Trafficking in Human Beings in Southeastern Europe - Iom

Trafficking in Human Beingsin Southeastern EuropeRomaniawomen back home, to the environment from which they were trafficked in thefirst place and to provide them only with some counselling, which is notenough assistance. Another reason is that the NGOs do not have the financialcapacity to assist the trafficked women, so they have to rely upon IOM tocover their costs, but the support they receive is not always sufficient. IOMhas had no clear policy or guidelines for preparing reintegration programmesfor trafficked women or for co-operating with NGOs, which has led to mistrustand misunderstanding.Now, however, IOM co-operates with 23 Romanian NGOs committed to providingreintegration assistance to trafficked persons on the basis of formalbilateral agreements. IOM also organises training for the NGOs, on the socialassistance services provided to trafficked persons and on psychologicalassessment and treatment for them. The result of these workshops will be aguide to the principles of the assistance provided to trafficked persons, theminimum standards of reintegration services provided by NGOs and otheragencies; and a collection of case studies. The guide will serve as a writtenreference in terms of know-how and best practices in the field of assistance totrafficked persons. The guide will be disseminated among interested partiesand will be used as well by the NGOs to train their permanent staff and volunteersadequately.2.5. Law reform and enforcementThe Romanian government has recently taken many actions in the area of lawreform and enforcement. These activities are connected with the demands onRomania to adjust its national legislation to European Union standards in theprocess of accession to the EU. Other changes are the result of the NATOaccession process, the Stability Pact agreements or bilateral contracts forcombating organised crime in the Balkan region.The working group on legal reform consisting of representatives of the Ministriesof Justice, the Interior and Foreign Affairs, and international organisationsand NGOs, with assistance from the Vienna-based UN Centre for CrimePrevention and a legal adviser from the US Embassy, has revised legislationto create a separate Bill on Prevention and Fighting Human Trafficking. Thenew law is based on the US Trafficking Bill and was pending approval by Parliamentat the end of 2001. 61 The Bill includes legal mechanisms and proceduresfor implementation and protection, including the adoption of new lawson combating organised crime, on evidence, and on victims and witness protection,and training programmes for law enforcement, lawyers, border policeand to improve co-operation between the police and NGOs.As the result of the working group’s efforts a draft Law on Combating Traffickingin Human Beings and Preventing Corruption was adopted by the RomanianGovernment and is pending parliamentary approval. 62Government has also taken new measures to organise national law enforcementstructures to combat trafficking. The National Focal Point on traffickingmatches the Regional Focal Point established at the SECI Centre. The Traffickingin Human Beings Squad is a part of the Anti-Organised Crime Division andhas approximately 40 representatives in 15 counties.4861.The team (Ministry of Justice, Ministry of the Interior and Ministry of Labour and SocialSolidarity) was created by the Centre for Legal Resources. The project was co-financed byIOM, UNDP and UNFPA. In the mean time, this bill became Law no.678 and was publishedin Romanian Official Journal 783/ 11 December 2001. Within 60 days of publicationRomania has to draft the Regulation of the law.62.In compliance with Civil Convention on the Corruption adopted in Strasbourg on 4November 1999 and Convention on Corruption adopted in Strasbourg on 27 January 1999.