VZCZCXRO4214
OO RUEHAG
DE RUEHRL #2266/01 2201545
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 081545Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY BERLIN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4602
INFO RUCNFRG/FRG COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BERLIN 002266 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/AGS, EUR/PGI, G/TIP, DRL/IL, INL/HSTC, AND PRM 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/07/2016 
TAGS: KCRM PHUM KWMN KJUS SMIG ELAB PREL PGOV GM
SUBJECT: IOM AND NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS ASSESS 
WORLD CUP ANTI-TIP EFFORTS IN GERMANY 
 
REF: A. BERLIN 1835 
 
     ¶B. BERLIN 1687 
     ¶C. BERLIN 298 
     ¶D. FRANKFURT 4232 
     ¶E. FRANKFURT 3313 
     ¶F. MUNICH 369 
 
Classified By: Acting Minister-Counselor for Economic Affairs 
Robert S. Hagen for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
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Summary 
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¶1. (U) The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and 
German anti-trafficking NGOs say there was no significant 
increase in trafficking in persons (TIP) or forced 
prostitution during the 2006 Soccer World Cup in Germany. 
The IOM and NGOs credit public awareness campaigns and 
effective police monitoring of brothels and other venues. 
The IOM and NGOs are pleased that forecasts of 40,000 TIP 
victims have been proven wrong.  Government officials and 
NGOs are evaluating their World Cup-related efforts to apply 
lessons learned and strengthen anti-TIP measures.  German 
NGOs agree their outreach campaigns raised the level of 
public awareness to a new high and helped sensitize potential 
clients.  Special telephone hotlines set up for potential TIP 
victims during the World Cup received relatively few calls. 
End Summary. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
IOM:  No Significant Increase in TIP During World Cup 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
¶2. (U) Preliminary results of an IOM study echo the 
conclusions of German government officials reported ref A -- 
there was no significant increase in human trafficking or 
forced prostitution in Germany during the June 9 - July 9 
Soccer World Cup.  In a press statement, the IOM credited a 
combination of public awareness campaigns and regular police 
monitoring of brothels and other venues.  In September the 
IOM will release the results of the study, which was jointly 
funded by the IOM and the Swedish International Development 
Cooperation Authority. 
 
¶3. (C) Bernd Hemingway, IOM's Chief of Mission in Germany, 
discussed the study's conclusions with emboff.  Hemingway 
reiterated he had expressed skepticism even before the World 
Cup about predictions that large numbers of prostitutes would 
be brought to Germany for the event (ref C).  Hemingway 
explained traffickers generally operate below the surface in 
venues World Cup fans would be unlikely to visit.  Hemingway 
expressed concern that "overblown" predictions of the number 
of victims would harm long-term efforts to fight TIP because 
the public -- and politicians -- might discount future 
estimates of TIP victims as similarly exaggerated.  Hemingway 
said World Cup public awareness campaigns were successful in 
educating the public, as well as potential clients of 
prostitutes, about TIP.  He noted most NGO hotlines set up 
for TIP victims received few calls during the World Cup. 
 
------------------------------------ 
Lessons Learned/Evaluations Underway 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶4. (U) MFA Deputy Director for Cooperation against 
International Organized Crime Werner Koehler agreed that 
trafficking had not increased during the World Cup but 
stressed, "even one victim of trafficking is too many."  He 
said Germany would use lessons learned from the World Cup to 
continue to strengthen anti-TIP efforts.  As reported ref A, 
the Federal Family and Interior Ministries, along with state 
officials and municipal authorities in the 12 cities that 
hosted World Cup games, are conducting evaluations of their 
anti-TIP efforts.  Federal government officials and law 
enforcement representatives will participate in an EU-wide 
assessment and a series of EU-sponsored evaluation workshops 
later this year. 
 
------------------------------ 
NGO Hotlines:  Low Call Volume 
------------------------------ 
 
¶5. (U) Four NGOs received government funding to operate World 
Cup telephone hotlines for trafficking victims and for the 
public to report possible victims.  Each of the NGOs -- 
"Women's Rights are Human Rights" (FIM); Diakonisches Werk, a 
social aid organization affiliated with the Lutheran Church; 
Bella Donna; and "Solidarity with Women in Distress" 
 
BERLIN 00002266  002 OF 002 
 
 
(SOLWODI) -- reported a low volume of telephone calls during 
the four-week event.  According to the government-funded 
Federal Association against Trafficking in Women (KOK) -- a 
Berlin-based umbrella organization for German anti-TIP NGOs 
-- the Diakonisches Werk hotline received 60 calls, while FIM 
received approximately 100 calls.  KOK representatives 
indicated few calls were directly related to the World Cup 
and said the low volume supported conclusions that there were 
far fewer TIP victims than some had feared.  Despite the low 
volume of calls, Elivira Niesner, FIM's Deputy Director, told 
ConGen Frankfurt the organization's hotline was a success. 
The Diakonische Werk hotline will continue to operate through 
the end of the year. 
 
¶6. (U) SOLWODI's director, Sister Lea Ackerman, told emboffs 
the NGO's hotline -- staffed by 20 religious workers fluent 
in six different languages -- received a total of 2,200 phone 
calls, but noted most were pranks or calls from victims of 
domestic abuse.  Ackerman said the SOLWODI hotline was also 
useful because religious workers from abroad who staffed the 
hotline returned to their home countries with a better 
understanding of the dangers TIP victims face.  Ackerman said 
SOLWODI would oppose Federal Family Ministry plans to 
establish a nationwide hotline (ref A), noting the NGO's 
preference for multiple hotlines to address regional 
differences and complexities. 
 
------------------------------------- 
NGO Campaigns Raised Public Awareness 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (U) Over 20 NGOs throughout Germany received government 
funds to conduct dozens of trafficking prevention and 
awareness campaigns (refs A,B,C).  Awareness campaigns used a 
combination of petition drives, media events, conferences, 
video clips, and distribution of flyers and postcards at fan 
festivals and outside stadiums.  Most campaigns called on 
government agencies to continue to improve protection and 
assistance for TIP victims.  According to KOK, the campaigns 
raised the level of public awareness of trafficking and 
forced prostitution to an unprecedented high.  KOK officials 
also stated the campaigns were vital in sensitizing and 
educating the public how to recognize that someone may be a 
trafficking victim. 
 
¶8. (U) According to the German Women's Council (Deutsche 
Frauenrat), over 55,000 people signed petitions circulated by 
the government-funded "Final Whistle" campaign.  The 
signatures will be presented to Chancellor Angela Merkel in 
September.  "Final Whistle" representatives characterized 
their campaign as a success primarily because of the role it 
played in generating public awareness of trafficking.  German 
Women's Council representatives said they were relieved there 
was no significant increase in TIP and stated police 
procedures used to fight TIP during the World Cup were 
appropriate and authorities dealt with the issue in a 
sensitive and responsible manner.  (Note:  As reported ref A, 
government officials credit extensive pre-World Cup 
surveillance and raids, along with effective border controls 
and joint police operations with other countries.  End Note.) 
 Like the IOM, the German Women's Council and KOK criticized 
pre-World Cup predictions that large numbers of women would 
be trafficked to Germany. 
 
¶9. (U) Although SOLWODI used the World Cup as a platform to 
press the German government to do more to protect TIP 
victims, Ackerman said, the NGO sees Germany as a leader 
among European countries in terms of the services and 
protections it provides to TIP victims.  She said SOLWODI 
used federal government funds to print 6,000 posters in eight 
languages and distribute over 30,000 pamphlets in Germany and 
abroad. 
 
¶10. (U) A representative of the Women's Information Center 
(FIZ), a Stuttgart NGO, told ConGen Frankfurt that public 
interest in the organization's campaign against forced 
prostitution was higher than originally anticipated.  The FIZ 
campaign will last two years and is co-sponsored by Amnesty 
International, Terre des Femmes, Diakonisches Werk 
Wuerttemberg (a social aid organization affiliated with the 
Lutheran Church), and members of the Stuttgart city council 
and the Baden-Wuerttemberg state parliament. 
 
¶11. (U) This message was coordinated with ConGen Frankfurt. 
TIMKEN JR