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> Western officials 'colluding with people traffickers' > > Rory Carroll, Rome > Tuesday July 23, 2002 > The Guardian > > Some western officials are undermining the fight against human trafficking by > becoming cronies of Balkan pimps and having sex with the prostitutes they are > supposed to rescue, according to a damning report published yesterday. > > Criminal gangs who earn billions of pounds by trading women and children have > corrupted elements of the local and international police forces and border > guards at the forefront of Europe's crackdown. > > The report, commissioned by the United Nations and the Organisation for > Security and Cooperation in Europe, says trafficking in south-eastern Europe > is growing worse despite - and in some cases because of - the international > campaign to end the trade. > > "Stories about local and international police frequenting bars, using the > services of women and being on good terms with the owners and traffickers are > legion," the report adds. > > The presence of foreign soldiers in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo, and western > officials in other eastern European countries, is said to have fuelled the > industry. > > "The international market for sex services as well as local demand has > expanded, particularly in countries where there is a large international > presence," the report says. > > Such an environment deters prostitutes - in many cases teenage girls forced > into the sex industry - from trying to escape, says the report, citing an > alleged case in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia-Herzegovina, where police > handed women over to traffickers after arresting them in a brothel. > > "There is also information about Bulgarian border police who first took money > from women to take them safely back to Bulgaria, only to deliver them back to > the traffickers for additional money," the report adds. > > Since illegal immigration became an electoral issue EU governments have > promised improved coordination and resources to combat human trafficking but > the reality, according to the 270-page report, is a shambles which has left > women and children more vulnerable to exploitation. > > "The attempts to come to grips with the problem of human trafficking have so > far been toothless and without much success. Despite increased attention at > the political level, few states have taken adequate measures to protect > individuals from trafficking and its related human rights abuses," the report > says. > > Not all of the women are abused. Ethnic conflict and economic meltdown have > shredded incomes and opportunity, especially for women, and many choose to > enter the west illegally to work as waitresses, nannies and prostitutes, the > report points out. > > It adds: "They are able to achieve their goals [and] are often able to improve > the economic condition of their family and their own position within it." > > But, according to the report, there is a separate category of women and > children who end up the property of traffickers. It says they should be > treated as victims of crime, not illegal immigrants and points out that they > seldom get medical care for possible sexual diseases, or the chance to testify > in court against the traffickers. > > The criminal gangs are increasingly bolstered by ex-prostitutes who return > home to recruit girls. Such women have been known to manipulate aid agencies, > pretending they are fleeing their pimps, to gain a free flight. > > Authorities pressured for results have allegedly distorted statistics. "For > example, prevention of trafficking is used as an argument for refusing young > women entry to a country or for refusing to issue them a visa, and then, in > the police statistics, these cases are relabelled as successful cases of > rescuing 'victims of trafficking'." > > · Two people drowned and dozens were injured after an Italian coastal patrol > boat hit a motor dinghy packed with suspected illegal immigrants and refugees > near the Albanian coast, Italian customs officials said yesterday. --------------------------- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: archive@jab.org EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.bacIlu Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
