprovide assistance to trafficked persons. Both UNHCR (at Vlora) and IOM willscreen women, and prepare case profiles and programmes of reintegration.The shelter will provide counselling, vocational training and assistance withfinding jobs.2.5. Legal reform and law enforcementIn January 2001, the amendments to the Penal Code in respect of traffickingwere introduced. The new anti-trafficking articles (113 and 114) increased thepunishment for trafficking, from 10 to 25 years of imprisonment, and for traffickingin children from 15 to 25 years. They also introduced a new definitionof trafficking, which is in compliance with the Palermo Protocol’s definition.The current legislation provides sanctions for criminal offences related directlyor indirectly to trafficking in human beings. These criminal offences includetrafficking in human beings, in women for prostitution and in children; illegalcrossing of the border and assistance in illegal border crossing; exploitation ofprostitution, including incitement, intermediation or profit from prostitution;conducting prostitution; exploitation of prostitution in aggravated circumstancesinvolving minors or people incited or forced to exercise prostitutionoutside of Albania by criminal organisations; the maintenance, exploitation,financing and renting out of premises for prostitution; kidnapping a person orparticularly a child under the age of 14; removal of identification papers; andcommission of criminal offences in collusion with armed criminal organisations.There are also provisions for the confiscation of property used to commita crime, the deportation of foreigners involved in criminal offences, andfor compensation for civil damages to victims of crime.The new articles use terminology, which is not clearly defined and is not usedin other parts of the Penal Code. This will allow flexibility in interpretation ofthe law, unless clear guidelines for the judges are available to make the lawapplicable. There is no law in Albania governing witness protection.135