On 25 June, the US State Department released its “Trafficking in Persons” report for 2020. The report serves as the U.S. government’s principal diplomatic tool to engage foreign governments on human trafficking. It is also the world’s most comprehensive resource of governmental anti-trafficking efforts. The report also reflects the U.S. government’s commitment to global leadership on this key human rights and law enforcement issue. Armenia’s position was downgraded from tier 1 to tier 2, Azerbaijan’s position remained on tier 2, while Georgia was the only South Caucasus country which fulfilled the minimum standards in combating human trafficking and was classified as a tier 1 country. 

Armenia

The report outlined that the Armenian government did not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so. The government made legislative amendments and regulations to strengthen the health and labour inspection body (HLIB) and provided training to law enforcement officials. Authorities increased the number of investigations and prosecutions and the Victim Identification Commission continued to function well with participants and reported good cooperation between government and civil society. However, the government did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts compared to the previous reporting period. The government had no convictions for the second year and has not had a forced labour conviction since 2014. The government identified eight victims, the fewest since 2012, and first responders continued to rely on victims to self-identify due to a lack of proactive identification efforts, such as standard indicators to screen vulnerable populations. Trafficking victims, like victims of other crimes, face low access to justice, including an absence of victim-centred procedures and formal victim-witness protection measures. Therefore, Armenia was downgraded to the Tier 2 Watch List. 

The Armenian government investigated 11 cases (nine in 2018). Of these, eight were forced labour cases and three were sex trafficking (five cases of forced labour and one case of both sex trafficking and forced labour in 2018). The government prosecuted three defendants for forced labour and one defendant for sex trafficking (one for forced labour in 2018). Courts did not issue any convictions for sex trafficking in 2019 or 2018 and have not issued a forced labour conviction since 2014. On the financial aspects, the Armenian government allocated 19 million drams ($40,000) in both 2019 and 2018 for victim protection efforts, including operational costs for an NGO-run shelter. The government and local NGOs jointly provided legal, medical, and psychological assistance; housing; a one-time monetary compensation of 250,000 drams ($530); and access to social, educational, and employment projects. The government offered free health care but relied on NGOs to provide legal assistance, including the cost for attorneys.

Writing on the country’s human trafficking profile, the report said that  some of the Armenian migrants who seek employment in Russia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Turkey face forced labour. These cases often follow recruitment fraud and exorbitant recruitment fees charged by labour brokers; Armenian women and children may also be exploited in sex trafficking in the UAE and Turkey. Armenian women and children may be exploited in sex and labour trafficking and forced begging within the country. Some children work in agriculture, construction, and service provision within the country, where they are vulnerable to labour trafficking. Ukrainian, Belarusian, and Russian women working as dancers in nightclubs are vulnerable to sex trafficking. Traffickers may target an increasing number of Indian migrants who willingly seek employment in the informal sector and face forced labour. Men in rural areas with little education and children staying in childcare institutions remain highly vulnerable to trafficking.

Azerbaijan

The report stated that the Azerbaijani government did not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so. These efforts included convicting more traffickers and providing guidance to judges to issue stricter sentences for traffickers. The government established grants for civil society, significantly increased overall funding for victim protection, and recognized NGO leaders for their anti-trafficking efforts. However, the government did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts compared to the previous reporting period. The government identified fewer victims, did not regularly screen vulnerable populations, and continued to lack proactive identification efforts, particularly for Azerbaijani victims of internal trafficking. As a result, the government penalized victims due to inadequate identification. The government did not adopt the 2019-2023 national action plan. Therefore, Azerbaijan remained on Tier 2 Watch List for the second consecutive year. 

In numbers, Azerbaijani law enforcement agencies investigated 25 cases with 27 suspects (28 cases with 34 suspects in 2018); 23 cases were for sex trafficking and two for forced labour (26 were for sex trafficking and two for forced labour in 2018). The government prosecuted 30 defendants (34 in 2018). Courts convicted 42 traffickers (23 in 2018); 38 were for sex trafficking and four for forced labour (21 for sex trafficking and two for forced labour in 2018). Financially, the Azerbaijani government increased assistance for victim protection significantly, allocating 194,700 manat ($114,530), including operation costs for the MIA-run shelter for trafficking victims, compared to 147,490 manat ($86,760) in 2018. In addition, the government created grants for victim assistance and awareness campaigns and awarded NGOs a total of 209,000 manat ($122,940). In 2018, the government allocated 125,650 manat ($73,910) to civil society for awareness campaigns and raised 13,000 manat ($7,650) from private donors to support potential and official victims. The MIA operated a shelter for trafficking victims, which provided accommodation, financial assistance, legal assistance, and medical and psycho-social support; 78 officially recognized victims received support at the shelter (95 officially recognized victims and three potential victims in 2018).

Looking at the country’s human trafficking profile,  Azerbaijani men and boys were forced into labour within the country and in Qatar, Russia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Traffickers exploit women and children from Azerbaijan in sex trafficking within the country and in Iran, Malaysia, Pakistan, Qatar, Russia, Turkey, and the UAE. Azerbaijan is a destination country for sex and labour trafficking victims from China, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. In previous years, Azerbaijan has been used as a transit country for victims of sex and labour trafficking from Central Asia to Iran, Turkey, and the UAE. Within the country, some children are exploited in forced begging and forced labour as roadside vendors and at tea houses and wedding facilities.

Georgia

The report said that the Georgian government fully meets the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking. The government continued to demonstrate serious and sustained efforts during the reporting period; therefore, Georgia remained in Tier 1. These efforts included increasing overall prosecution and victim protection efforts. The government prosecuted more suspects, identified more victims, and provided more comprehensive victim assistance. The government increased the number of mobile identification groups from four to six and continued proactive identification efforts. Although the government meets the minimum standards, the government required foreign victims to remain in-country through the end of the trial, likely hindering victim cooperation. This is particularly true for foreign victims who want to repatriate but have to wait due to slow court proceedings. The government did not provide adequate public assessments or information on its efforts and at times lacked transparency. In addition, obtaining official victim status through the Permanent Group, a five-member board of nongovernmental and international organization representatives, was increasingly difficult. While the government expanded the mandate of the Labour Inspectorate, including conducting unscheduled inspections, the Labour Inspectorate does not currently have the staff, resources, and training to conduct labour oversight responsibilities fully.

In numbers, Georgian law enforcement agencies investigated 17 cases (19 in 2018); 11 were sex trafficking cases and six forced labour cases, including five forced begging cases, compared with 10 sex trafficking cases, seven forced labour cases, and two cases of both sex trafficking and forced labour in 2018. The government prosecuted 29 defendants (five in 2018); 26 for child sex trafficking and three for forced begging, compared with three for sex trafficking and two for forced labour in 20 18. Financially, government-run crisis centres in five cities and NGOs provided initial psychological care, medical assistance, legal support, and temporary shelter for potential victims awaiting official victim status. Additionally, the government operated anti-trafficking shelters in Tbilisi and Batumi and other victim assistance programs. The government allocated 591,000 lari ($205,920) to the government run anti-trafficking shelters, compared with 548,960 lari ($191,280) in 2018. The government provided medical aid, psychological counselling, legal assistance, childcare services, reintegration support, and a one-time financial payment of 1,000 lari ($350) to victims. Child victims received the same assistance specialized for minors under the government’s care, in addition to custodial care, education, and family reintegration programs.

Looking at Georgia’s human trafficking profile, the report noted that traffickers recruited victims with false promises of well-paying jobs in tea processing plants, hospitals, salons, restaurants and hotels. Traffickers exploit women and girls from Georgia into sex trafficking within the country, and in Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. Georgia is also a transit country for women from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan who are exploited in Turkey. Traffickers exploit women from Azerbaijan and Central Asia in sex trafficking in the tourist areas of the Adjara region and in larger cities, like Tbilisi and Batumi, in saunas, brothels, bars, strip clubs, casinos and hotels. Georgian men and women were exploited in forced labour within Georgia and in Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Cyprus, and Iraq. Georgian, Romani and Kurdish children are subjected to forced begging and coerced into criminality in Georgia. Chinese women in commercial sex work and Southeast Asian women working in massage parlours are vulnerable to sex trafficking.