Human Trafficking and Smuggling: the Process, the

Victim Profile 56A total of 108 victims have been accommodated at the Human ResourceDevelopment Foundation run shelter in İstanbul in 10 months (2005).Their profile is as follows:38% from Ukraine; 29% from Moldova; and 9 % from Russia and theremaining is from other countries in the region.The age distribution of the victims:• 55% btw the ages 18-24• 27% btw the ages 25-29• 14% above 29 and• 4% below 18Anti-Human Trafficking LegislationHuman trafficking is addressed as a component of organized crimeactivities. Little attention is given to the victims exposed (if they areforeigners) to expedite deportation procedures, and there is no specificlegal provision or measure addressing their human rights. There were nospecific pieces of legislation concerning human trafficking and there wasno definition of trafficking in human beings in the Penal Code or anyother legal acts until 2002. In 2002, the Turkish Parliament passed anew law outlawing organ and people smuggling when the Parliamentadopted a major reform package to harmonize Turkish laws with thoseof the EU. The new law passed on August 3, 2002 does not departfundamentally from this approach, although it does reflect an increasedawareness of the human trafficking phenomenon, particularly that ofwomen trafficking. The new laws and changes in legislation aresummarised below.56The source of the information is Human Resource Development Foundation that has aprogram to protect and rehabilitate trafficked victims in Istanbul.36