VZCZCXRO5027
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHNC #0181/01 0741112
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 141112Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY NICOSIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8661
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0885
RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 0322
RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO 0166
RUEHDM/AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS 2100
RUEHKV/AMEMBASSY KYIV 0032
RUEHMU/AMEMBASSY MANAGUA 0081
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0069
RUEHDG/AMEMBASSY SANTO DOMINGO 0035
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 6430
RUEHIK/AMCONSUL THESSALONIKI 0035
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 0113
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1102
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC
RUEAHLC/HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 07 NICOSIA 000181 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR G/TIP, INL, DRL, PRM AND EUR/PGI; STATE 
PLEASE PASS TO USAID 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KCRM PHUM KWMN SMIG KFRD ASEC PREF ELAB CY
SUBJECT: REPUBLIC OF CYPRUS -- EIGHTH ANNUAL TIP REPORT 
SUBMISSION 
 
REF: 07 STATE 02731 
 
NICOSIA 00000181  001.2 OF 007 
 
 
 
¶1. (U) Paras 3-6 are sensitive but unclassified -- not for 
internet distribution. 
 
¶2. (U) Embassy Nicosia hereby submits information for the 
April 2007 - March 2008 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report. 
Embassy point of contact is Amy E. Dahm, Political Section, 
Tel: (357) 22-39-3345, Fax: (357) 22-39-3467. Approximately 
40 hours (FSO-04) and 80 hours (FSN-10) were spent in 
preparing this material. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Answers in this para are keyed to the questions in 
reftel, para 27, "Overview." 
 
¶A. Cyprus is largely a destination country for trafficked 
women working in the commercial sex industry. Of the 40 women 
identified as victims of trafficking during the reporting 
period (April 1, 2007 to February 20,2008), nine were from 
the Philippines, six from Russia, five from Moldova, four 
from Hungary, three from Ukraine, two each from Greece, 
Vietnam, Uzbekistan, and the Dominican Republic, and one each 
from Colombia, Romania, Belarus, Bulgaria and the UK. Most of 
the victims arrived in Cyprus on "artiste" category work 
permits to work in the cabaret industry and on tourist visas 
to work in massage parlors disguised as private apartments. 
During the period April 1, 2007 to February 29, 2008, the 
government issued 2,522 "artiste" category work permits; 
however, the actual number of women working in cabarets was 
much lower due to multiple entries. There are no available 
estimates on the number of women working in massage parlors. 
No work permits were issued to women for work as barmaids 
during the period. All the women identified as victims have 
or will testify in court cases against their 
traffickers/employers. Sources of information include 
government agencies, local and international NGOs, and the 
media. The Embassy has a long-standing relationship with 
these sources and considers them reliable. Trafficking 
victims are usually women in their twenties and thirties, 
although their ages range from 15 to 44. There were two 
underage girls among the victims, a 15-year-old Russian and a 
17-year-old British girl. The first was forced into 
prostitution by her Russian mother and Turkish Cypriot 
stepfather. The British girl, a permanent resident of Cyprus, 
ran away from home and was employed in a pub where she was 
pressured to have sex with customers. 
 
¶B. The government continued to demonstrate at the highest 
levels the political will to address trafficking. In July 
2007 the government enacted revised anti-TIP legislation 
which expanded victims' rights and established new mechanisms 
to monitor and evaluate implementation of anti-TIP 
legislation and policies. In October 2007 the government 
ratified the Council of Europe Convention on Action Against 
Trafficking in Human Beings; the Convention came into force 
for the EU on February 1, 2008. In November 2007 the 
government opened the first state-owned shelter for 
trafficking victims. The police actively investigated 
trafficking cases, but the numbers of cases investigated, 
police raids and undercover operations, convictions of 
traffickers, and identified victims declined compared to the 
previous reporting period. Foreign women, primarily from 
Asia, Eastern Europe and South America are trafficked to 
Cyprus for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Traffickers 
fraudulently recruited victims in their home countries using 
the "artiste" work permit for work in cabarets. The police 
reported an increase in 2007 of cases of women who arrived on 
tourist visas and then worked out of private apartments 
 
NICOSIA 00000181  002.2 OF 007 
 
 
offering sex services. Some of those women were identified as 
trafficking victims after undercover police operations. 
Traffickers in source countries often cooperated with artiste 
 agents/impresarios in Cyprus. Many women came to work as 
performers in cabarets but were often pressured by the 
impresarios and the cabaret owners to provide sexual services 
to cabaret customers. Artiste agents/impresarios operate 
employment agencies specializing in employment of cabaret 
workers. Traffickers use debt bondage, i.e., they pressure 
the victims into prostitution to pay off their debts incurred 
from air tickets, impresario fees and medical tests. 
Traffickers often confiscate victims' passports. There was 
one case of a victim who was provided with a false  passport. 
 
¶C. The Ministries of Interior, Labor and Social Insurance, 
Justice and Public Order, Health, Education, and the Attorney 
General's Office share responsibility for combating 
trafficking, with the Ministry of Interior as the lead entity. 
 
¶D. The government does not lack the resources to combat 
trafficking; however, most relevant government agencies 
complain about the lack of staffing and training for anti-TIP 
efforts. TIP-associated corruption is not considered a 
problem. During the reporting period, seven police officers 
were prosecuted for involvement in two separate 
trafficking-related cases. 
See para. 3J. 
 
¶E. Per the new anti-TIP law, government anti-trafficking 
efforts are coordinated and evaluated by the Ministry of 
Interior, which serves as the national coordinator for the 
Multi-disciplinary Coordinating Group (MCG), a body 
comprised of all government agencies and two NGOs involved in 
anti-trafficking efforts. The MCG is supposed to meet 
monthly. As of March 2008, NGOs have not as yet participated 
officially in the MCG meetings because the procedure for 
selecting the two NGOs is still ongoing. The MCG is mandated 
by law to prepare an annual report evaluating government 
efforts to combat trafficking. The first report will cover 
the period July 2007 to June 2008. The government reports its 
anti-trafficking efforts to the UN, EU, OSCE, and, when 
requested, to international NGOs and to the local and 
international media. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Answers in this para are keyed to the questions in 
reftel, para 28, "Investigation and Prosecution of 
Traffickers." 
 
¶A. On July 13, 2007, Law 87(I)/2007, entitled "Combating 
Trafficking and Exploitation of Human Beings and Protecting 
Victims Rights" went into force and replaced the existing 
(3(I)2000) law on "Combating Trafficking and Sexual 
Exploitation of Adults and Minors." The stated purpose of the 
new law is "to criminalize trafficking in persons, the 
exploitation of persons and child pornography, to take 
measures for the protection and support of victims from the 
aforementioned crimes, and to create the mechanism to monitor 
the implementation of these measures." It covers both 
internal and external forms of trafficking. Other laws used 
to prosecute TIP cases include: 
 
¶1. The Protection of Witnesses Law of 2001, Law 95(I)/2001 
¶2. The Law ratifying the UN Convention Against Transnational 
Organized Crime 
and its Supplementary Protocols, Law 11(III)/2003 
¶3. The Prevention and Suppression of Money Laundering 
Activities Law, Law 61(I)/1996 
¶4. The Aliens and Immigration Law, Cap. 105 (as amended) and 
Regulations 
 
NICOSIA 00000181  003.2 OF 007 
 
 
¶5. The Criminal Code, Cap. 154 
¶6. The Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection of 
Victims) Law, Law 
119(I)/2000 (as amended) 
¶7. The Compensation to Victims of Violent Crimes Law, Law 
51(I)/97 
 
¶B. Trafficking of adults is punishable by up to 15 years in 
prison and trafficking of children is punishable by up to 20 
years in prison. Sexual exploitation of adults is punishable 
by up to 10 years in prison and of minors by up to 20 years. 
The government has convicted eight people charged with 
trafficking for sexual exploitation since April 1, 2007. 
Sentences range from three and a half years imprisonment to 
four months imprisonment with three years probation. None  of 
the convicted traffickers received a suspended sentence or 
only a fine as punishment. 
 
¶C. As stated in the previous paragraph, trafficking of adults 
is punishable by up to 15 years imprisonment and trafficking 
of children is punishable by up to 20 years. Labor 
exploitation is punishable by up to six years imprisonment 
and up to 10 years if the victim is a minor. Withholding a 
victim's passport or travel documents, including their alien 
card and/or residency permit, is a crime punishable by up to 
five years imprisonment and/or a fine of up to 10,000 Euros 
(USD 15,213). Switching contracts without the worker's 
consent is illegal. No one has been charged with trafficking 
for labor exploitation in the period under review. 
 
¶D. The law criminalizes rape with a maximum sentence of life 
in prison. Most convicted rapists received considerably less 
than the maximum sentence; however, sentences for rape are 
generally higher than sentences for commercial sexual 
exploitation. 
 
¶E. Prostitution is not illegal but many acts related to 
prostitution, e.g., living off the proceeds of prostitution, 
promoting a woman for prostitution, maintaining, managing or 
participating in the operation of a brothel, forced detention 
of a woman in a brothel, and assistance to a woman in 
performing prostitution are criminalized. The legal minimum 
age for prostitution is 18 years of age. 
 
¶F. In the period April 1, 2007 to February 20,2008 the 
government opened 27 cases of trafficking for sexual 
exploitation for investigation. Eight of those cases are 
still under investigation and 17 were sent to court. Of those 
17 cases, 11 are still pending trial, four were suspended, 
and two were dismissed. Of the 36 cases of trafficking for 
sexual exploitation pending trial at the end of the previous 
reporting period, eight resulted in convictions, 14 in 
acquittals, 3 were dismissed by the Courts, one was 
withdrawn, one was otherwise disposed of and nine are still 
pending trial. Sentences ranged from three and half years to 
four months imprisonment with three years probation. Though 
all the above cases were prepared for trial under the 
anti-TIP law, all offenders were convicted for 
prostitution-related crimes. The sentences have been served. 
 
¶G. Police officers receive specialized training on how to 
recognize, investigate and prosecute cases of trafficking at 
the Cyprus Police Academy. In addition to this specialized 
training, in 2007, 88 police officers attended a four-week 
seminar at the Cyprus Police Academy on how to organize 
anti-TIP operations, interpret the new anti-TIP law, gather 
intelligence, and assess victims' behavior. Social Welfare 
Services personnel, who are responsible for providing 
services to victims of trafficking, received training in 
 
NICOSIA 00000181  004.2 OF 007 
 
 
Cyprus and abroad during the reporting period. 
 
¶H. The Cyprus Police cooperated in 16 cases of trafficking in 
EU countries via Europol, and in 10 cases of trafficking in 
non-EU countries via Interpol. 
 
¶I. The ROC Constitution bars the extradition of Cypriot 
citizens. Non-Cypriots may be extradited but there were no 
such cases during the reporting period. 
 
¶J. There is no evidence of government involvement in, or 
tolerance of, trafficking on a local or institutional level. 
¶K. The government investigated seven police officers involved 
in two separate trafficking-related cases. The government 
acted promptly and decisively and all seven were prosecuted 
for disciplinary offenses. 
 
¶L. N/A 
 
¶M. N/A 
 
¶5. (SBU) Answers in this para are keyed to the questions in 
reftel, para 29, "Protection and Assistance to the Victims." 
 
¶A. Existing legislation allows identified victims a minimum 
of one month as a reflection period to recover from their 
experience and to decide whether or not they wish to 
cooperate with the police and testify in a trial. Victims who 
decide to cooperate with the police have their temporary 
residence permits renewed until the police investigation and 
court trial are completed. They are placed under the care of 
the Social Welfare Services, which act as the guardian of 
victims of trafficking, and have the right to work. 
 
¶B. The government opened its first shelter for trafficking 
victims, run by Social Welfare Services, on November 26, 
¶2007. The shelter had housed a total of 16 victims by the end 
of February. The law does not differentiate between foreign 
and domestic victims of trafficking. Before the opening of 
the government shelter, victims were placed in eldercare 
facilities run by Social Welfare Services. During 2007, the 
Social Welfare Services provided shelter and services to a 
total of 87 victims. In addition to the 16 who stayed at the 
new shelter, 23 victims stayed at the eldercare facilities 
and 38 chose to stay in private apartments or with friends. 
The government provides victims with free medical, legal and 
psychological care, assistance to find employment and access 
to programs provided by the government and/or NGOs to acquire 
or improve professional skills and prepare for repatriation. 
The government could not provide an estimate of the amount 
spent on specialized facilities dedicated to assisting TIP 
victims. 
 
 
¶C. The government provided two USD 25,000 grants (totaling 
USD 50,000) to the NGO "Stigma," which operated the only 
shelter in the island until November 2007. STIGMA offered 
shelter and services to a total of 30 trafficking victims in 
¶2007. 
 
¶D. The police actively investigated cases of trafficking 
resulting from evidence collected during unannounced raids 
and undercover operations in cabarets, pubs and private 
apartments suspected of being used for prostitution, as well 
as from complaints submitted directly by trafficking victims 
to the police, other government agencies and NGOs. The police 
reported an increase in the number of victims directly 
contacting the police, although they were unable to provide 
precise figures. In the period April 1, 2007 to February 
 
NICOSIA 00000181  005.2 OF 007 
 
 
20,2008 the police conducted 120 raids and 26 undercover 
operations in cabarets, pubs, and other suspected places. 
During the same period, 40 women were identified as 
trafficking victims. Government agencies operate according to 
the "Manual for Interdepartmental Procedures for Handling 
Cases of Trafficking Victims." The manual is currently being 
revised to incorporate new regulations stipulated by the new 
anti-TIP law. Victims are immediately placed in the custody 
of the Social Welfare Services and are sent to the shelter. 
 
¶E. N/A 
 
¶F. The rights of victims are generally respected. Trafficking 
victims are not detained, jailed or fined regardless of 
whether they chose to cooperate with the police or not. 
During the reporting period, two foreign women were charged 
with maintaining a brothel and residing in the country 
illegally. As soon as the government identified the two women 
as trafficking victims, it dropped the charges and treated 
them as victims of trafficking. 
 
¶G. The government encourages victims to assist in the 
investigation and prosecution of their traffickers. In the 
period April 1, 2007 to February 20,2008, the government 
identified 40 victims, all of whom agreed to assist in the 
investigation and prosecution of their traffickers. However, 
nine of the victims who had agreed to cooperate with 
authorities left the country without testifying in court; 
some of them complained about the long duration of the trial, 
which usually lasts over a year. Victims may bring civil 
suits against their traffickers and seek damages. They also 
have the right to seek compensation from the Cyprus 
Government pursuant to the provisions of the EU Convention 
for the Compensation of Victims of Violent Crimes. Victims 
who are witnesses in court cases are allowed to seek 
alternate employment and are allowed to leave the country 
temporarily. No one impedes victim access to legal redress. 
 
¶H. Under existing legislation, the government is required to 
protect trafficking victims and witnesses in trafficking 
cases. This includes providing police protection, shelter, 
counseling, legal aid, and medical and psychiatric care to 
help victims recover from their traumatic experiences. Before 
the opening of the government-run shelter in November 2007, 
victims were housed in dedicated rooms in state-owned 
eldercare facilities, at the NGO Stigma shelter, and in 
private apartments. The government provides a housing 
allowance and financial assistance based on individual needs 
to victims who choose to stay with friends or rent 
apartments. Victims who decide to remain in Cyprus after the 
reflection period to assist in the police investigation and 
testify in court are encouraged and assisted to find 
alternate employment and are granted access to government or 
NGO programs to acquire or improve professional skills. All 
40 victims identified during the reporting period were 
assisted by government-funded programs and received shelter 
services 
 
¶I. The government provides specialized training to government 
officials handling trafficking cases. Special courses on 
trafficking are taught at the Cyprus Police Academy and the 
police anti-TIP unit has participated in two five-day 
seminars of CEPOL- European Police College in June and 
November 2007. The Social Welfare Service organized an 
education seminar in November 2007 for the training of all 
Social Welfare personnel handling trafficking victims. This 
training is not extended to Cypriot Embassies and Consulates 
in destination and transit countries. 
 
 
NICOSIA 00000181  006.2 OF 007 
 
 
¶J. N/A 
 
¶K. The NGO Stigma offers services to victims of trafficking 
and has received funding from the government. Stigma 
cooperates with STOP International. Stigma received two USD 
25,000 grants from the government during the reporting 
period. Stigma actively locates victims and offers shelter, 
counseling, psychological and financial support, helps 
victims to find alternate employment, and prepares them for 
repatriation in cooperation with NGOs in their home countries. 
 
¶6. Answers in this para are keyed to the request in reftel, 
para 30, "Prevention." 
 
¶A. The government acknowledges that trafficking is a problem 
and is committed at the highest levels to combating it. 
 
¶B. In March and April 2007 the government ran the first phase 
of a demand-reduction campaign which included 50,000 flyers 
and 800 posters. During the same period it aired two 
UN-sponsored anti-TIP spots on state TV, which broadcasts all 
over Cyprus. The government has allocated an additional USD 
62,417 for FY 2008 and started the bidding process for the 
second phase of the campaign, which government sources 
estimate will launch in the second half of April 2008. The 
second phase will include billboards, TV spots and seminars. 
This campaign is designed to inform the public and reduce 
demand. 
 
¶C. The government consults with the few NGOs that are 
involved in trafficking on matters related to legislation, 
services to victims, and public awareness efforts. Pursuant 
to the provisions of Law 87(1)2007, the government published 
invitations to NGOs in newspapers on February 1, 2008, 
seeking participation in the MCG. Three NGOs have declared 
their interest in participating, and the government is 
evaluating their applications in order to select two. 
 
¶D. Immigration police monitor immigration and emigration 
patterns for evidence of trafficking. As of February 2007, 
artiste category work permits are sent directly to ROC 
embassies and consulates in source countries, to be 
personally collected by the employee-migrant. Consular or 
administrative staff brief the employee-migrant and provide 
her with a brochure, in her own language, containing 
employment information, rights and obligations, and emergency 
services contact information. The employee-migrant is 
required to sign a statement saying that she was briefed and 
received the information brochure. 
 
¶E. The MCG coordinates communication between all entities, 
internal and international, on matters related to 
trafficking. The MCG is chaired by the Minister of Interior, 
who is the designated National Coordinator for action against 
trafficking and acts as the single point of contact for 
trafficking-related matters. There is no public corruption 
task force. However, there is a government-appointed 
independent committee that examines complaints against the 
police, including complaints involving corruption. 
 
¶F. The government adopted a national plan of action in May 
¶2005. It was drafted by a group of experts at the Attorney 
General's office with input from the Ministries of Interior, 
Labor and Social Insurance, Justice and Public Order, 
Commerce, Industry and Tourism, the Ombudsman and NGOs. The 
action plan has been distributed to all government agencies, 
to NGOs, and to international organizations, and is available 
in electronic form, in both the Greek and English languages, 
from the Ministry of Interior. 
 
NICOSIA 00000181  007.2 OF 007 
 
 
 
¶G. In addition to the first phase of the demand reduction 
campaign launched in March and April 2007 by the Ministry of 
Interior (see para 6 (B) above), the head of the police 
anti-TIP unit appeared once on state-run TV to discuss the 
problem of trafficking and gave several interviews to local 
newspapers and magazines. The head of the police anti-TIP 
unit made a presentation at the US Embassy anti-TIP film 
series in November 2007 and a similar presentation at a 
seminar organized by the European Party in collaboration with 
STOP International in October 2007.  The Ministry of Interior 
continued to produce and distribute informational brochures 
for artiste-category workers that explained the terms and 
conditions of employment, the risks involved, the services 
offered by the government to trafficking victims. The 
brochures also provide contact information for all relevant 
government departments and NGOs, and note the Police 24-hour 
helpline number. They are available in Russian, Bulgarian, 
Romanian and English, and are distributed to Cypriot 
embassies and consulates in source countries, to be given to 
artist-work permit applicants when they visit the 
embassy/consulate to collect their work permit. The brochure 
is also posted on the website of the Ministry of Interior and 
is distributed to government departments visited by 
artiste-category workers after their arrival in Cyprus. 
Moreover, the Ministry of Labor and Social Insurance produces 
and distributes, in Greek and English, the "Guide for the 
Rights and Obligations of Foreign Employees." This guide is 
available at all government departments visited by foreign 
workers. 
 
¶H. Law 87(I)2007 criminalizes sexual exploitation of 
children, to include paying children for sexual intercourse 
or other 
 sexual activities. It covers the commitment of the crime by 
Cypriots in foreign countries and is punishable by up to 20 
years 
 imprisonment. There were no such cases during the reporting 
period. 
 
¶7. Answers in this para are keyed to the request in reftel, 
para 31, "Heroes." 
 
¶A. Mine Yucel, Prologue Consulting, Ltd. Mine Yucel is an 
anti-trafficking pioneer in the Cypriot community for her 
research on the trafficking problem and her efforts to combat 
trafficking. Yucel has fearlessly and creatively conducted 
field research in the dangerous underworld of "cabarets", 
i.e., brothels and nightclubs. She has spoken with 
nightclub managers, cabaret owners, medical personnel and 
trafficking victims in conducting her research, bringing the 
subject of trafficking out of 
the shadows and into the public consciousness. She gives a 
voice to the victims who before were silent and ignored, and 
travels around northern Cyprus publicizing the plight of 
victims and the scope of trafficking there. 
SCHLICHER