VZCZCXRO0693
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHTH #0503/01 0680914
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 090914Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY ATHENS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8384
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHTA/AMEMBASSY ALMATY 0151
RUEHAE/AMEMBASSY ASMARA 0051
RUEHEK/AMEMBASSY BISHKEK 0056
RUEHCH/AMEMBASSY CHISINAU 0214
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 0553
RUEHOS/AMCONSUL LAGOS 0225
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0221
RUEHTL/AMEMBASSY TALLINN 0056
RUEHNT/AMEMBASSY TASHKENT 0109
RUEHYE/AMEMBASSY YEREVAN 0110
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 ATHENS 000503 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE SIPDIS 
 
FOR EUR/SE, EUR/PGI, G/TIP, INL/HSTC, G, DRL, PRM, IWI 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KCRM PHUM KWMN SMIG KFRD PREL PREF ELAB GR
SUBJECT: GREECE PART 1: TIP REPORT SUBMISSION 2007 
 
REF: A. 2006 State 202745 
 
¶1.  The following is Sensitive but Unclassified.  Please Protect 
Accordingly. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Below are Embassy Athens' responses to the 2007 TIP report 
questionnaire.  Text is keyed to Ref A request for "Overview" 
Section.  This is the first of four cables. 
 
¶3. (SBU) SUMMARY:  Greece continues to make significant efforts 
domestically and regionally in its TIP fight in 2006-07, 
demonstrating evidence of progress from the previous year.  Greece 
shared comprehensive conviction statistics on arrests made in 2006. 
In 2006 Greece identified 83 victims, provided assistance to 39 of 
them and arrested 206 traffickers.  Greece has also taken a number 
of steps outside and beyond the benchmarks.  It funded numerous 
important programs to prevent trafficking and to provide for 
domestic shelters, legal aid, and other victim services.  It has 
sponsored, hosted, and funded major TIP-focused international and 
domestic conferences, and has funded and implemented training for 
law enforcement authorities and others. Interministerial cooperation 
has been strong.  The Ministry of Interior produced a national 
public awareness campaign last year and continued its use into this 
year, building on the momentum of press articles detailing the TIP 
problem in Greece.  The MFA completed a Child Repatriation Agreement 
with Albania; however after more than a year the agreement remains 
unratified even while it appears to be followed in practice.  Greece 
signed the Council of Europe's Convention against Trafficking and is 
progressing towards ratification of the Palermo Protocol.  Problem 
areas still remain, however.  The process by which victims are 
identified needs to be strengthened in order to successfully and 
reliably identify victims of trafficking.  Other problems include 
the fact that victims are still frequently prosecuted alongside 
their victimizers.  The final serious deficiency is the dearth of 
reliable statistics on a wide range of matters related to TIP in 
Greece.  It is the Embassy's judgment based on the progress made 
this year and reflected in this report, and the need for continued 
improvement in key areas, that Greece should remain in Tier Two. 
Looking ahead, septel will analyze how best to capitalize on current 
momentum in the government and in public opinion for 2007-2008 with 
the entirely achievable aim of reaching Tier One before publication 
of the next annual TIP report.  END SUMMARY. 
 
Overview of Greece's activities to eliminate TIP: 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
-- A. Is the country a country of origin, transit, or destination 
for internationally trafficked men, women, or children?  Specify 
numbers for each group; how they were trafficked, to where, and for 
what purpose.  Does the trafficking occur within the country's 
borders?  Does it occur in territory outside of the government's 
control (e.g. in a civil war situation)?  Are any estimates or 
reliable numbers available as to the extent or magnitude of the 
problem?  Please include any numbers of victims. What is (are) the 
source(s) of available information on trafficking in persons or what 
plans are in place (if any) to undertake documentation of 
trafficking? How reliable are the numbers and these sources?  Are 
certain groups of persons more at risk of being trafficked (e.g. 
women and children, boys versus girls, certain ethnic groups, 
refugees, etc.)? 
 
Greece is a destination and transit country for international 
trafficking in women and children, and to a smaller degree, men.  In 
2006 the GoG identified 83 victims of TIP and provided assistance to 
39 of them.  International organizations such as IOM and authorities 
from other destination countries report that Greece is sometimes a 
transit country, with victims being moved on to Italy and other EU 
countries.  There are no official estimates of the extent or 
magnitude of TIP in Greece.  In January 2005 sociologist and 
criminologist at Panteion University Grigoris Lazos estimated, based 
on field 
research, that there were between 6,100 and 6,250 victims of sex 
trafficking (women and teenage girls) in Greece.  Lazos, a 2005 
Index on Censorship Whistleblower Award winner for his "tireless 
campaign against human trafficking," estimated in 2003 that there 
were 20,000 TIP victims in Greece.  Lazos is the only person in 
Greece who has made an effort at estimating the scope of the TIP 
 
ATHENS 00000503  002 OF 005 
 
 
phenomenon in Greece.  He has attributed the decrease in trafficking 
to decreased demand for prostitution, due to lower discretionary 
income of Greeks.  (Note: Whether actually true or not, anecdotal 
polling results show Greeks believe their discretionary income has 
decreased and that inflation is outpacing wage increases.  Greeks 
may, therefore, less frequently visit sex workers.  End Note.) 
Other anecdotal evidence and some NGO workers support the belief 
that the high rates of trafficking seen in the earliest parts of 
this decade have begun to subside.  Without an analysis conducted in 
accordance with accepted statistical norms, it remains impossible to 
verify or refute this assertion. 
 
Anti-child trafficking NGOs estimated in 2006 that "hundreds" of 
children, mainly Roma from Albania, remain victims of trafficking 
for labor exploitation; typically selling small items (packs of 
tissue or flowers), begging, or stealing. NGOs report that 
trafficking of children has decreased due to police efforts in 
Greece and because it has become easier for Albanian parents to 
immigrate to Greece with their children rather than "rent" their 
children to traffickers as was done in the past.  There are teenaged 
girls trafficked to Greece for commercial sexual exploitation.  One 
volunteer NGO offering medical services to aliens awaiting 
deportation at the Petrou Ralli police detention center said that it 
identified one suspected child trafficking victim.  The 14 year-old 
child, however, refused to testify against the traffickers or to 
take advantage of the protections eligible to victims of 
trafficking.  The Child Repatriation Protocol with Albania, signed 
in Tirana in February 2006, will address some of the problems with 
the protection of child victims.  The Protocol is designed to bring 
about cooperation between Albanian and Greek authorities in 
returning Albanian children from Greece, in locating the families of 
returning children and of placing children in the hands of 
appropriate carers when families cannot be located immediately.  It 
also aims at assisting Greek and Albanian NGOs to closely monitor 
the reintegration and rehabilitation of the children following their 
return to Albania.  After more than a year, the agreement remains 
signed but not ratified, although authorities assert that it is 
being followed in practice, nonetheless.  In the meantime, some NGOs 
allege that only a few of the children deported to Albania are 
actually returned to their families.  NGOs claim that many of these 
children are literally imprisoned in Albania and slip back into 
Greece at the first opportunity. 
 
-- B. Please provide a general overview of the trafficking situation 
in the country and any changes since the last TIP 
Report (e.g. changes in direction).  Also briefly explain the 
political will to address trafficking in persons. Other items to 
address may include:  What kind of conditions are the victims 
trafficked into?  Which populations are targeted by the traffickers? 
 Who are the traffickers?  What methods are used to approach 
victims? (Are they offered lucrative jobs, sold by their families, 
approached by friends of friends, etc.?)  What methods are used to 
move the victims (e.g., are false documents being used)? 
 
Political Will to Address TIP 
----------------------------- 
The Greek Government demonstrated political will at the highest 
levels in 2006-2007 to address trafficking in persons.  The GoG 
updated its Action Plan for 2006-2007 to include plans to ratify the 
Palermo protocol and the Bilateral Agreement with Albania for Minor 
Victims of trafficking.  In 2006 it streamlined the procedure for 
issuance of residence and work permits by centralizing the system 
for victims.  It undertook to improve regional police cooperation 
initiatives including cross-border cooperation through the Southeast 
European Cooperative Initiative (SECI) and by initiating in December 
2006, the "Ilaeira" Project -- a regional police cooperation program 
involving more than twenty countries.  The GoG also has several 
ongoing multilateral, regional programs to combat trafficking.  One 
program is conducted in cooperation with USAID and UNICEF in 
Albania.  Another project is designed to establish a clearing house 
for missing Children in southeastern Europe in cooperation with the 
NGO 'Smile of the Child;' and another is to codify the trafficking 
legislation in ten countries that are the homes of many trafficking 
victims in cooperation with the European Public Law Center.  The GoG 
also carried on public awareness campaigns and cooperation with 
NGOs.  It continued to consult with diplomatic and consular 
 
ATHENS 00000503  003 OF 005 
 
 
authorities from victims' countries of origin.  It has structures in 
place for the protection of victims and ongoing support and 
prevention projects in victims' countries of origin. The Greek 
government asserts that it lobbies and promotes trafficking 
awareness in international organizations including NATO, the OSCE, 
the Council of Europe and the Human Security Network. 
 
Some examples of the GoG's resolve to combat TIP are below: 
 
-- Since 2005, Hellenic Aid and IOM are signatories to a 
humanitarian repatriation and social integration contract to ensure 
the humane repatriation of trafficking victims and to provide for 
their social reintegration into their countries of origin. 
 
-- In 2006, the Secretariat for Gender Equality held five seminars 
for Public Administration officers in five different Greek cities. 
The attendees included social workers, psychologists, nurses, police 
personnel and judges.  The focus was on violence against women and 
trafficking of women for sexual exploitation. 
 
-- The Secretariat for Gender Equality produced informative 
materials in Greek and English about the support services available 
for victims.  The Secretariat plans to publish the material in 
Albanian, Russian and French, as well. 
 
-- IOM and Hellenic Aid produced an information card in Greek, 
English, Romanian and Russian to alert potential victims to the law 
enforcement resources available to help them.  The card is 
distributed at all check points to women entering Greece from 
specific countries. 
 
-- In 2006, the Secretariat for Gender Equality launched a 
development assistance project in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo 
entitled "Support of Regional Policies Against Illegal Trafficking 
of Women."  The program has a total budget of 100,000 euros and aims 
at providing direct counseling support to victims in Sarajevo and 
Pristina.  It includes an education campaign in schools in both 
cities and support to the IOM structures in both Sarajevo and 
Pristina which are already providing assistance and protection to 
victims of trafficking in the Balkans. 
 
-- As part of the National Action Plan to Confront Trafficking in 
Persons, the Union of Public Prosecutors in Greece and the IOM held 
a 2-day conference in June 2006 to train Greeek Prosecutors in 
applying the protections guaranteed victims under the 
anti-trafficking legislation.  The conference entitled "The 
Combating of Human Trafficking" was financed by the Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs Hellenic Aid Division.  Almost half of the total 
prosecutorial force from all over Greece attended this training 
Conference. 
 
--On November 13, 2006, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and IOM held 
a conference on "International and Regional Counter Trafficking 
Cooperation" with speakers from the Swedish police, the Stability 
Pact, representatives of Greek Ministries and the NGO Community. 
 
-- The Ministry of Public Order held a conference in November 2006 
on the "Ilaeira" initiative to combat trafficking in human beings 
announced in the EU Council of Ministers in April 2006.  The 
Conference, the scope of which was to improve trans-border police 
cooperation in bilateral and multilateral level, was attended by 
police personnel from 20 countries and four international bodies 
(EUROPOL, EUROJUST, FRONTEX, INTERPOL).  The MPO's Ilaeira Project 
targets police, task forces, prosecutors, law enforcement officials, 
and NGOs. 
 
-- The Secretariat for Gender Equality held a regional Conference, 
December 5-6, 2006, on "Action against Trafficking in Human Beings, 
Prevention, Protection, Prosecution" under the auspices of the 
Directorate General of Human Rights of the Council of Europe.  The 
Conference brought together trafficking experts from eight countries 
including Greece with experts from the Council of Europe. 
 
Some NGOs continued to raise complaints in 2006 that there is a lack 
of political will to address TIP evidenced by low numbers of 
identified victims.  Others countered that the political will is 
 
ATHENS 00000503  004 OF 005 
 
 
real but needs to be matched with more effective implementation of 
the tools now in place. 
 
Based on the array of activities carried out by the GoG, only some 
of which are shown above, it is the assessment of the Embassy that 
the government is demonstrating the political will to continue to 
address this issue, by focusing not only on the "benchmarks," but 
also on self-generated anti-TIP initiatives and ideas. 
 
TIP Trends in Greece 
-------------------- 
 
--As in past years, NGOs and police agree that most victims 
trafficked to Greece are women from former Soviet states, the 
Balkans and Africa.  These victims work in bars, brothels, and strip 
clubs.  In 2006, Greek law enforcement authorities identified the 
following numbers and nationalities of TIP victims: from Albania (4 
victims), 
Bulgaria (10), Georgia (1), Kazakhstan (1), Kyrgyzstan (1) Latvia 
(2) Belarus (1) Lithuania (2), Moldova (5) Nigeria (3), Ukraine (5), 
Poland (1), Romania (20), Russia (25), Serbia (1) Syria (1). 
 
--Most victims continued to enter Greece with legal documentation, 
including work permits.  Some recognized victims also have legal, 
but fraudulently obtained, documentation.  For example, at least 
four Russian victims over the past few years have reported to 
NGOs that their traffickers falsified visa applications to obtain 
visas in the victims' legal names (See Prosecution - 
K). 
 
--There was an increasing trend of immigrant smugglers locking 
smuggled immigrants for labor trafficking in apartments once they 
arrived in Greece, and demanding a "ransom" from family members in 
origin countries. 
 
--There were reports of debt bondage both by victims and by source 
country diplomatic representatives in Greece. 
 
--In 2006, the trend continued of increasing numbers of 
African, especially Nigerian, women trafficked to Greece for sexual 
exploitation.  Some of these women believe they are under a "spell," 
and will not, therefore, speak to police and/or NGOs about their 
possible victimization, and refuse assistance offered to them.  In 
2006, police and NGOs convinced at least three Nigerian women "under 
voodoo curses" to accept GoG assistance. 
 
-- TIP victims are subjected to withholding of documents and 
physical and psychological violence and threats.  The trend 
continued of victims being trafficked into more so-called "humane" 
conditions, with some freedom of movement, communication, and small 
stipends, but increased psychological abuse. For example, some 
victims' lives and the lives of their families were threatened, and 
traffickers told some victims they would be arrested, deported, or 
even killed if they went to the police. 
 
--Some victims were forced to marry traffickers or traffickers' 
associates to "legalize" their status in Greece. 
 
--NGOs report that increasing numbers of women were acting as 
traffickers. 
 
Ultimately, the identification of trends becomes more difficult in 
the absence of reliable statistics and beyond recounting the 
anecdotal evidence above, little can be said reliably. 
 
-- C.  What are the limitations on the government's ability to 
address this problem in practice?  For example, is funding for 
police or other institutions inadequate?  Is overall corruption a 
problem?  Does the government lack the resources to aid victims? 
 
The government has made funds available for training of police 
personnel and for key civil servants, including judges, prosecutors, 
psychologists, social workers, and the personnel responsible for 
issuing residence permits.  Resources to address support and 
assistance needs of victims are more than adequate when considering 
the limited number of identified victims in the last year.  The 
 
ATHENS 00000503  005 OF 005 
 
 
government funds NGOs to maintain shelters and to provide 
assistance, aid and other services to victims.  However, corruption 
within the Greek bureaucracy and a slow judicial system contribute 
to limitations on the GoG's ability to address trafficking in 
practice.  GoG continued efforts to educate the police force and key 
civil servants.  Plans are in place for continued training of 
police, prosecutors and judges. 
 
-- D. To what extent does the government systematically monitor its 
anti-trafficking efforts (on all fronts -- prosecution, prevention 
and victim protection) and periodically make available, publicly or 
privately and directly or through regional/international 
organizations, its assessments of these anti-trafficking efforts? 
 
TIP experts at the Ministries of Justice, Public Order, 
Health, Interior and Foreign Affairs actively monitor the 
anti-trafficking efforts of the GoG in prosecution, prevention, and 
victim protection.  The GoG makes their assessments available, both 
publicly and privately, directly to regional organizations, 
international bodies, and embassies.  The absence of reliable 
statistics, however, continues to be a barrier to assessing 
anti-trafficking efforts. 
 
In 2007 as in 2006 the GoG coordinated with NGOs and IOM to provide 
information for this report, gathering some statistics directly from 
NGOs and forwarding them as-is. 
 
Greece 2007 TIP Report Submission Continued Septel.