Trafficking in Human Beings in Southeastern Europe - Iom

Trafficking in Human Beingsin Southeastern EuropeRepublic ofMoldovaopening of the hotline in September 2001, with appeals from the families, LaStrada has assisted in the return of several trafficked persons from Slovenia,Turkey, FYR Macedonia and Israel.IOM opened offices in Chisinau in January 2001, and in September 2001started establishing a new programme and a new shelter in Chisinau. At thiscentre it will be possible to provide numerous services under one roof includingmedical examinations (STIs and HIV/AIDS tests) and treatment, socialand psychological counselling and group therapy, psychiatric support andvocational orientation. IOM also provides women who are part of their assistanceprogramme with a reinstallation grant totalling US$ 150,000, US$ 50upon arrival, US$ 50 after the first month and US$ 50 after the second month.According to IOM’s statistics, there are about 10 percent of minors who takepart in the IOM reintegration programme. 51 Save the Children provides rehabilitationand reintegration services for some girls under 18. In all cases ofgirls under 18, IOM tries to determine their educational and social needs. Psychologistsalso work with the girls’ parents to assist them in building goodfamily relations.In May 2001, IOM organised a seminar for NGOs about assistance for traffickedpersons with the aim of creating a network of co-operating organisationsinvolved with assistance and reintegration and establishing somestandards for treatment of the trafficked persons.Although the new assistance and reintegration project of IOM is very good,there are some concerns. The network of NGOs working on the issue of traffickingis not expanding, and one organisation, Save the Children Moldova,which co-operated with IOM was replaced for a short while with another (LaStrada), and IOM is now implementing its own project without partnering alocal NGO. The experience that the Save the Children Moldova staff has gainedin the course of their work is no longer used, neither is the expertise of the LaStrada staff. There is also no continuity with the other NGO programmes forraising awareness that were conducted last year. Instead of building on theirexperience, organisations unable to continue their work on trafficking turn toother sources of funds and other projects and may lose interest in the issueof trafficking.The hotline created by La Strada duplicates a project run by the Associationof Women Lawyers. The La Strada hotline provides more information aboutthe opportunities for migration, gives concrete information about the situationand legislation in the countries to which women want to migrate, and is ableto check the credibility of institutions offering services to migrant women,including travel agencies, job agencies, etc. For half a year until March 2002,there will be two parallel hotlines on trafficking operating in Chisinau. Even ifthe service offered by the second hotline is different, it will still be confusingfor clients to choose between the two services.By January 2002, the Centre for the Prevention of Trafficking in Women (Associationof Women Lawyers), had assisted in the repatriation of 24 traffickedpersons. The Centre addresses requests for assistance from trafficked personsor from their family members to the Minister of Internal Affairs. On repatriationissues the Centre collaborates with IOM.3451.2 Number of IOM assisted cases by countries as of 12 February 2002, IOM Chisinau, Anti-Trafficking Unit.