CYPRUS’ FAILURE to amend its human trafficking legislation, to abolish cabaret work permits and to open a shelter for trafficking victims, has meant that the government has been placed on a Tier 2 Watch List for a second consecutive year, according to this year’s US Trafficking in Persons report.
“The Government of Cyprus has been place on a Tier 2 Watch List for a second consecutive year because it did not pass revised anti-trafficking legislation, did not abolish the ‘artiste’ category employment permit nor significantly reduce its issuance.” Cyprus has also failed to open a long-promised shelter for trafficking victims, a US Embassy official said yesterday.
This tier is for countries that have not made increasing efforts over the past year, have avoided Tier 3 status (countries that neither comply with the minimum standards nor make significant efforts to come into compliance) based on commitments of anti-trafficking reforms over the next year, or have a very significant number of trafficking victims or a significantly increasing victim population.
Tier 1 is for countries that fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of severe forms of trafficking and Tier 2 is for countries that do not fully comply with the minimum standards but are making significant effort to bring themselves in compliance. Cyprus was Tier 2 in 2005 but demoted to the Tier 2 Watch List last year.
The embassy official said five recommendations had been made to Cyprus based on the results of the report covering the period April, 1 2006 to March 31, 2007.
These included the passing of a new, revised, comprehensive anti-trafficking legislation to include other victims of trafficking, to abolish or greatly reduce the ‘artiste’ work permit because the nightclub environment was indicative of trafficking, to increase public awareness campaigns, to increase prosecutions and convictions, and to open the shelter for victims in Nicosia.
The official said countries included in the global report were evaluated on the three P’s, Prosecution, Prevention and Protection, with respect to human trafficking.
As far as Cyprus was concerned it had shown some progress in its law enforcement efforts, with prosecutors using the anti-trafficking law passed in 2000 to try traffickers for sexual exploitation.
“Police increased the number of trafficking investigations from 47cases in 2005 to 60 cases in 2006. Authorities prosecuted 40 cases for trafficking and obtained convictions of 20 traffickers.
Courts imposed penalties ranging from nominal fines to two years’ imprisonment to these 20 convicted traffickers,” the report said.
Nevertheless it said the punishments needed to be made more stringent to deter traffickers.
“During the year the police investigated at least three police officers for possible trafficking-related corruption; one official was prosecuted, convicted, and sentenced to 14 months’ imprisonment,” it added.
Regarding its efforts to protect and assist victims, the government had demonstrated “limited improvements” and overall efforts had “remained inadequate”.
The report blamed delays in opening its government-run victim shelter due to delays in hiring qualified staff, although police referred victims to an NGO-run shelter.
“Fifty-nine of the 79 trafficking victims identified in 2006 assisted in investigations and prosecutions. Some foreign women who do not co-operate with authorities may be deported with no legal alternatives to removal to countries where they may face hardship or retribution.”
The report added that Cyprus did not currently have a reflection period for victims, although the pending legislation would establish one.
The official said the government’s co-operation in providing information on the issue had been “excellent” and that it had demonstrated a “strong willingness” to increase its efforts by launching a number of public awareness campaigns.
The government had also developed and distributed a victim assistance and referral handbook for all relevant government departments, ands anti-trafficking fliers had been distributed, posters put up across the island, and UN public service announcements made on state television.
“However, more remains to be done,” the report said.
The official said the report looks at the whole effort across the interagency of the government.
“In Cyprus there is a mixed record with both positives and negatives. The biggest negative is the continued use of the artiste work permit category, because although coming to work in a nightclub doesn’t necessarily mean anything, the environment is indicative of trafficking,” he said.
The seventh annual report was released by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Tuesday.
Including 164 countries, the report is the most comprehensive worldwide report on the efforts of governments to combat trafficking in persons for either labour or sexual exploitation.
“It’s a modern-day form of slavery,” the embassy official said.
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