Situation in EU member states

Bulgaria is a source, transit, and destination country for men and women trafficked from Moldova, Romania, Russia, Ukraine, and Armenia to Bulgaria and through Bulgaria to Spain, Austria, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, the Czech Republic, and Macedonia for the purposes of sexual exploitation. Men and women from Bulgaria are trafficked to Cyprus, Greece, and Turkey for purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor. Roma children are trafficked within Bulgaria and to Austria, Italy, and other West European countries for purposes of forced begging and petty theft. Approximately 20 percent of identified trafficking victims in Bulgaria are children.
The Government of Bulgaria does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so. Bulgaria improved its victim assistance infrastructure by opening a government-run child trafficking shelter and continued to demonstrate increased law enforcement efforts. However, Bulgaria's National Anti-Trafficking Commission could not effectively monitor and improve national and local efforts due to inadequate staffing. Bulgaria should improve support for the Executive Secretary of the Commission and ensure implementation of the National Anti-Trafficking Strategy, which was adopted in February 2005. The government should focus serious and sustained efforts to develop its crime statistics database. Bulgaria should also take steps to reduce the domestic demand for commercial sexual exploitation.

Prosecution
The Bulgarian government significantly improved its anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts over the last year. Bulgaria prohibits trafficking for both sexual exploitation and forced labor through Section 159 of its criminal code. Penalties prescribed for trafficking under Section 159 range from 1 to 15 years' imprisonment, are sufficiently stringent, and are commensurate with punishments for other grave crimes, such as rape. In 2006, police conducted 202 sex trafficking and 6 labor trafficking investigations, a significant increase from 134 sex trafficking and 7 labor trafficking investigations in 2005. In 2006, 129 persons were prosecuted, an increase from 63 in 2005. Convicted traffickers numbered 71, up from 34 convictions in 2005. During the reporting period, Bulgaria extradited 33 persons on trafficking charges at the request of other countries. There were reports of low-level law enforcement officials involved in trafficking; one police officer was convicted for trafficking in 2006.

Protection
Bulgaria made adequate victim assistance and protection efforts during the reporting period. In September 2006, the government opened two crisis centers that provide rehabilitative, psychological, and medical assistance specifically tailored to address the needs of child trafficking victims; each shelter has capacity for 10 children. These centers assisted approximately 20 children from September 2006 through March 2007. The government referred repatriated Bulgarian trafficking victims and foreign victims trafficked to Bulgaria to NGOs for legal, medical, and psychological assistance. All victims in Bulgaria are eligible for free medical and psychological care provided through public hospitals and NGOs. In 2006, 11 victims gave testimony in support of trafficking prosecutions, but none was protected under the full witness protection program. Victims are encouraged to assist in trafficking investigations and prosecutions; victims who choose to cooperate with law enforcement investigators are provided with full residency and employment rights for the duration of the criminal proceedings. Foreign victims who choose not to cooperate in trafficking investigations are permitted to stay in Bulgaria for 1 month and 10 days before they are repatriated. Victims generally were not detained, fined, or otherwise penalized for unlawful acts committed as a result of their being trafficked.

Prevention
Bulgaria demonstrated diminished efforts to prevent trafficking during the reporting period. The government relied exclusively on NGOs and the international community to fund and execute public awareness campaigns about the dangers of trafficking. The National Border Police actively monitored airports and land border crossings for evidence of trafficking in persons.

The Czech Republic is a transit and destination country for women from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Slovakia, Bulgaria, People's Republic of China (P.R.C.), and Vietnam trafficked to and through the Czech Republic for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation. It is also a source of Czech women trafficked to Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, and Denmark for sexual exploitation. The Czech Republic is a destination country for men and women trafficked from Ukraine, Moldova, the P.R.C., Vietnam, Belarus, India, and North Korea for the purpose of labor exploitation. Ethnic Roma women remain at the highest risk for trafficking internally and abroad for sexual exploitation.
The Government of the Czech Republic fully complies with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking. The Czech Republic made several positive efforts over the reporting period, including: the creation of a new forced labor police unit; the elimination of a program of exploitative North Korean contract labor for private industry in the Czech Republic; and the funding of a demand reduction campaign in several regions of the country and in Ukraine. The government should: vigorously prosecute and convict traffickers and increase the number of convicted traffickers serving time in prison; continue to provide training for prosecutors and judges; and continue to train labor inspectors on how to identify victims of labor trafficking.

Prosecution
The Czech Republic demonstrated increased law enforcement efforts over the last year. The Czech Republic prohibits trafficking both for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and for forced labor through Sections 232a, 216, and 204 of its criminal code, respectively. Punishments prescribed in these statutes range from 2 to 15 years' imprisonment, which are sufficiently stringent, and commensurate with those for other grave crimes. In 2006, police conducted 16 investigations, compared to 18 investigations in 2005. In 2006, the government prosecuted 151 persons, compared to 12 in 2005. The government obtained the convictions of 72 traffickers during the reporting period, compared to 72 convictions in 2005; most traffickers were prosecuted and convicted under the pimping statute. The government provided training sessions for prosecutors and judges that focused on the need for stronger sentences to be given to convicted traffickers. Czech law enforcement officials continued to cooperate with counterparts in other countries in joint trafficking investigations throughout 2006. Three Israeli nationals hiding in the Czech Republic were extradited to Israel for trafficking Ukrainian women. There were no confirmed cases of government officials involved in trafficking; however, concerns remained that individual officers of the border police facilitate border crossing for traffickers.

Protection
The government sustained its efforts to protect and assist victims. The government continued to fund IOM and three NGOs to provide victim assistance, rehabilitation services, and shelter. NGOs provided at least 67 victims with government-funded, comprehensive assistance. The government provides a 30-day reflection period for victims to decide whether or not to cooperate with law enforcement. Victims are encouraged to assist in investigations and prosecutions; victims who assist law enforcement are granted temporary residence and work visas for the duration of the criminal proceedings. Upon conclusion of the trial, qualifying victims may apply for permanent residency; one victim was granted permanent residency in 2006, compared to two victims in 2005. During the reporting period, police actively used the formal victim identification and referral system to refer victims to NGOs. Because of the stigma attached to trafficking, victims were frequently hesitant to return to their families or seek social service providers. The government also produced a 90-page book for health care practitioners to assist in victim identification. The Czech Republic continued to fund an IOM repatriation program for victims from Georgia, Moldova, and Armenia.

Prevention
The government improved its trafficking awareness efforts during the reporting period. In 2006, the government funded a demand reduction campaign that informed potential clients of prostitution about trafficking and provided methods for anonymously reporting suspected trafficking situations. The government also took pro-active steps to combat labor trafficking by funding two NGOs to provide information to Ukrainian citizens in ten Ukrainian cities who are looking to work in the Czech Republic.
The government monitors migration and immigration patterns for evidence of trafficking. The Czech Republic has not ratified the 2000 UN TIP Protocol.

Denmark is primarily a transit and destination country for women and girls trafficked from Ukraine, the Baltic states, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Thailand, Ghana, and Nigeria for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation.
The Government of Denmark fully complies with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking. In December 2006, the government adopted its second anti-trafficking national action plan and extended the period of reflection it grants foreign trafficking victims from 15 to 100 days. Denmark spent approximately $178,000 on a domestic national awareness campaign during the year. The government should consider granting identified trafficking victims temporary residency and work permits in order to increase victim participation in trafficking investigations. Denmark should develop legal alternatives to deportation for victims who face retribution or hardship upon repatriation. Although the government has invested considerable resources to improve law enforcement efforts, more should be done to improve the collection of trafficking statistics.

Prosecution
The Government of Denmark sustained law enforcement efforts over the reporting period. Denmark prohibits trafficking for both sexual exploitation and forced labor through Section 262 of its criminal code, although prosecutors often use the procurement law to prosecute traffickers. Punishments prescribed for trafficking under section 262 extend to eight years' imprisonment, are sufficiently stringent and are commensurate with penalties prescribed for other grave crimes, such as rape. Police conducted a total of 21 trafficking investigations during the reporting period, down from 30 investigations in 2005. Initial information shows that in 2006, authorities prosecuted at least 14 trafficking cases, compared to 30 cases in 2005. Convictions were obtained against 33 traffickers in 2006, including three under the anti-trafficking statute and 30 under the procurement law; in 2005, seven traffickers were convicted under the anti-trafficking statute and 20 were convicted under the procurement law. All 33 traffickers convicted under the two laws served some time in prison; no convicted traffickers received suspended sentences in 2006.

Protection
Denmark continued to provide adequate assistance and protection for victims of trafficking. The government continued to fully fund three regional NGOs in Denmark that provide victim outreach and identification, rehabilitative counseling, shelter, and public awareness. The government trained police personnel to effectively use the "Next Stop" trafficking hotline to refer victims to appropriate anti-trafficking NGOs for assistance. Police encouraged victims to participate in trafficking investigations, but the government did not prevent the punishment of trafficking victims for unlawful acts committed as a result of their being trafficked, such as detention for immigration violations. Consequently, few foreign victims assisted authorities in investigations. The government did not provide victims with legal alternatives to their removal to countries where they could face hardship or retribution. Although some government-funded NGOs did attempt to contact NGOs in source countries to facilitate safe repatriation of victims, deficiencies in the infrastructures of some source countries resulted in victims returning to face hardship, retribution, or re-trafficking upon their return.

Prevention
Denmark demonstrated progress in its trafficking prevention efforts. In October 2006, the government launched "You Have a Choice, She Doesn't," a nation-wide information campaign that focused on domestic demand reduction and increased general public awareness of trafficking. The campaign included television and film advertisements, billboards, fliers, and leaflets. The government continued to adequately monitor its borders. Denmark continued to fund NGOs to conduct regional awareness campaigns.

Estonia is a source, transit, and destination country for men and women trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor. Estonian women and girls are trafficked to Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Spain, Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands for purposes of sexual exploitation. Men and women were trafficked from Estonia to the United Kingdom for the purpose of forced labor.
The Government of Estonia does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so. Although the number of trafficking investigations, prosecutions, and convictions declined in 2006, Estonia demonstrated continued political will to combat trafficking by implementing its national action plan and increasing its anti-trafficking budget from $14,000 to $96,000; the majority of this money was allocated for victim assistance and trafficking prevention programs. Estonia should boost its anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts and continue to improve coordination efforts with regional counterparts on victim identification and repatriation. Estonia should also consider drafting a trafficking-specific law that incorporates a broader definition of trafficking in persons and is consistent with the 2000 UN TIP Protocol.

Prosecution
Estonian law does not prohibit all forms of trafficking, although the criminal code does prohibit enslavement, abduction, pimping, and a number of other trafficking-related crimes. The penalties for such acts range from five to 15 years' imprisonment, and are commensurate with those for other grave crimes such as sexual assault. In 2006, police conducted three trafficking investigations. Authorities prosecuted one confirmed trafficking case and convicted one trafficker for aiding in the prostitution of minors over the reporting period. The trafficker was sentenced to six months' imprisonment. Nevertheless, the lack of a trafficking-specific law in Estonia created difficulties in accurately quantifying the government's efforts to combat trafficking. For example, foreign governments identified 49 Estonians as trafficking victims in 2006. Although Estonia recognized all 49 as victims of trafficking crimes, the government reported only five of them as trafficking victims in Estonian government statistics.

Protection
Although Estonia significantly improved its victim assistance policies, no victims received state assistance during the reporting period. In accordance with the 2006 National Action Plan, Estonia systemized its support services and increased cooperation between NGOs and national victim support services. During the reporting period, state social workers and victims' assistants provided victim identification and referral training to law enforcement. Estonian authorities do not penalize victims for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of their being trafficked. Estonia encourages trafficking victims to participate in trafficking investigations and prosecutions. In 2006, Estonia amended its law to allow foreign trafficking victims to obtain temporary residency permits during the duration of the criminal investigation and prosecution of their case.

Prevention
The government continued to increase its trafficking prevention efforts during the reporting period. In October, the government provided funding to an NGO operating Estonia's only trafficking dedicated hotline. The government had planned to begin funding the hotline in January 2007, but it stepped in earlier because the hotline ran out of funds in late 2006. The Ministry of Social Affairs conducted 19 lectures to educate the public and government officials on the realities of trafficking; in total, more than 800 people including high school and university students, consular officers, Estonian soldiers deploying abroad, social workers, police, members of women's organizations, prosecutors, and judges attended these lectures. In total, the Ministry of Social Affairs spent $25,000 on awareness raising and victim identification training in 2006.

France is a destination country for women and girls trafficked for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor. Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Cameroon are the primary source countries for women trafficked for sexual exploitation, although increasing numbers of mainland Chinese women and girls are trafficked to France. A majority of the estimated 18,000 women in France's commercial sex trade are probably victims of trafficking. Some women who migrate to France voluntarily for work are deceived or coerced into sexual servitude or debt bondage. During 2006, the ratio of Eastern European sex trafficking victims fell, while the percentages of African, South American, and Asian women trafficked to France increased. The Committee Against Modern Slavery (CCEM) estimated that one-fifth of involuntary domestic servitude cases in France involve abusive employers who are diplomats with diplomatic immunity.
The Government of France fully complies with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking. France works closely and proactively with Eastern European countries to combat trafficking. During the reporting period, the French government initiated contacts with some African countries, with the aim of reducing trafficking. The government should enhance training to encourage the vigorous investigation and prosecution of trafficking cases with the anti-trafficking statute when appropriate. The government should continue to aggressively prosecute trafficking cases and ensure that traffickers receive sentences consistent with the heinous nature of the offense.

Prosecution
The Government of France continued progress in combating trafficking in persons during 2006. France prohibits trafficking for both sexual and labor exploitation through Article 225 of its penal code, which prescribes penalties that are sufficiently stringent and exceed those for rape. Prosecutors continued to apply the anti-pimping laws in lieu of the anti-trafficking provision in sex trafficking cases because the prosecutors are accustomed to using them, and because the penalties for both (including cases involving aggravating circumstances) are basically identical. The government reported high numbers of pimping arrests and prosecutions in 2006, but it is unclear how many of these are trafficking cases, since the government does not disaggregate sentencing data by crime. Of 55 persons convicted of "aggravated pimping involving a minor," only eight were convicted solely on this count; seven of those received a prison term, serving an average of little more than 25 months each. The CCEM is currently working on cases for 89 victims of involuntary domestic servitude in various stages of the judicial process, 39 of these cases were new in 2006. In February 2007, 10 traffickers and 41 French "buyers" were convicted and sentenced for "trade in human beings." In April 2007, five members of an extended family network involved in forcing up to 60 homeless people to work under inhumane conditions in Paris and Marseille were sentenced to terms of four years and 1.5 million euro in fines under the anti-trafficking law. There were also two convictions in 2006 of French citizens for sex tourism abroad; they resulted in prison sentences of eight and 10 years. The government increased law enforcement cooperation with Bulgaria and Romania. There was no indication of trafficking-related complicity among French government officials.

Protection
The Government of France continued to protect and assist victims of trafficking in 2006. The government encourages victim participation in the investigation of traffickers, and victims may file civil complaints against traffickers. A trafficking victim who files a complaint against a trafficker or testifies against him or her is eligible for a temporary three-month residency card and a work permit. The temporary card can be renewed for another three months and again for a period of six months. Moreover, an Interior Ministry circular of 2005 authorized authorities not to return trafficking victims to countries where they will suffer mistreatment. The government does not provide information on how many of these permits it issues, as they are provided through mayor's offices and not tabulated nationally. However, the figure in 2005 was over 300 permits issued in Paris alone. If the trafficker is convicted, the victim is eligible for a permanent residency card. Occasionally women in prostitution are arrested and fined for solicitation without being screened to determine whether they are victims. The government and City of Paris fund comprehensive services and long-term shelter facilities for trafficking victims through the Accompaniment Places of Welcome (ALC). The ALC network of 33 NGOs provides victim services in 36 shelters across France. In 2006, the ALC received notifications on 58 trafficking victims in need of shelter and placed 52 victims in 25 shelters with six victims returned to their country of origin.

Prevention
France continued to demonstrate efforts to raise awareness and prevent trafficking in persons in 2006. In early 2007, the government sponsored its first-ever nationwide conference that brought together enforcement officials, magistrates, and NGOs to discuss how better to improve communication and cooperation in protecting victims and preventing trafficking. The government continued its participation in an anti-trafficking awareness campaign that used posters calling attention to the reality that women in prostitution in France may be victims of trafficking. The government also funded television ad campaigns on all the major channels on child prostitution and sex tourism. The government continued funding an NGO-run anti-child sex tourism campaign on Air France flights. In 2006, the Ministry of Tourism instituted a program to combat sex tourism by French citizens and residents. All tourism students in France must do course work on sex tourism. In September 2006, anti-trafficking police officials were assigned to 12 French embassies in countries with well-known sex tourism trades in an attempt to prosecute offenders, raise official awareness of the problem, and increase cooperation with those countries.

Hungary is primarily a transit, and to a lesser extent a source and destination country for women from Slovakia, Romania, Ukraine, Moldova, Poland, the Balkans, and China trafficked for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation to Austria, Slovenia, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Italy, France, and the United States. Hungarian women are trafficked primarily to Western and Northern Europe and to North America.
The Government of Hungary fully complies with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking. Hungary demonstrated a sustained commitment to fighting trafficking; it significantly improved its victim assistance and protection efforts. Police improved efforts to identify and care for victims. In July 2006, the Hungarian Border Guard was granted the authority to investigate trafficking cases; seven new trafficking investigations were launched as a result. Although the government did not establish a national action plan nor create a central office to coordinate anti-trafficking efforts, it did draft a national anti-trafficking strategy and is expected to present it to Parliament in 2007. The government should continue to provide training for police, prosecutors, and judicial officers and take steps to ensure more convicted traffickers serve time in prison. Police should continue to utilize established victim identification and referral procedures. The government should work to establish a systematic method to document victims. Hungary should consider measures to reduce the domestic demand for commercial sex acts.
Prosecution
The Hungarian government sustained strong law enforcement efforts over the year. Hungary prohibits all forms of trafficking through Paragraph 175/b of its criminal code, though prosecutors rely on trafficking-related statutes to prosecute most trafficking cases. Penalties prescribed under 175/b range from one to 15 years' imprisonment, which are sufficiently stringent and commensurate with those prescribed for other grave crimes. During the reporting period, police and border guards conducted a total of 22 trafficking investigations, down from 28 investigations in 2005. Authorities prosecuted 23 traffickers in 2006, compared with 27 in 2005. Convictions were obtained against 21 traffickers in 2006; conviction data was unavailable for 2005. Only nine convicted traffickers served sentences ranging from one to five years, while the remaining 12 served no time in prison; this is an inadequate deterrent to trafficking.
Protection
Hungary demonstrated improved victim assistance efforts during the reporting period. Authorities continued to implement the government's victim referral process, established in 2005; 23 victims were referred for assistance, compared with 12 in 2005. The government allocated more than $50,000 to NGOs for victim protection during the year. Police received sensitivity training throughout the year and in January 2006, the Hungarian National Police issued a directive to all precincts providing guidance on the identification and treatment of victims and potential victims to police officers at all levels; several NGOs reported a noticeable improvement in the police's treatment and referral of victims as a result. Historically, poor victim treatment or failure to identify potential victims of trafficking has been an issue among street and low-level police. Victims are not penalized for acts committed as a direct result of being trafficked. There were no reported cases of abuse of trafficking victims by authorities. Although authorities encouraged victims to assist in trafficking investigations and prosecutions, few victims choose to participate due to lack of information provided to victims, language barriers, and fear of retribution by traffickers. Victims are granted a reflection period and subsequently can apply for a six-month temporary residency permit if they choose to cooperate with law enforcement.
Prevention
The government implemented trafficking prevention efforts throughout the year in partnerships with NGOs and IOM. It continued to fund trafficking awareness programs for police, border guards, prosecutors, consular officers, and judicial officials. The government provided partial funding for anti-trafficking education programs in 100 schools, reaching more than 8,000 students.

There are reports, which the Government of Ireland is investigating, which suggest that Ireland is a transit and destination country for a significant number of trafficking victims from Eastern Europe, Africa, Latin America, or Asia. While Ireland has a growing population of migrants, there is not yet evidence of a large number of trafficking victims. Unaccompanied minors from various source countries, particularly in Africa, represent a vulnerable group in Ireland that is susceptible to trafficking and exploitation.
The Government of Ireland fully complies with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking. Ireland’s recent influx of immigrants suggests a vulnerable population among refugees, asylum-seekers, and economic migrants susceptible to force, fraud, and coercion by exploiters in Ireland. The Government of Ireland, newly aware of the trafficking problem, has shown openness and leadership in tackling this crime. Current law, however, does not clearly define trafficking but rather merges it with smuggling, complicating efforts to count and verify the extent of trafficking in the country. In 2005, the government began drafting and updating anti-trafficking legislation that promises to be more comprehensive. If passed, the laws will differentiate between smuggling and trafficking; criminalize trafficking of children into or out of Ireland for both sexual exploitation and forced labor; and focus on the liability of carriers in their transport of such victims. Law enforcement personnel should continue training on victim identification techniques, including key elements defining the difference between trafficking and smuggling.

Prosecution
The Government of Ireland demonstrated strong leadership and initiative in addressing trafficking through law enforcement means in 2005. The government vigorously investigated cases of suspected trafficking reported by NGOs, potential victims themselves, and those reported in the media. Since August 2005, police conducted a number of raids of brothels in Ireland; the government reportedly is preparing cases for prosecution. As a result, in September 2005, authorities conducted a series of raids based on allegations of trafficking in exotic dance clubs, though interviews of suspected victims did not produce evidence of trafficking. In February 2006, police launched an investigation and raided a farm suspected of managing a series of brothels via a call center operation, though again, no evidence of trafficking was found. Ireland’s legislative framework includes a Child Trafficking and Pornography Act, which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. The Government of Ireland demonstrated strong engagement with international organizations, NGOs, and potential source countries on trafficking. In 2005, the government launched Operation Hotel to improve nationwide law enforcement coordination on trafficking. There was no evidence of official complicity in trafficking during the reporting period.

Protection
The Irish Government offered adequate protections to presumed victims of trafficking during the reporting period. While the government lacks a formal referral mechanism, police and immigration officials referred potential trafficking victims to NGOs throughout the year. Due to a lack of dedicated anti-trafficking protections and services, potential victims, especially unaccompanied children, were at risk for being trafficked. NGOs and law enforcement authorities who have contact with potential victims of trafficking estimate a range of 14 to 200 victims of trafficking in Ireland since 2001. However, there are no agreed-upon figures on the number of trafficking cases in 2005. The current number of cases under police investigation is in the single digits, while NGOs estimate that the actual number of cases may range from 14 to 35 per year.

Prevention
In October 2005, the government established an inter-ministerial anti-trafficking working group composed of officials from the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform and the police. NGOs reported excellent cooperation with government and police officials, particularly at the operational level. Ireland en Route, a loose network of government agencies, NGOs, academics, and other experts met three times in 2005 to coordinate trainings and discuss legislation, best practices, and other relevant trafficking issues in Ireland. In February 2006, the government joined the U.K. Government’s "Operation Pentameter." Part of this operation includes an awareness campaign aimed at potential victims and a hotline. In 2005, the government provided $24,000 to an NGO for victim support services, specifically earmarked as funds to cover expenses while victims await court appearances. The government also dedicated $420,000 per year to assist this NGO in reforming women in prostitution.

Italy is a transit and destination country for women, children and men trafficked for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor. Most victims are women and children from Nigeria, Romania, Moldova, Albania, and Ukraine though in smaller numbers there are also victims from Russia, Bulgaria, Latin America, North and East Africa, the Middle East, and China. Children constitute 7 to 10 percent of victims. There has been an increase in Romanian minors trafficked to Italy for sexual exploitation, an unintended consequence of a EU-mandated closure of Romanian orphanages. The number of Roma children trafficked for forced begging has also risen. Men from Poland and the P.R.C. are trafficked to Italy for forced labor, mostly in the agricultural sector.
The Government of Italy fully complies with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking. Italy has taken aggressive steps to enforce its anti-trafficking laws and to provide protection to victims. To further strengthen further its response to trafficking, Italy should take steps to ensure that Article 18 benefits are administered equally to labor trafficking victims, ensure that victims are not penalized for crimes committed as a result of being trafficked, and launch demand reduction campaigns.

Prosecution
The Government of Italy demonstrated sustained, strong law enforcement efforts to combat trafficking throughout the reporting period. Italy prohibits all forms of trafficking in persons through its 2003 Measures Against Trafficking in Persons law. The prescribed penalty of 8 to 20 years' imprisonment for all forms of trafficking is sufficiently stringent and commensurate with the nation's maximum 12-year prison sentence for forcible sexual assault. In 2006, the government raised the legal minimum age for engaging in prostitution from 15 to 18 years old. In an effort to highlight its concern about forced labor, in November 2006 the government proposed legislation to introduce new penalties for job recruiters who exploit workers. Between October 2006 and January 2007, the government conducted a large-scale anti-trafficking crackdown, "Operation Spartacus," which yielded the arrests of 784 suspected traffickers and led to the opening of investigations of 1,311 persons which are still ongoing. Trafficking investigations in 2005 - the last year for which complete data was available - increased to 2,045 from 1,861 in 2004. One hundred-two trafficking cases were prosecuted in 2005 resulting in the conviction of 125 traffickers and the acquittal of 48 defendants.

Protection
The Italian government sustained strong efforts to protect trafficking victims during reporting period. The government spent 4.3 million euros ($5.82 million) on victim assistance in 2006, financing 77 NGO projects to provide legal services, health care, and counseling to 7,300 women trafficking victims. In 2006, government-funded NGOs also provided literacy courses for 340 victims, vocational training for 430 victims, and employment assistance to 1189 victims. The government funded the repatriation and reintegration of 69 foreign victims and issued temporary residence visas to 927 victims in 2006. Article 18 of the anti-trafficking law allows authorities to grant residence permits and provide protection and job training services to victims of all forms of trafficking, including victims of forced labor, but benefits to date have primarily been given to sex trafficking victims. In 2007, the government extended Article 18 benefits to victims from EU countries. The government encourages victims to assist in trafficking investigations or prosecutions by offering temporary residency permits, though a victim need not assist law enforcement efforts in order to receive a temporary residency permit. In addition, a victim who is a material witness in a court case against a former employer may obtain other employment. Despite the government's efforts to identify all victims of trafficking, some, such as Nigerian women in commercial sexual exploitation, are still deported. The government is investigating allegations by an independent commission that its victim identification measures for immigrants arriving in boats from North Africa are not fully effective. Victims who file complaints against traffickers usually do not face prosecution.

Prevention
The Government of Italy demonstrated strong efforts to educate the Italian public about trafficking during the reporting period. NGOs continued to raise awareness using government-funded materials, including brochures, posters, and TV and radio ads about trafficking. The Minister for Equal Opportunities began implementing a new system at national and regional levels to track national anti-trafficking efforts.

Lithuania is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children trafficked for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation. Approximately one-third of trafficking victims in Lithuania are children. Lithuanian women were trafficked to the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Italy, Denmark, Norway, and the Netherlands. Women from Belarus, Russia (Kaliningrad region), and Ukraine are trafficked to and through Lithuania for the purpose of sexual exploitation.
The Government of Lithuania fully complies with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking. During the last year, the government again increased funding for victim assistance; it also funded the country's first nation-wide trafficking-awareness campaign. In December 2006, Lithuania's Parliament amended its criminal code to formally prohibit the punishment of trafficking victims for acts relating to prostitution or illegal migration, and to allow for temporary residency permits for victims who participate in court proceedings. Lithuania should work to formalize a victim identification and referral process, do more to educate victims or suspected victims about protections offered to victims of trafficking, take measures to reduce the demand for commercial sex acts, and continue to ensure that more than half of convicted traffickers serve time in prison.

Prosecution
The Government of Lithuania sustained its adequate law enforcement efforts over the reporting period. Lithuania prohibits all forms of trafficking through Article 147 of its criminal code, which prescribes penalties ranging from probation to 15 years' imprisonment. These penalties are sufficiently stringent and commensurate with penalties prescribed for other grave crimes. In 2006, authorities initiated 26 trafficking investigations, down from 32 in 2005. Authorities prosecuted 21 cases involving 23 defendants, compared with 18 prosecutions involving 43 defendants in 2005. Only 10 traffickers were convicted in 2006, a decrease from 20 convictions in 2005. In 2006, eight traffickers received sentences ranging from three to six years' imprisonment, while two traffickers served no time in prison. Lithuania maintained good law enforcement cooperation with British authorities during the reporting period. During the year, 60 law enforcement officers received trafficking training.

Protection
The Lithuanian Government continued to improve efforts to protect and assist victims of trafficking. In 2006, the government provided more than $170,000 to 13 anti-trafficking NGOs to conduct victim assistance and rehabilitation, including vocational training and job placement for victims; this was an increase in funding from $137,000 provided to 11 NGOs in 2005. Lithuania funded approximately 70 percent of anti-trafficking NGOs' programs, which assisted approximately 263 victims in 2006. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs assisted in the repatriation of 14 victims during the reporting period. Police continued to identify and refer victims to NGOs for assistance, although this was done on an informal basis. The government encouraged victims to assist in trafficking investigations and prosecutions; victims who participate in court proceedings were eligible for temporary residency permits. No victims received temporary residency permits in 2006. Identified victims are not penalized for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of their being trafficked.

Prevention
Lithuania showed significant progress in its trafficking prevention efforts. In 2006, the Ministry of Interior funded Lithuania's first nation-wide trafficking awareness campaign called "Don't be a commodity: separate life from illusions," which included seminars, posters, and television and radio public service announcements. The Ministry of Education distributed 13,000 NGO produced anti-trafficking brochures and 220 videos to schools during the reporting period.

Luxembourg is a destination country for women trafficked transnationally for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation. In 2006, Luxembourg officials identified a total of five victims from Brazil and Romania. In previous years, over 100 victims have been identified from other East European countries. In part due to its small size, Luxembourg has a modest trafficking challenge.
The Government of Luxembourg fully complies with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking. In 2006, the government improved its law enforcement efforts with the creation of a special unit within the police charged with investigating trafficking in persons crimes. The government should consider passing comprehensive anti-trafficking legislation and ensure that punishments imposed on traffickers reflect the heinous nature of the crime. The government should consider launching a demand-oriented campaign to educate potential clients about prostitution and its links to trafficking.

Prosecution
In 2006, the government improved its anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts with the creation of a specialized police unit responsible for investigating trafficking cases. Luxembourg prohibits all forms of trafficking in persons though various trafficking-related provisions of its penal code. In addition, Article 379 of its penal code specifically criminalizes trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation and is also used for trafficking for the purpose of forced labor. Penalties are sufficiently stringent, and those for trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation are commensurate with penalties for rape. In 2006, the government obtained the conviction of a Kosovo-Albanian for trafficking a Romanian woman into commercial sexual exploitation; he was sentenced to three years' imprisonment and a 2,500 Euro fine. There was no evidence of trafficking-related corruption among Luxembourg public officials.

Protection
The Government of Luxembourg increased its efforts to protect trafficking victims in 2006. The government encourages victims to participate in the criminal investigation and, through its funding of NGOs, provides shelter, protection, and repatriation assistance to victims. In addition, victims can seek legal action against their traffickers. When a Romanian victim agreed to serve as a witness in a trafficking prosecution, the government funded her transportation and hotel costs in Luxembourg. Victims are not punished for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of their being trafficked. The government provides full operational funding for two NGOs and 11 shelters for women where victims of trafficking are referred. In 2006, the government granted the new anti-trafficking police unit a substantial budget. The government set up a working group charged with creating a network that would coordinate providing care for victims of trafficking.

Prevention
In 2006, the Ministry for Equal Opportunities, Amnesty International, and the Luxembourg Red Cross co-produced and screened a preview of a film about a young woman trafficked for sexual exploitation. The Ministry of Justice launched a training program aimed at educating police, immigration department officials, and other relevant government officials as well as NGO employees on how to identify victims of trafficking. The Ministry for Equal Opportunities, in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice and police, conducted a specialized training session on trafficking for all staff workers at shelters. Luxembourg has not ratified the 2000 UN TIP Protocol.

Malta is a destination country for men and women trafficked for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation. Malta is also a source country for minors trafficked internally for commercial sexual exploitation. There is anecdotal evidence that women from Serbia, Russia, Ukraine, Romania, and other Eastern European countries may be trafficked to Malta for forced prostitution. Between 1,500 to 1,800 African illegal immigrants arrive in Malta each year; it is unclear whether any are trafficked to or through Malta for labor or sexual exploitation.
The Government of Malta does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so. Malta arrested suspected traffickers and offered protection services to trafficking victims. Criminal investigations of trafficking offenses were low over the reporting period, and Malta did not carry out any anti-trafficking awareness raising campaigns. Malta should significantly increase investigations and prosecutions of trafficking crimes, and should also institute a formal victim identification procedure to ensure that trafficking victims are not punished.

Prosecution
Malta made modest efforts to prosecute trafficking in persons offenses during the reporting period. Malta's criminal code prohibits trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation and involuntary servitude, punishable by two to nine years' imprisonment. The White Slave Traffic Suppression Ordinance, as amended in 1994, prohibits the prostitution of minors under 21 years old, with prescribed penalties of up to four years' imprisonment. Prescribed penalties for trafficking offenses are thus sufficiently stringent to deter, but penalties for prostitution of minors are not commensurate with those for other grave crimes; conviction for rape carries a penalty of up to 10 years' imprisonment. This year, the government arrested five individuals for trafficking a Romanian woman into prostitution; their prosecutions are pending. The trafficked woman was offered protection by the police, gave court testimony, and was returned to her country of origin, which was her request. Another prosecution resulted in the conviction of a man for trafficking two women for prostitution; in January, the Court of Appeals confirmed a suspended sentence for the man. A police officer convicted for complicity in trafficking in 2005 remains out of jail on bail pending his appeal. Another police officer was convicted for a similar offense and sentenced to three years' imprisonment. The government should provide trafficking-related training to law enforcement and judicial officials, and it should significantly increase investigations for trafficking offenses, particularly when evidence of such offenses results from raids, brothels, or arrests of illegal migrants.

Protection
Malta took some steps to protect victims of trafficking during the reporting period. The government provides victim protection services through a primary social service agency that is directly funded and supervised by the Ministry for the Family and Social Solidarity. Despite reports that police attempt to identify trafficking victims among vulnerable groups, the government did not provide sufficient evidence that the 203 women arrested this year for prostitution were formally screened for evidence of trafficking prior to being charged with criminal offenses. As a result, some victims of trafficking may have been treated as offenders rather than victims, and punished accordingly. In the case of minors used in commercial sexual exploitation, specially trained police officers interview and refer them to Child Protection Services for assistance in reintegration. The police are trained to screen those arrested for prostitution for their vulnerability to exploitation. Immigration officials screen at the border and when visas are renewed for possible situations of sexual or labor exploitation.

Prevention
The government made limited efforts to prevent trafficking in persons this year. Maltese authorities responsible for issuing visas and patrolling borders are reportedly trained in identifying potential victims of trafficking to prevent trafficking into Malta. The government did not conduct any anti-trafficking awareness campaigns.

The Netherlands is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and girls trafficked for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor. Trafficking for sexual exploitation is more prevalent than labor trafficking. Internally, women and girls are trafficked by "lover boys," young men who seduce young women and girls and force them into prostitution. Women and girls are trafficked to the Netherlands from Nigeria, Bulgaria, People's Republic of China (P.R.C.), Poland, and Romania for sexual exploitation. To a smaller extent, men are trafficked to the Netherlands from India, P.R.C., Bangladesh and Turkey for forced labor in ports, factories, restaurants, and as domestic workers.
The Government of the Netherlands fully complies with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking. The government continued strong efforts to address trafficking through law enforcement efforts, while reinforcing legal protections for victims and carrying out aggressive prevention campaigns. To further strengthen its anti-trafficking response, the government should reinforce its efforts to prosecute labor trafficking cases, provide specialized care to male trafficking victims, and conduct systematic screenings of the legalized prostitution sector for potential trafficking victims.

Prosecution
The Government of the Netherlands continued to show substantial law enforcement efforts to combat trafficking. Since January 2005, the Netherlands has prohibited all forms of trafficking through Criminal Code Article 273. This statute prescribes penalties for any form of trafficking of 6 to 15 years' imprisonment and a fine of up to $45,000; these penalties are sufficiently stringent and commensurate with those prescribed for forcible sexual assault. In 2005, the last year for which statistics are available, police investigated and referred 135 trafficking cases for prosecution. The government prosecuted 146 trafficking cases in 2005, obtaining convictions in 98 of the cases. However, the average prison sentence imposed was 25 months. The government failed to prosecute any labor trafficking cases in 2005, but is currently prosecuting four. In February 2007, the government dismantled two sex trafficking networks - a major international Turkish ring and a Romanian operation.

Protection
The government demonstrated increased efforts to protect trafficking victims. The Dutch Foundation against Trafficking in Women (STV), the national reporting center for registration of and assistance to trafficking victims, registered 333 trafficking victims in the first eight months of 2006, compared to 261 victims in the same period of 2005. Local governments continued to fund the majority of private organizations and NGOs providing services to trafficking victims. However, neither the government nor NGOs provided shelters for male victims. The Netherlands encourages victims to assist in trafficking investigations and prosecutions. The government subsidizes the STV and funds NGOs to operate 15 regional and local networks through which civil society and the police provide care for victims. In early 2007, the government implemented new regulations to facilitate legal permanent residence for trafficking victims who assist with prosecutions. Trafficking victims who choose not to assist with a prosecution are eligible for a residence permit if they believe they will face hardship or retribution upon return to their country. Victims are not inappropriately incarcerated, fined, or penalized for unlawful acts as a direct result of being trafficked.

Prevention
The Netherlands demonstrated strong trafficking awareness-raising efforts during the year. The government continued to fund a national awareness campaign to reduce sex trafficking, launched in January 2006. Administered by the country's anonymous crime reporting hotline, the campaign is largely responsible for the increase to 152 tips on sex trafficking cases received by the hotline in 2006 compared with 42 received in 2005. Throughout 2006, the government continued to fund information and education campaigns at schools to prevent youth prostitution. In 2007, the government launched a national campaign that warned female high school students about "lover boy" practices. The Ministry of Justice initiated a national assessment of the prostitution sector, including the extent of trafficking, as part of a report to Parliament on the impact of the lifting of the ban on brothels. It is due in April 2007.

Poland is a source, transit, and destination country for women from Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, Belarus, Lithuania, Russia, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Somalia, Uganda, and Vietnam trafficked to and through Poland to Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Japan for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation. Polish men and women are trafficked to Italy, Austria, Germany, Belgium, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Japan, and Israel for purposes of forced labor and sexual exploitation. Boys from Vietnam were trafficked to Poland for the purpose of sexual exploitation. In May, police dismantled a trafficking ring that trafficked more than 350 Polish women to Austria for the purpose of sexual exploitation. In July 2006, a labor trafficking ring in Italy was found to have trafficked more than 300 Polish men and women for the purpose of forced agricultural labor.
The Government of Poland fully complies with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking. Poland continued to show progress in some areas, including an increase in international law enforcement cooperation. In March 2006, Poland created a Central Anti-Trafficking Unit in the National Police, which assisted in the breakup of several large-scale trafficking rings. The government also allocated more than $2 million to implement its national action plan and fund victim assistance and prevention programs. The government should continue training for prosecutors and judges, take steps to increase the number of trafficking convictions and the number of convicted offenders who serve time in prison, and make efforts to increase the number of identified victims.

Prosecution
The Government of Poland demonstrated mixed progress in its overall law enforcement efforts. Poland prohibits all forms of trafficking; Article 204, Section 4 and Article 253 are used to prosecute sex trafficking and forced labor cases. Prosecutors rely on trafficking definitions in the 2000 UN TIP Protocol when pursuing cases against traffickers, although some NGOs and government officials expressed concern that the lack of a trafficking definition in Poland's penal code limits effective prosecutions. Penalties under Article 253 range from 3 to 15 years' imprisonment, and Article 204, Section 4 provides for up to ten years' imprisonment; these sentences are sufficiently stringent and commensurate with those for other grave crimes, such as sexual assault. Police conducted 21 new investigations in 2006, down slightly from 22 in 2005. The government conducted 36 prosecutions, up from 18 in 2005. Sixteen traffickers were convicted in Polish Courts of First Instance in 2006, down from 37 such convictions in 2005. Data on convictions handed down by appellate courts were unavailable for 2006; however, in 2005 only nine of the 37 trafficking convictions were upheld on appeal. Of these, four traffickers served some time in prison; this is a significant decrease from 2004 when 13 of 16 convicted traffickers served time in prison. In 2006, Polish authorities worked closely with foreign counterparts on several high-profile international trafficking cases. In May 2006, Austrian authorities arrested two Polish policemen who were involved in a group suspected of having trafficked 440 Polish and Romanian women to Austria. To date, there have been no cases of law enforcement officials punished for trafficking-related corruption in Poland.

Protection
The Polish government continued to provide quality assistance to trafficking victims. It increased its funding to victim support and sustained implementation of its victim referral mechanism governing cooperation among police, border guards, and victim assistance organizations. Once identified, victims were typically referred to the nearest victim assistance location. Although the government has invested significant resources in victim identification training, the number of identified victims in the country remained low. Concerns exist that a two-month victim reflection period for victims, available starting in 2005, was not properly implemented; at least one foreign victim identified herself to law enforcement but was still deported without being offered the reflection period. The government encouraged victims to assist in trafficking investigations and prosecutions; 11 victims assisted authorities in 2006.

Romania is a source and transit country for men and women from Moldova, Ukraine, and Russia trafficked to Italy, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Greece, and Austria for the purposes of forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation. Romanian children are trafficked within the country for sexual exploitation and forced begging. Roma women and girls are highly vulnerable to trafficking.
The Government of Romania does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so. In November 2006, the government implemented a new trafficking-specific victim-witness coordination program and assisted 26 victims of trafficking. The government improved cooperation with anti-trafficking NGOs and allocated $250,000 in 2006 to NGOs for use in anti-trafficking efforts in 2007. In December 2006, the government launched a national database to assist victim identification and referral efforts. In the coming year, Romania should increase efforts to develop a national victim referral system and standards, and to train police to ensure that victims are identified and not inappropriately fined or otherwise penalized. The government should conduct a demand-reduction public awareness campaign, targeting clients of the sex trade.

Prosecution
Romania continued its law enforcement efforts during the reporting period. Romania prohibits trafficking for the purposes of both sexual and labor exploitation through Law no. 678/2001, which prescribes penalties of 3 to 13 years' imprisonment. These penalties are sufficiently stringent and commensurate with penalties prescribed for other grave crimes, such as rape. In 2006, police conducted 61 investigations, down from 231 in 2005. During the reporting period, 780 persons were prosecuted, resulting in the conviction of 187 traffickers, down from 235 convictions in 2005. Romania demonstrated improved progress in the sentencing of traffickers during the reporting period. In 2006, 164 convicted traffickers served time in prison ranging from 6 months to 15 years, while 23 traffickers served no time in prison. This is a significant improvement from 2005 when more than 40 percent of convicted traffickers served no prison time.

Protection
Romania continued its efforts to improve victim protection. The government established 15 regional victim assistance centers in 2006, which identified 79 victims from September through December 2006; these centers are responsible for implementing the victim-witness coordination project and for identifying and referring victims to NGOs and government shelters. Although the government operated at least nine trafficking shelters at the state level, the quality and consistency varied from region to region; some shelters were temporarily closed during the reporting period due to a lack of funding and maintenance. The government identified a total of 2,285 victims throughout the year; 476 victims received assistance from either government agencies or NGOs, a significant increase from 175 victims assisted in 2005. According to law, NGOs that provide services to trafficking victims have government funding priority. Although some law enforcement agencies have victim identification procedures, there are no national victim identification or referral procedures to systematically transfer victims to NGOs or state-run shelters. Some law enforcement officers may refer victims based on personal relationships with local NGOs. In practice, victims were frequently not identified by authorities when detained for unlawful acts they committed as part of their being trafficked; they were penalized for these acts as a result. Victims were encouraged to assist in trafficking investigations, although a lack of faith in law enforcement and fear of retribution from traffickers sometimes limited victim cooperation. In 2006, the government made victim testimony easier by changing the law to permit trafficking victims to use video testimony.

Prevention
The Government of Romania demonstrated increased efforts to prevent human trafficking during the reporting period. The government funded several NGOs to produce anti-trafficking campaigns at both national and local levels. From July through December 2006, the government conducted a labor migration campaign that warned of the dangers of trafficking. The government also conducted a campaign targeting the Roma, a highly vulnerable population to trafficking; the government translated the campaign materials into Romany. The government worked with an NGO to promote trafficking awareness leading up to and during the World Cup Soccer Championship in Germany in June 2006.

The Slovak Republic is a source country for women and girls trafficked to Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, and Slovenia for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation. It is also a transit country for women from Moldova, Ukraine, Bulgaria, the Balkans, the Baltics, and People's Republic of China trafficked to the Czech Republic, Germany, Switzerland, France, Italy, Austria, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Spain, Croatia, and Slovenia for sexual exploitation. Roma women and girls within Slovakia continue to be highly vulnerable to trafficking.
The Government of the Slovak Republic does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so. Although some efforts to implement Slovakia's National Action Plan were stalled in 2006 with the temporary vacancy and reorganization of the National Anti-Trafficking Coordinator's position, Slovakia demonstrated important progress. In December 2006, the Slovak parliament passed a law allowing for a renewable 40-day stay for foreign victims. The government also signed cooperation agreements with three NGOs for a one-year pilot project to identify and provide shelter to victims. The government should ensure that police, customs officials, prosecutors, and social workers at refugee camps and asylum centers receive trafficking-specific training. The government should also collaborate with NGOs in identifying victims among persons in police detention centers and immigration facilities.

Prosecution
The Government of the Slovak Republic demonstrated progress in its law enforcement efforts during the reporting period. The Slovak Republic prohibits all forms of trafficking through Sections 179-181 of its criminal code, which prescribes penalties ranging from four to 25 years' imprisonment. These penalties are sufficiently stringent and are commensurate with those prescribed for other grave crimes, such as rape. Police conducted 20 trafficking investigations in 2006. The government prosecuted 32 trafficking cases, compared to 30 cases in 2005. Convictions were obtained against 18 traffickers in 2006, a significant increase from four convictions in 2005. Most convicted traffickers were given sentences ranging from three to five years' imprisonment. However, two traffickers received suspended sentences and one trafficker was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment. There were no reported cases of government officials involved in trafficking. During the reporting period, police worked with NGOs to receive training on victim identification and assistance.

Protection
The government demonstrated modest progress in its victim protection efforts during the reporting period. The government provided money to several NGOs for victim services and it assisted NGOs and IOM to locate temporary shelter and provide health services for approximately 10 victims it identified. Approximately 50 additional victims were assisted by NGOs and IOM. Police provided information to potential victims about NGO-provided services and the police anti-trafficking unit implemented procedures to identify and refer victims to protection services. However, some authorities lack the training to identify victims and expect victims to identify themselves. Victims are encouraged to participate in investigations and prosecutions. There were reports that unidentified victims were penalized or deported; NGOs were rarely given access to identify potential victims among detained women held in police or immigration detention centers.

Slovenia is primarily a transit and, to a lesser extent, a source and destination country for men and women from Ukraine, Slovakia, Romania, Moldova, Bulgaria, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Turkey, Albania, and Montenegro trafficked for purpose of commercial sexual exploitation. Girls were trafficked to Slovenia from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia for the purpose of sexual exploitation.
The Government of Slovenia fully complies with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking. The government demonstrated a significant increase in law enforcement and victim assistance efforts during the reporting period. Slovenia successfully prosecuted, convicted, and sentenced traffickers for the first time since 2002. Slovenia also provided more than $50,000 in funding for victim assistance and took steps to guarantee consistent funding for designated NGO-run trafficking shelters. The government should continue to vigorously investigate, prosecute, convict, and sentence traffickers; take steps to ensure prosecutors and judges receive trafficking awareness training; ensure that a majority of convicted traffickers serve some time in prison; and consider conducting a domestic demand reduction campaign for commercial sex acts.

Prosecution
The government significantly increased its law enforcement efforts in 2006. The government prohibits all forms of trafficking in persons through Article 387(a) of its criminal code, which prescribes penalties ranging from six months to ten years' imprisonment. These penalties are sufficiently stringent and commensurate with those prescribed for other grave crimes. Authorities conducted three investigations in 2006, compared to seven in 2005. Authorities conducted six prosecutions in 2006, up from two in 2005. Seven traffickers were convicted in 2006. Four were given sentences ranging from 18 months to five years' imprisonment and three served no time in prison. More than 800 police officers received training from a government-funded anti-trafficking NGO in 2006. Slovenia actively worked and shared data with other governments on trafficking investigations through EUROPOL and Interpol.

Protection
The Government of Slovenia increased its victim assistance and protection efforts during the reporting period. The government provided adequate funding for several anti-trafficking NGOs to provide shelter and rehabilitation programs for victims. In 2006, these NGOs assisted 43 victims or potential victims. The government continued to implement its formalized victim referral mechanism in cooperation with NGOs, referring 21 victims to NGOs in 2006. After identification, victims were granted a 90-day reflection period. Victims were encouraged to participate in trafficking investigations and prosecutions; victims who participate are eligible to stay in Slovenia for the duration of the trial. Victims were not punished for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of being trafficked.

Prevention
The Government of Slovenia continued its prevention efforts during the reporting period. It funded an NGO to provide trafficking awareness classes for students in elementary and secondary schools, reaching 545 students and parents in 2006. Slovenia continued to monitor its borders for evidence of trafficking. The government's inter-departmental working group published and disseminated a report detailing the government's anti-trafficking efforts. Slovenian troops assigned to peacekeeping missions in Kosovo continued to receive trafficking awareness training.

Spain is a transit and destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor. While most victims are women between the ages of 18 and 24 trafficked for sexual exploitation, females as young as 16 are also trafficked to Spain for the same purpose and men are trafficked for forced labor, usually in agriculture. Primary source countries for victims trafficked to Spain are Romania, Russia, Brazil, Colombia and Nigeria, though victims are trafficked from other areas of Latin America and Eastern Europe as well as from Sierra Leone. In smaller numbers, Chinese women are trafficked to Spain for sexual exploitation and Chinese men for labor exploitation.
The Government of Spain fully complies with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking. Spain aggressively investigated, arrested, and prosecuted trafficking crimes, closely monitoring these efforts through effective crime data collection. Spain's anti-trafficking legislation includes victim protection mechanisms, which are implemented largely through government cooperation with NGOs. To strengthen its response to trafficking, Spain should finalize its national action plan to combat trafficking and continue and expand its demand reduction efforts.

Prosecution
The Government of Spain demonstrated strong efforts to combat trafficking through law enforcement in the last year. Spain prohibits all forms of trafficking in persons though Article 318 of its Criminal and Penal Code, which was passed in 1995 and amended in 2003 to increase the sentence for sex trafficking to 5 to 15 years' imprisonment and the penalty for labor trafficking to 4 to 12 years in prison, both sufficiently stringent penalties. The penalty prescribed for sex trafficking is commensurate with the nation's 15-year maximum sentence for rape. In December 2006, the Council of Ministers approved increasing sentences for trafficking by two to six years in prison if the perpetrator belongs to a criminal organization. During the reporting period, Spanish police dismantled 177 sex trafficking networks and 63 labor trafficking rings. Police arrested 862 individuals for sex trafficking and 177 for labor trafficking. In 2006, police launched 272 investigations, prosecuted 113 trafficking cases and convicted 178 traffickers with an average prison sentence of 5.1 years. Approximately 75 percent of these sentences were greater than four years.

Protection
The government sustained impressive efforts to provide care for trafficking victims during the year. Spanish police continued to refer rescued victims to NGOs providing temporary shelter and rehabilitation services. In 2006, Spain increased funding by approximately five percent to anti-trafficking NGOs providing care to victims, providing one NGO with 177,432 euros. Victims receive medical assistance, including emergency care, through the national health care system. The police identified 1,832 sex trafficking victims and 456 labor trafficking victims in 2006. The government encourages victims to assist in trafficking investigations and prosecutions by providing work and residence permits to victims choosing to assist, giving them the option of either permanent residence status or funding to return to their own countries after the prosecution. Victims are not inappropriately incarcerated, fined or penalized for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of being trafficked.

Prevention
Spain sustained strong efforts to raise awareness about trafficking. During the reporting period, Spain's inter-agency trafficking working group began drafting a National Integral Plan Against Trafficking in Persons expected to be finalized in 2007. A Congressional report on prostitution released in February 2007 called for strengthening the fight against sex trafficking networks and increasing assistance to victims, and will be included in the finalized plan. The Madrid city government focused efforts in the past year to reduce demand for prostitution - and by extension, trafficking - by targeting potential male clients with posters reading "Because you pay, prostitution exists."

Sweden is a destination and transit country for women from Nigeria, Estonia, Russia, Poland, Romania, Hungary, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Venezuela, and Thailand trafficked to Sweden or through Sweden to Norway, Denmark, Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation. Sweden is a transit country for children trafficked from China to countries in Western Europe. In 2006, police noted a new trend of children from Romania and Poland trafficked to Sweden for purposes of forced begging and petty theft.
The Government of Sweden fully complies with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking in persons. The government continued to fund both awareness and victim assistance programs in source countries, spending approximately $2 million in 2006 in southeastern Europe. The government should continue its strong funding of law enforcement activities. Sweden should consider more training for judges and prosecutors on the application of the Anti-Trafficking Law to ensure a greater number of traffickers continue to be brought to justice.

Prosecution
Sweden demonstrated continued progress in its law enforcement efforts over the last year. Sweden's 2002 anti-trafficking law prohibits trafficking for both sexual exploitation and forced labor, although prosecutors continue to rely on a prostitution procurement law to prosecute and convict a number of sex traffickers. Sweden's anti-trafficking law provides penalties of two to 10 years' imprisonment, which are commensurate with penalties for other grave crimes, such as rape. In 2006, police conducted 28 trafficking investigations, a decrease from 44 in 2005. Authorities prosecuted and convicted 21 traffickers using the anti-trafficking law and procurement statute, up from 15 prosecutions and convictions in 2005. All 21 traffickers were sentenced to time in prison, with no suspended sentences. Sentences imposed on traffickers ranged from 10 months to 5 years' imprisonment. In 2006, the government conducted its first-ever trafficking in persons training for judges.

Protection
Sweden maintained its commitment to provide adequate victim assistance both domestically and in source countries during the reporting period. The government provides funding to NGOs in Sweden and abroad to provide support for victims. The Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) funded the building of shelters and funded police trainings in Ukraine and Turkey. Sweden encourages victims to participate in trafficking investigations and prosecutions; victims who cooperate in criminal trafficking investigations may obtain residency permits that provide victims access to health care and social services. Victims who decline to participate in investigations are subject to deportation. Police report that use of these residency permits has slowed deportations, eased the plight of some victims, and aided investigations. In 2006, one victim - a Russian - was granted permanent residency as a result of her status as a victim of trafficking.

Prevention
The Government of Sweden continued to demonstrate strong trafficking prevention efforts. In 2006, the government partially funded an MTV awareness campaign in the Balkans focused on child trafficking and changing the attitudes of clients of the sex trade. SIDA funded awareness raising projects in the former Yugoslavia, Romania, Albania, and Bulgaria. The government also funded an awareness project in the northern territories of Sweden, Finland, Norway, and Russia focused on demand reduction for commercial sexual exploitation. Sweden adequately monitored immigration patterns for evidence of trafficking. The government publishes an annual report each spring, providing trafficking statistics and an assessment of government efforts to combat trafficking.

The United Kingdom (U.K.) is primarily a destination country for women, children and men trafficked for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor. Some victims, however, are also trafficked within the country. The majority of victims are women trafficked internationally to the U.K. for sexual exploitation, though children are also trafficked to the U.K. for the same purpose. Migrant workers are trafficked to the U.K. for forced labor in agriculture, construction, food processing, domestic servitude, restaurants and possibly for illicit activities such as street theft. Children, particularly from West Africa, are also trafficked to the U.K. for forced labor in cannabis factories and Afghan minors may be trafficked for forced manual labor. Main sources of foreign trafficking victims found in the U.K. are Lithuania, Russia, Albania, Ukraine, Malaysia, Thailand, the People's Republic of China, East and Central Africa, Nigeria, and Ghana.
The Government of the United Kingdom fully complies with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking. Over the last year, U.K. authorities launched aggressive anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts and sustained significant measures to identify and provide specialized care to adult female sex trafficking victims. To strengthen its response to trafficking, the U.K. should rely more on its specific anti-trafficking laws and less on related laws to prosecute traffickers, and provide systematic and specialized care for child trafficking victims.

Prosecution
The U.K. government demonstrated strong efforts to combat trafficking through law enforcement in the last year. The U.K. prohibits all forms of trafficking through its 2004 Sexual Offenses Act and its 2004 Asylum and Immigration Act. Under these laws, any form of trafficking carries a sufficiently stringent maximum penalty of 14 years, although the punishment for sex trafficking is less severe than that prescribed for rape. In 2006, U.K. authorities prosecuted 109 individuals for trafficking offenses, 28 of whom were convicted and nine of whom were acquitted. The remaining 75 prosecutions are ongoing. Of the 28, 23 received prison sentences of four years or greater, while two traffickers received less severe sentences of 27 and 30 months, two received a caution, and one received an undisclosed sentence for managing a brothel. Although the government is developing best practices for enforcing its specific anti-trafficking laws, many trafficking cases are prosecuted using non-trafficking statutes, making accurate law enforcement data difficult to obtain. From March to May 2006, the government carried out Operation Pentameter, deploying 55 police units to conduct 515 raids of off-street prostitution sites in the UK. Police arrested 232 individuals, of whom 134 have been charged with sex trafficking or related crimes. In April 2006, the government established the Serious and Organized Crime Agency (SOCA) dedicated to dismantling organized crime, including trafficking. In October 2006, the government launched the U.K. Human Trafficking Center (UKHTC), an entity under the Association of Chief Police Officers that will share trafficking intelligence with SOCA and develop training modules to help attorneys to more effectively prosecute traffickers.

Protection
The government demonstrated solid efforts to provide care for adult women trafficked for sexual exploitation. It continued to encourage these victims to assist in trafficking investigations and prosecutions by funding two NGOs to provide rehabilitation services to victims who choose to assist law enforcement officials. During the year, the government provided care to 169 adult sex trafficking victims trafficking into the U.K. Through Operation Pentameter, police rescued 84 women and children trafficked for sexual exploitation. The government created a position within the UKHTC for a victim care coordinator who will develop best practices for first responders dealing with trafficking victims. NGOs published reports critical of the government's lack of systematic and specialized assistance for child trafficking victims. The government places child victims in the care of general social services, such as foster care. The U.K. government did not provide systematic and specialized victim care for adult victims of labor trafficking. The U.K. provides foreign victims with some legal alternatives to their removal to countries where they face hardship or retribution. By filing asylum, humanitarian protection or extraordinary relief claims on a case-by-case basis, such victims may obtain residency. Victims are not inappropriately incarcerated, fined, or penalized for unlawful acts as a direct result of being trafficked.

Prevention
The Government of the United Kingdom continued strong efforts to educate the public about trafficking during the reporting period. As 2007 marks the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade in the former British Empire, the government has used this anniversary to raise awareness of modern forms of slavery as well. For example, a U.K. official gave a speech in Romania - a source country for victims trafficked to the U.K. - drawing a parallel between slavery and trafficking. He also made similar remarks in a speech to Parliament in April 2006. The government has put up anti-trafficking posters targeting brothel patrons, such as one captioned "male friend or trafficker?" The government is in the process of finalizing its draft national action plan to combat trafficking and has made an electronic version available for public viewing.