ASTRA Anti Trafficking Action

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ASTRA Anti Trafficking Action

• SOS Hotline [phone]
• E mail astra_at_astra.rs
• Website www.astra.rs

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About ASTRA

• 1.Prevention and Education
• 2.SOS Hotline and Direct Victim Assistance
• 3. Networking
• 4.Research and Reporting

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SOS Hotline and Direct Victim Assistance

• March 2002 March 2011. received 12539 calls
  from 2390 clients
• No. of identified victims 351
• No. of identified children 44

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Who are the victims and what are the trends

• Increased No. of Serbian citizens (72.16),
• Internal THB (49.58).
• Trafficked to Italy, Germany, Spain, Austria,
  Germany, Sweden, and new destinations (Olympic
  games, Middle East)
• Mostly women (91) and children (44, avr.13
  years old)
• From urban settlements (56)
• With less than secondary school (63) and
• With previous experience of family violence (51)
• Trafficked for the purpose sexual exploitation
  (67.03)
• Other forms of exploitation registered here are
  labor exploitation, forced marriage and forced
  begging.
• Victims are mostly recruited through job adds and
  by their parents and relatives (20), lover boys
  (25), friends (10) and acquaintances (35) and
  employers (10).
• Recruitment through the use of modern
  technologies (Internet and SMS)

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SerbAz case

• Registered in the Netherlands and Panama as
  offshore comp.
• 600-1000 construction workers from Bosnia, Serbia
  and Macedonia in Azerbaijan Gov. construction
  sites
• Recruited and transported by Bosnian citizens
  through adds/family/friends
• Entered Azerbaijan on tourist visas
• No proper living and working conditions, No
  documents, No promised payment, No medical
  treatment, No right of movement
• Singed the paper before leaving (Sept-Dec 2009)
• 2 workers died, many of them came back with
  medical problems

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Challenges

• Coordination Large No. of victims placed in 4
  countries (IOs, NGOs, Embassies, ITUC)
• No funds for such a large cases, expensive legal
  support
• Victims/reintegration later problems
  (Unemployment Bosnia 40, Serbia 20,
  stereotypes, fear of revenge and for future
  employment)
• Denying THB and Referral of responsibility by
  Governments
• No cooperation between governments (Rantzev case
  in Strasbourg Court)

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Legislation

• UN Convention on THB
• EU Convention on THB
• ILO Conventions 29, 105
• National laws on THB

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Where are we now

• Azerbaijan 2 court cases
• Supreme Azer Court charging the General
  Prosecutors Office and the Ministry of Internal
  Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan to take a
  relevant procedural decision
• The Sabail District Court has dismiss the case
  against Serbaz Layihe ve Tikinti LLC about the
  claim of fines because of failing to pay salaries
  on time and caused material and moral damages
• Serbian prosecutor (after 1 year) remit the case
  to Bosnian prosecution office (12 statements)
• Investigation going on in Bosnia (2 years)
• Still no prosecution and punishments for
  traffickers
• Workers looking for other job to support the
  families

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LESONS LEARNED AND RECOMMENDATIONS

• Network Fast reaction of IOs, TU and NGOs
• Essential cooperation with trade unions and NGOs
  in all 3 countries (network, infrastructure,
  members)
• Coordination and cooperation between Governments
  (bilateral agreements)
• Prevention, involvement of trade unions and
  national employment agencies(Olympic games, big
  constructions)
• Education of Go Institutions and members TUs on
  indicators of labor exploitation and differences
  btw violation of labour rights and labour
  exploitation and learning on TU by NGOs

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THANK YOU!!!

• Belgrade, Republic of Serbia
• Tel/Fax [phone]
• E-mail astra_at_astra.rs
• Web adresa www.astra.rs