Department of State: Azerbaijan Is a Country of Human Trafficking
The U.S. State Department published its annual report on trafficking in human beings in the world. Azerbaijan joined the group of countries where the standards are not fully implemented, but there are "significant efforts".
The report includes 188 countries, which are divided into three groups. The first is the states whose authorities are implementing standards to combat human trafficking. The second group includes countries where standards are not fully implemented, but it is making significant efforts. The third group includes countries whose authorities do not implement minimum standards and are not taking sufficient for this effort.
Azerbaijan is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking. Azerbaijani men and boys are subjected to conditions of forced labor in Russia and in Azerbaijan. Women and children from Azerbaijan are subjected to sex trafficking within the country and in the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Russia, and Iran. Some migrant workers from Turkey, as well as Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, the Philippines, Romania, India, and Ukraine are subjected to conditions of forced labor in Azerbaijan’s construction industry. Within the country, forced begging of children, particularly ethnic Roma children, is a problem. Domestic servitude of Filipina victims in Azerbaijan is an emerging problem. In the past, Chinese men and women have been subjected to forced labor in the construction, street vending, and agriculture sectors in Azerbaijan.
The Government of Azerbaijan does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so. During the reporting period, the government increased law enforcement efforts against labor trafficking of Azerbaijanis, continued to provide protection and reintegration services to identified trafficking victims, and continued to raise awareness of trafficking crimes.
However, the government did not identify any foreign victims of human trafficking nor demonstrate a willingness to thoroughly investigate companies that allegedly engage in forced labor of migrant workers. Systemic government corruption hindered effective law enforcement and victim identification efforts. Civil society groups criticized the government’s anti-trafficking efforts for producing limited results but noted improved partnerships with some government agencies.
In general, the report makes it clear that Azerbaijan received the necessary legislative and regulatory instruments to combat trafficking, in particular the adoption of the Government Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings 2009-2013 years, holding various public discussions. But in practice, indicators suggest a formal approach to the fight with trafficking. For example, of the 13,000 phone calls on labor exploitation, only two cases have been investigated. Not a single person has been convicted for labor exploitation. Despite more than 5,000 raids conducted in the Interior Ministry and the Labour Inspectorate, the government has not identified any foreign victims of labor trafficking. Compared to the year 2011 reduced the number of sex trafficking investigation - from 17 to 10 cases.
The inclusion of Azerbaijan in the second group of countries, mainly due to the fact that the authorities have promised to report on the eve of the U.S. side to take into account the comments and to strengthen the fight with trafficking.
The third group, which is threatened with U.S. sanctions included Russia, China, Uzbekistan, Algeria, Cuba, Iran, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Syria, Libya, North Korea, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Mauritania, Papua New Guinea and Zimbabwe.
"Russia, China and Uzbekistan rating in the State Department report on human trafficking is reduced to a minimum. These countries could face sanctions if the U.S. president will not take the opposite decision, "said State Department.
The decree on sanctions can be signed by U.S. President Barack Obama in September. It will enter into force on 1 October 2013, when U.S. President decides not to use them as inconsistent with U.S. national interests.
Under the sanctions implied rejection of the financing of educational and cultural exchanges, the U.S. opposition to assistance of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. -0 -
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