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BRAMA, June 15, 2002, 11 am ET
CROATIA - Trafficking in Women and Children for Sexual Exploitation - A new IOM report on trafficking of women and children in Croatia sheds light on the extent of this practice and underlines the need for the authorities to take appropriate action to counter this phenomenon.
The report, published by IOM with the Center for Transition and Civil Society Research, suggests that trafficking in Croatia is more serious than fragmentary and incomplete official data indicates.
Statistics on illegal crossings into Croatia show a constant increase over the last five years, with no attempt made to distinguish smuggled from trafficked persons. Despite this, Croatia is generally considered to be a transit country for trafficked women on their way to Western Europe.
According to data from the Croatian Ministry of Interior (MOI), the percentage of trafficked women and children is very small compared to other types of criminal activity.
From 1998 to 2000, only five criminal offences were reported relating to Article 175 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Croatia (Establishment of Slavery and the Transport of Slaves) and 21 offences relating to Article 178 (International Prostitution). These cases involved 24 female victims of trafficking: 22 adults (10 from Hungary, 7 from Ukraine, 3 from Romania, 1 from Bulgaria and 1 from Slovakia) and two minors from Romania. But unofficial police estimates suggest that the number of victims of trafficking could be 10 times higher than those officially recorded.
The data indicates that Italy is the main country of destination for female victims of trafficking after they leave Croatia.
The report notes that from January 1998 until December 2000, the MOI issued work permits to 296 foreign women who requested permission to stay in Croatia. Some 34% were from Bosnia and Herzegovina, 22% from Slovenia, 11.5% Ukraine, some 10% from Romania, and the remainder from the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY), Hungary, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Bulgaria, Moldova and Albania.
The report reveals that victims of trafficking from Moldova, Romania and Ukraine are sold to Croatian traffickers at "collecting centres" located in Serbia and Bosnia Herzegovina. One such centre is the "Arizona market"; a huge unregulated market situated near the border between Croatia and FRY. A similar market also exists in Bihac, near Bosanski Petrovac.
Trafficking in Croatia has changed significantly during the last decade
In the first half of the 90s, trafficking was concentrated in Zagreb and its surroundings. The main and possibly the sole trafficking route was from Hungary to Zagreb. Trafficked women were mainly employed in nightclubs and bars on the outskirts of the capital. This first phase was abruptly ended by a series of raids in 1996-1997.
In the later half of the 90s, several routes from Bosnia and Herzegovina replaced the Hungarian connection. Trafficking networks also became more geographically dispersed. The business spread to tourist towns and places frequented by military personnel.
The most recent trend seems to be seasonal or temporary employment of women trafficked from Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as wider international sex tourism.
No single official strategy or response to trafficking
Interviews with police officers revealed that some tended to ignore or minimise the extent of the problem whilst others did not recognise trafficking as a serious issue. All said corruption, lack of training and resources, and the absence of a clear and decisive plan of action hindered any policing attempt.
The report recommends a policy change based on efficient policing and on providing assistance to trafficked individuals. This can be achieved through:
The reports adds that the general public in Croatia is generally well aware of trafficking, with almost two thirds of the respondents saying they had heard of cases of organised prostitution involving foreign women in the country.
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