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New ILO report on forced labour: The Cost of Coercion *
Regional Perspectives in Central and Eastern Europe
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Trafficking in Europe reflect shifts in patterns of economic development and the gradual enlargement of the European Union. For example, some source countries of trafficked persons, such as the Czech Republic and Poland, appear to have become destination countries following EU membership. New EU member states in south-eastern Europe are countries of transit and destination for human trafficking. Several countries in Central and Eastern Europe have recorded a growing number of trafficking victims within their borders.
While most victims identified by authorities are women trafficked for sexual exploitation, the number of identified cases involving men trafficked for labour exploitation is growing. For example, in 2004 Ukraine’s identified cases of trafficking for sexual exploitation were more than double those for labour exploitation. In 2007 the gap between the two categories had almost disappeared and in the first six months of 2008, the number of labour exploitation cases exceeded those of sexual exploitation.
Ukraine is now a country of transit, destination and origin for trafficked people, whether for sexual or labour exploitation. Most foreigners trafficked into or through Ukraine over the past six years came from Moldova, followed by Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and the Russian Federation.
Moldova is a country of origin for people trafficked to a range of Western European countries as well as Russia and Turkey. A pilot survey carried out in the country in 2008 showed that 24.2 per cent of Moldovan migrants were exploited, 8 per cent were both deceived and exploited and 7.8 per cent were victims of trafficking for forced labour.
Main means of coercion included withholding of salary, obligation to perform tasks against the worker’s will, threats of violence or denunciation to the authorities and confiscation of travel or personal identity documents. These findings were based on questions on labour migration that were included for the first time in 2008 in the country’s Labour Force Survey.
ILO Programmes to Combat Trafficking in Central and Eastern Europe
The ILO is involved in a number of programmes that aim to prevent and eradicate trafficking in Central and Eastern Europe.
A recently concluded project to combat human trafficking from Moldova and the Ukraine combined work to strengthen anti-trafficking laws and policies with efforts to raise awareness about the problem among the migrants themselves and other key actors.
A joint ILO/International Organization for Migration (IOM) project on labour migration in the Balkans aims to develop and integrate efficient information, advice and referral services for migrant workers, while fostering local capacity and knowledge in the area of labour migration policy and practice. Training sessions will be held in all seven participating countries.
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Report of the Director-General: The cost of coercion, ILO, Geneva, 2009
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| The ILO Budapest Newsletter |
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On the occasion of the 8th European Regional Meeting, the ILO is launching the Albanian, Romanian, Serbian and Ukrainian versions of the Decent Work Flash
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