2017 Trafficking in Persons Report

was a different national referral mechanism for children and an inter-ministerial body that coordinated national efforts and youth, in which identified child victims received care outside approved the 2016-2019 national strategy in April 2016. A unit of the MOI’s program through publicly funded NGOs that in the MOI served as the national rapporteur and prepared a provided shelter, food, clothing, and medical and psychological comprehensive annual report on patterns and programs, which counseling. Those victims who enter the MOI program must it released publicly. The government continued to fund an cooperate with law enforcement; all victims are encouraged to NGO-run hotline to identify victims of trafficking and domestic cooperate with Czech authorities. Authorities provided victims violence, which received approximately 600 calls in 2016. The with a 60-day reflection period, in which victims received care law did not criminalize confiscation of workers’ passports. MOI and determined whether to cooperate with law enforcement; funding was also available to support trafficking prevention victims with a medically recognized disability, including trauma, campaigns; the government-funded NGOs to conduct 60 received an additional 30 days. Under the law, a victim cannot public awareness and prevention campaigns across regions be deported during this period. Victims unwilling to cooperate in Czechia. The new national action plan approved in April DENMARK with law enforcement were still eligible to receive services via 2016 included a new focus on gathering data on trafficking NGOs, but these were located outside of the MOI’s victim vulnerabilities and, based upon the data, developing a list of services program. However, to be eligible for these alternative recommendations to eliminate these risks. The government did short-term victim services, trafficking victims must reside legally not maintain a central database that would allow it to better in Czechia; victims not participating in the MOI program were analyze data about traffickers and victims. To increase foreign ineligible for long-term assistance. The government provided workers’ awareness regarding their rights, the MLSA and the State medical care, psychological and crisis counseling, housing, Labor Inspection Office published information on its website legal representation, vocational training, and other specialized in multiple languages about laws governing the employment of services to victims. Victims could voluntarily withdraw from foreigners. The government did not make any efforts to reduce victim services at any time. the demand for commercial sex acts or forced labor during the reporting period. The government provided anti-trafficking The MOI funded the costs for the victim assistance program, training for its consular and diplomatic staff, and military and the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (MLSA) provided personnel participating in international peacekeeping efforts. additional funding for actual day-to-day social services provided by NGOs. In 2016, the MOI allocated approximately 1.2 million koruna ($47,914), comparable to the 1.18 million koruna TRAFFICKING PROFILE ($47,115) allocated in 2015. An international organization As reported over the past five years, Czechia is a source, transit, also received additional funding from the MOI for repatriation and destination country for women and children subjected to sex costs. Some experts noted a lack of funding for victim housing, trafficking and a source, transit, and destination country for men especially female victims with more than one child, and a lack and women subjected to forced labor. Women, girls, and boys of expertise among counselors providing services. In 2016, the from Czechia, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, Nigeria, MOI changed how it provided services to victims. Rather than the Philippines, and Vietnam are subjected to sex trafficking granting funds to multiple NGOs to provide services, the MOI in Czechia and also transit through Czechia to other European released a tender inviting NGOs to submit bids; one NGO was countries where they are subjected to sex trafficking. Men and selected to serve as the prime agent to manage victim services. women from Czechia, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, NGOs and government stakeholders reported this new funding Mongolia, the Philippines, Russia, and Vietnam are subjected mechanism worked well. to forced labor in Czechia, typically through debt bondage, in the construction, agricultural, forestry, manufacturing, and During legal proceedings, victims were eligible to receive free service sectors, including in domestic work. They may also legal aid. A witness protection law allows the government to transit through Czechia to other countries in Europe where conceal the identity of the witness, provides a new identity they are exploited. Most identified victims in the country are to the victim, and can assign bodyguards. Foreign victims Czech, although law enforcement reported an increase in who cooperated with investigators could receive temporary European Union victims. Romani women from Czechia are residence and work visas for the duration of the relevant legal subjected to forced prostitution and forced labor internally proceedings. Upon conclusion of court proceedings, victims and in destination countries, including the UK. Most traffickers could apply for permanent residency; one victim received are Czech citizens, and foreign traffickers often recruit victims permanent residency in 2016, compared with no victims in from their own home countries and work in cooperation with 2015, and one in 2014. Victims had the legal option of seeking a local Czech citizen; women comprise a large percentage of court-ordered compensation from their traffickers in both sex trafficking perpetrators. Law enforcement have seen an civil and criminal proceedings, although such restitution was increase in “marriages of convenience” among Czech women rare as victims often feared retribution from their traffickers that involve sex trafficking. Private, unregistered labor agencies during criminal cases and could not afford attorney fees for a often used deceptive practices to recruit workers from abroad civil suit. To seek civil damages, the law requires a finding of as well as from inside the country. criminal misconduct against the defendant. The government did not report any victims received compensation during the reporting period. There were no reports the government penalized identified victims for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of being subjected to trafficking. The MLSA created DENMARK: TIER 1 working groups focused on forced labor. The government- The Government of Denmark fully meets the minimum funded anti-trafficking training to 70 health practitioners and standards for the elimination of trafficking. The government to 20 members of an international organization. continued to demonstrate serious and sustained efforts during the reporting period; therefore, Denmark remained on Tier 1. PREVENTION The government demonstrated serious and sustained efforts by continuing to implement its 2015-2018 national action plan 150 The government maintained prevention efforts. The MOI chaired against human trafficking and passing a spending resolution that such as residence permits for victims. In 2016, however, the DENMARK increased funding through 2020 for counter-trafficking efforts. government offered a family of two trafficking victims (one For the first time, the government offered trafficking victims adult and one minor) temporary residence under section temporary residence under section 9(c) of the Danish Aliens 9(c) of the Danish Aliens Act, which the victims accepted. Act, which gives authorities the ability to stay deportation for This was the first time the government implemented the 2013 victims to assist in an investigation. The government identified amendment to the Aliens Act, allowing authorities to issue more trafficking victims and continued to fund victim service temporary residency to trafficking victims without legal status providers. Although the government meets the minimum in Denmark assisting law enforcement and testifying in a trial. standards, it continued to focus on foreign trafficking victims’ Authorities cooperated in one transnational investigation and illegal immigrant status, often incarcerating them while pending began extradition proceedings against three individuals wanted review of their status and repatriating non-EU resident victims for human trafficking violations in Romania. In February to their countries of origin without proper screening. This 2015, authorities arrested 26 individuals during a nationwide impeded the ability of law enforcement to pursue traffickers human trafficking sting. Ongoing investigations and court and left victims vulnerable. Victim identification methods cases continued through the end of the reporting period. The were convoluted and involved NGO partners too late in the government did not report any investigations, prosecutions, process. In the last five years, only four victims had been granted or convictions of government employees complicit in human asylum, despite the government officially identifying more trafficking offenses. Police received instruction on trafficking at than 400 victims; no victims were granted asylum during the the police academy and again after their first year on the job. reporting period. PROTECTION The government maintained efforts to protect victims. Authorities

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