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Tajikistan: Human Trafficking A Growing Concern
April 22, 2004
Prague - Madina remembers vividly her ordeal at the hands of a human
trafficker. This Tajik single mother was desperate to secure a better life for
herself and her two children. Responding to an offer from a man she didn't
know, she left Tajikistan with the hope of a respectable job and a good salary.
"I was working in a local market [in Tajikistan]. One day a man talked to me
and asked about my life. I told him that it was too hard, that I had a lot of
problems, that I had two children and not enough money to feed them," she says.
"I [am] divorced from my husband. Then he said: 'If you want you can come with
me abroad. There are a lot of jobs [there] and I can help you to find one.' I
believed what he said and I followed him."
Madina says the man promised her she would be able to return home after just
two months, and with a huge amount of money. But it soon became clear this was
not the case. "We went to Turkey, but he tricked me. He took my documents and
sent me to a brothel," she says. "I spent one year in brothels. It was a
terrible time for me. I was sick. And when I returned to Tajikistan I had only
$200. It was difficult to escape but finally I managed to do so."
Madina is not alone. According to the International Office for Migration, some
646 Tajik women were forcibly trafficked by criminal groups from the country in
2002. Their destination is mainly the Persian Gulf, but some go to South Korea,
Turkey, Southeast Asia, and Europe.
Many leave believing they will find better economic prospects abroad. With an
average monthly wage in Tajikistan of just $5, many women are desperate to find
a way out of poverty.
The actual figure of trafficking victims is difficult to determine. Many
victims do not know to whom to turn in crisis situations and are afraid or
ashamed of publicizing their cases.
Until recently, Tajik authorities largely ignored the issue. But they now admit
the existence of the problem and are trying to prevent it. In the country's new
Criminal Code, adopted about 1 1/2 years ago, two articles were added
addressing human trafficking for the first time.
The Tajik parliament is now working on legislation to further strengthen the
prohibition against human trafficking. Parliamentarian Sherkhon Salimov
describes some of the changes: "We made a few changes to Articles 339 and 340
of the Criminal Code. According to these articles, people involved in preparing
forged documents and in using those documents will be punished. We also made
changes on several Criminal, Administrative, and Civil codes. Human trafficking
is described as a crime punishable with prison terms."
Until all these amendments are adopted, human traffickers will remain
punishable only under the Criminal Code, which imposes jail terms of some 5-8
years for convicted traffickers.
But Tajik Deputy Prosecutor Azizmad Imomov says the laws should be completely
reviewed, rather than amended, in order to ensure the country can fight human
trafficking efficiently. "Some new articles from the Criminal Code -- which
basically dates from the Soviet times -- are not enough to prevent human
trafficking, because in the laws, the role of the prosecutors, the court and
the police is quite unclear," he said.
Meanwhile, the Tajik government is supporting preventive campaigns designed to
inform the public -- especially young women -- about the dangers of human
trafficking. In particular, the campaigns urge people to be wary of offers of
work abroad.
Nigida Mamadjonova works for the International Office for Migration (IOM) in
the Tajik capital Dushanbe. She says because it is difficult to help women who
have already fallen victim to traffickers, preventing further such incidents is
crucial. "According to unofficial data, more than 300 Tajik woman and girls
have been arrested and imprisoned in the United Arab Emirates for prostitution.
We are not involved in releasing them. Preventing them from being involved in
this traffic is more important. It's our priority."
The IOM has been carrying out countertrafficking information campaigns,
spreading the word through television documentaries, talk shows, radio
announcements, and the distribution of leaflets. The organization also set up
an information center in Dushanbe earlier this year to help migrant laborers be
aware of the risks.
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