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PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHSL #0085/01 0490740
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 180740Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY BRATISLAVA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2321
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 09 BRATISLAVA 000085 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/CE, G/TIP, EUR/PGI, G, INL, DRL, PRM 
STATE PLEASE PASS TO USAID, DOJ, DHS, DOL, Treasury Dept. 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KTIP PGOV KCRM PHUM KWMN ELAB SMIG KFRD PREF ASEC
ELAB 
 
SUBJECT: SLOVAKIA 2009 ANNUAL REPORT ON TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS 
 
REF: 08 SECSTATE 132759 
 
SUMMARY 
 
¶A.  The Government of Slovakia has upped its game in the fight 
against Trafficking in Persons (TIP.) In addition to maintaining the 
Anti-TIP program budget of 8 million Slovak Crowns (approximately 
$400,000) per year, the Government of Slovakia (GOS) has increased 
both transparency and stakeholder collaboration in its anti-TIP 
activities. The GOS and NGOs work collaboratively on implementation 
of the GOS's 2008-2010 National Program for the Fight Against 
Trafficking in Persons (National Program.)  Internationally, the GOS 
continues to commit itself to anti-TIP protocols. 
 
During the myriad interviews we conducted for this report, and our 
participation in the annual intergovernmental Expert Group meeting, 
we observed first-hand the improvement in the GOS cooperation with 
NGOs, mostly on the part of the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) and 
particularly from the office of the TIP National Coordinator, which 
has developed genuine rapport with NGOs working on victims 
assistance and prevention campaigns.  Indeed, some NGOs said they 
feel that Slovakia has surpassed its neighbors in the fight against 
TIP. 
However, deficiencies in the judicial sector continue to hamper the 
GOS's complete fulfillment of the minimum standards of trafficking. 
A continued focus on training border police, national police, as 
well as the prosecutors and judges who must put the laws to the test 
in the courtroom will be essential if the GOS wants to take its game 
to the next level. 
 
¶B. Answers below are keyed to section and paragraph numbers in 
reftel. Embassy Bratislava point of contact is: 
 
Name: Katharine M. R. Beamer 
Position:  Political Officer 
Phone: 421 2 5922 3278 
Fax: 421 2 5922 3109 
E-mail: beamerkmr@state.gov 
 
¶C.  Total time to complete TIP report: 
 
FSNs:  30 
FS03:  50 
FS02:  3 
 
¶1. SLOVAKIA'S TIP SITUATION 
 
¶A. SOURCES OF INFORMATION 
 
The MOI, local police, NGOs, and IOM are the best sources of 
information regarding the number and kinds of TIP victims. Though 
the numbers vary from source to source, they are generally reliable. 
IOM estimates between 150 to 200 individuals are trafficked each 
year.  During the reporting period, IOM assisted 17 victims of 
trafficking and no foreign victims; 9 of these victims were assisted 
under the National Program.  The NGO Dotyk assisted 20 victims of 
trafficking, 8 of whom were assisted under the National Program. The 
police initiated investigation into 13 TIP cases during the 
reporting period. 
 
¶B.  COUNTRY OF ORIGIN AND TRANSIT 
 
Slovakia is considered a transit and a source country for 
trafficking in persons. The International Office for Migration (IOM) 
states that due to the small number of known victims who are third 
country nationals or those trafficked only within Slovak borders, 
the country cannot be classified as a destination country, though 
IOM and the government both acknowledge that some women may be 
forced to work briefly in Slovakia while in transit to their final 
destinations in Western Europe. 
 
¶C.  TIP ROUTES 
 
According to NGOs, most of the victims trafficked through Slovakia 
continue to come from the former Soviet Republics (especially 
Moldova and Ukraine), Bulgaria, the Baltics, the Balkans and China, 
and are trafficked to the Czech Republic, Germany, Switzerland, 
Sweden, Italy, Austria, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Spain, 
Croatia, and Slovenia.  However, no foreign victims were identified 
by Slovak police or NGOs during the reporting period.  Slovak 
victims usually come from economically depressed regions of Slovakia 
with high levels of unemployment. Often, these women are Roma. 
 
¶D.  VICTIM PROFILES 
 
Victims who have been returned to Slovakia are usually young females 
 
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in their late teens or early 20s.  Many report being trafficked 
after accepting offers from relatives, acquaintances, or unlicensed 
agencies to arrange for work abroad.  Some consciously enter into 
prostitution only to become trafficked at a later date. Because they 
are willing participants (at first) the victims tend to be 
transported to their destination country on public transportation 
with no resistance. 
 
¶E.  PERPETRATORS 
 
According to police, as well as the testimony of some victims and 
offenders, trafficking in Slovakia is usually an organized criminal 
activity.  Small-scale Slovak perpetrators feed victims into larger 
international syndicates at their destinations.  Organized 
trafficking groups consist of Germans, Czechs, Russians, Ukrainians, 
Albanians, Italians, Macedonians, Poles, or Slovenes. 
 
Male and female Slovak traffickers usually have prior knowledge and 
direct experience in the sex industry in Western Europe.  They 
typically utilize employment or hostess agency schemes, but also 
rely on personal connections with women. 
 
Roma victims, in particular, are likely to know their traffickers. 
Some Roma women enter into prostitution knowingly, fleeing the 
conditions of an abusive home or poor living conditions in a Roma 
settlement (or shantytown), and become victims of trafficking in the 
destination country.  We also heard from NGOs that several of the 
Roma victims assisted during the year are mentally handicapped. 
 
Roma activists suggest an increase in the trafficking of Roma 
children for begging. According to a Roma NGO, the practice is 
highly organized. Traffickers from within the Roma community send 
children (either by themselves or with their mothers or other women) 
by bus to Austria, Italy and Germany to work the streets. 
Traffickers then withhold the victims' identity papers in order to 
keep them from escaping. 
 
¶2.  SETTING THE SCENE FOR GOS ANTI-TIP EFFORTS 
 
¶A.  RECOGNITION OF A PROBLEM 
 
Yes, the Government acknowledges that TIP is a problem in Slovakia. 
 
¶B.  INVOLVED AGENCIES 
 
The MOI State Secretary, Vladimir Cecot, has since 2007 been the 
National Coordinator for anti-TIP activities and presides over the 
Expert Group.  Cecot has demonstrated a sustained commitment to 
upgrading the GOS efforts to combat TIP.   Cecot again chaired the 
GOS Interagency TIP Expert Group meeting in December 2008 to discuss 
implementation progress on the 2008-2010 National Action Plan.  The 
Director of the MOI's Department of Security Strategies is 
responsible for the day-to-day activities of the Expert Group and 
oversees the implementation of the National Program. This includes 
drafting the update of the National Program, organizing inter-agency 
cooperation, tracking TIP statistics, distributing funds for 
anti-TIP projects, and working with NGOs to develop those projects. 
In addition to the Expert Group, some prevention activities are 
coordinated by the working group established within the Government 
Council for Crime Prevention. Other ministries that advise MOI on 
TIP include the Ministries of Justice, Education, Finance, Health, 
Labor and Social Affairs, and Foreign Affairs, as well as the 
General Prosecutor's Office. 
 
Falling under the Police Anti-Organized Crime Bureau, the Police 
Anti-Trafficking Unit, which has 10 dedicated officers, coordinates 
most activity regarding trafficking both within Slovakia and with 
INTERPOL; members of the unit have traveled overseas to participate 
in seminars and training. The unit documents and investigates 
crimes, monitors known places of prostitution, investigates 
suspicious travel or employment schemes, and contributes to public 
awareness by giving presentations at conferences and conducting 
training. 
 
The Border and Alien police are responsible for monitoring border 
crossings for evidence of trafficking, with the customs directorate 
and the MFA also playing a role. 
 
The Equal Opportunity Office at the Ministry of Labor and Social 
Affairs (MOL) supports NGO activity through grants, manages the 
implementation of international protocols regarding worker's rights, 
and works to reduce violence against women. 
 
The Ministry of Education (MOE) coordinates with IOM to bring TIP 
awareness discussions into high school classrooms. 
 
 
BRATISLAVA 00000085  003 OF 009 
 
 
The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) is responsible for strengthening 
safeguards for victim protection. 
 
The General Prosecutor is responsible for the prosecution of 
traffickers. 
 
¶C. GOVERNMENT LIMITATIONS 
 
The National Program established the National Coordinator's 2008 
budget to fight trafficking at approximately $400,000; in 2009 the 
budget is roughly the same amount.  Anti-TIP police remain funded at 
past levels, supporting 10 officers at the national police 
headquarters.  Overall, government corruption is not a significant 
problem for trafficking in persons.  NGOs report that they believe 
government resources devoted to anti-TIP efforts are sufficient, and 
in fact more generous that many other European countries, especially 
in the area of victim's assistance.  Lack of awareness of how to 
identify victims and how to effectively investigate and assemble 
cases amongst practitioners remains the greatest limitation, though 
the GOS is making substantial efforts to address this. 
 
¶D.  GOVERNMENT SELF-MONITORING 
 
The MOI provides internal assessments and baseline information 
regarding the nature of trafficking in Slovakia.  The National 
Program for 2008-2010 contains an assessment of the Program's 
performance during the 2007 reporting period.  Further, the UNODC 
and the MOI conducted a joint research project to evaluate how 
efficient Slovakia's TIP programs have been.  The UNODC presented 
and distributed its report to the interagency Expert Working Group 
in December 2008, after it had been thoroughly vetted and cleared by 
the GOS. 
 
¶3.   INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION OF TRAFFICKERS 
 
¶A.  EXISTING LAWS AGAINST TIP 
 
TIP is defined and criminalized through Section 179 in the Criminal 
Code. Trafficking in children is a separate crime, covered by 
sections 180 and 181. Other related legislation includes: Section 
367 on Procurement (Pimping), Section 208 on torture of a close 
person or person in one's charge, Section 371 on endangering 
morality.  The law states explicitly the extra-territorial nature of 
this crime and acknowledge that the crime also entails fraudulent 
means, violence, threat, or other forms of coercion to elicit 
agreement from a victim older than 18 years (for section 179) for 
the crime of trafficking. These laws are being used in trafficking 
cases and adequately cover the full scope of trafficking.  Slovak 
law allows a renewable 40-day "tolerated stay" status for foreign 
victims of serious crimes, including trafficking in persons. 
 
On January 30, 2007, Slovakia signed the Council of Europe's (COE) 
Convention of 2005 on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings. It 
ratified the document on March 27, 2007. The Convention was 
subsequently entered into force on February 1, 2008. It is a 
comprehensive treaty, focusing mainly on the protection of 
trafficking victims and safeguarding their rights. It also aims to 
prevent trafficking and to prosecute traffickers. The Convention 
applies to all forms of trafficking, whether national or 
international, and whether related to organized crime. It applies to 
men, women and children equally, whatever the form of exploitation 
(labor or sex acts). The Convention provides a mechanism to 
guarantee each signatory's compliance with its provisions. 
Significantly, Slovakia is one of only 14 COE countries that have 
ratified this Convention 
 
In the past several years, Parliament has amended and ratified other 
relevant trafficking legislation to conform to EU directives and UN 
requirements, such as the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and 
Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children. In 
2006, Parliament passed a law on victim assistance requiring police 
to provide victims of any crime information on organizations that 
can help them. 
 
The country participates in all EU structures and working groups in 
the field of justice and home affairs that seek to monitor and 
control trafficking in persons. 
 
¶B. PUNISHMENT OF SEX TRAFFICKING OFFENSES 
 
The GOS increased the minimum sentences for trafficking in 2006. The 
provision on trafficking (both for the purpose of sexual and labor 
exploitation) states that any person, who entices, enlists, 
transfers or receives another person to or from abroad with the 
intention to engage such person in sexual intercourse or 
exploitation is liable to a term of imprisonment of four to ten 
 
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years.  A four-to-ten year sentence is also applicable to a person 
who exploits another person through forced labor, involuntary 
servitude, slavery, or other similar forms of exploitation.  The 
penalty increases to a 7-to-12 year prison term if a) the 
perpetrator gains considerable profit, b) the offense is committed 
against a protected person, c) the offense is committed with a 
special motive, or d) the offense is committed in conjunction with 
another grave illegal activity, such as organized crime. The penalty 
increases to 12-to-20 years if a) the perpetrator gains extensive 
profit, b) the offender causes serious bodily harm or death or other 
extraordinarily serious effect, or c) the offense is committed as a 
member of a dangerous group. Lastly, a term of 20-to-25 years can be 
applied if the perpetrator gains large-scale profit or causes 
serious bodily harm to or the death of multiple persons. 
 
The Ministry of Justice reported that six out of the seven sex 
traffickers convicted in 2007 received suspended sentences. Only one 
received jail time. There were no updated statistics available for 
2008 at the time this report was submitted.  Post will provide 
septel when they are available. 
 
¶C. PUNISHMENT OF LABOR TRAFFICKING OFFENSES 
 
The penalty for trafficking for labor exploitation is the same as 
for trafficking for sexual exploitation. 
 
There were no convictions of labor traffickers during the reporting 
period. The police determined that a group of eight Vietnamese 
nationals found working in a Bratislava-area cigarette factory that 
post reported on last year were not trafficked.  However, the police 
initiated a different investigation into a group of Romanians 
suspected of being victims of forced labor.  The Slovak police are 
working with the Romanian police, as the alleged perpetrator is 
being investigated for TIP in Romania. 
 
¶D. PENALTIES FOR RAPE 
 
The range of sentencing for rape is five-to-ten years' imprisonment 
and could be increased to 7-to-15 years depending on the age of the 
victim or whether violence was used.  The sentence may be further 
increased to 15-to-20 years if the act results in serious bodily 
harm, and 20-to-25 years if the perpetrator causes the death of the 
victim or the crime is committed in a crisis situation.  The 
penalties for rape are on par with penalties for trafficking for 
commercial sexual exploitation. 
 
¶E. INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION OF TRAFFICKERS 
 
The government actively investigates cases of trafficking through 
the specialized anti-trafficking unit at Police Headquarters in 
Bratislava.  The anti-TIP unit first conducts a preliminary 
investigation, then assists local police officials directly involved 
with the case, or assists investigators from the Bureau for 
Organized Crime if the case involves  organized crime or has 
international implications. The police conduct inspections of 
suspected places of prostitution, and monitor internet sites. 
 
At the regional level, TIP is investigated by four specialized 
officers (two in the city of Zilina, one in the city of Trnava, and 
one in the city of Kosice) who have experience in related crimes, 
such as pimping, rape and other sexual violence. 
 
Slovakia criminally prosecutes labor recruiters who use false or 
deceptive offers of employment, or who confiscate employee's 
passports. Articles 179, 181-184 and Article 241 of the anti-TIP law 
are used to prosecute such cases. 
 
The Slovak criminal code allows for the possibility of parole after 
an inmate serves two-thirds of his or her sentence. In the case of a 
serious crime (with a sentence of more than 8 years) courts can 
grant parole only after three-fourths of the sentence is served. In 
the case of a life sentence, the court can ban parole completely, or 
grant it after 25 years served. 
 
According to official statistics, police investigated 13 cases of 
trafficking during the reporting period. 12 perpetrators were 
identified, 9 were men and 3 were women.  According to police, all 
of these cases concerned sex trafficking, and 16 victims were 
identified. There were no cases of trafficking of children during 
the reporting period. 
 
One of the few prosecutors with TIP experience lamented the low 
number of complex investigations, and said he believes the police 
Anti-trafficking unit is not able to assemble sufficient evidence 
for strong cases in the courts.  He said he believes this is because 
they spend much of their time responding to legal assistance 
 
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requests from other countries (which are very time consuming due to 
the language barriers), and because they do not have a specialized 
anti-TIP investigator on their team. 
 
¶G.  TRAINING 
 
The 10 officers in the Police Anti-trafficking unit located in 
Bratislava were fully trained in TIP, and often participate in 
international trainings.  All police districts have at least one 
officer who receives at least some additional instruction and, among 
his/her other duties, serves as a point of contact with the 
Anti-trafficking unit.  Under the National Program, over 160 police 
officers were trained in victim identification during the reporting 
period, often by IOM, and occasionally in joint sessions with 
regional social and religious workers. 
 
With funding from the National Program, IOM trained 369 individuals 
in victim identification and prevention in 2008.  Participants 
included Roma community social workers, street workers, police 
investigators, prosecutors, psychologists and social workers, and 
custody and child protection services.  IOM also conducted a 
specialized training for 30 Slovak nuns, in cooperation with IOM 
Rome and financial support from U.S. Embassy Bratislava. 
 
In 2007, the MOI published a training manual aimed at police 
officers. The manual defined TIP, explained how to identify victims, 
and how to refer those victims to appropriate assistance programs. 
It also listed extensive contact information that police can 
utilize, including names and phone numbers for the MOI, Anti-TIP 
police in Bratislava, and several NGOs. 
 
However, NGOs and the GOS agree that still more training is 
necessary, especially for border police, prosecutors, judges, and 
Roma community social workers in Eastern Slovakia.  According to 
IOM, the government has agreed to fund additional training for 
border guards, who have been receptive in 2008 trainings but need 
additional follow-on training, as they have very limited time on the 
border to identify victims. 
 
¶G. INTER-GOVERNMENTAL COOPERATION 
 
The GOS cooperates with foreign governments in the investigation and 
prosecution of trafficking cases. The police Anti-trafficking unit 
explained that most trafficking cases require an international 
investigation. Slovak Embassies have a police attache who assists 
with joint investigations.  Many international investigations occur 
in the framework of Interpol and Europol.  The Anti-trafficking unit 
notes that the lack of English language ability among Slovak police 
sometimes limits investigations, yet the unit also reported 
increased cooperation with British authorities during the reporting 
period, and highlighted the case of a Slovak man convicted in the 
U.K. of TIP with evidence collected in Slovakia. 
 
The MOI, in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, hosted 
a conference in Bratislava, March 31 - April 1, 2008, with a focus 
on the international face of TIP.  Representatives from the U.S 
Embassy, EU, UNODC, IOM, V-4 countries (Hungary, Czech Republic, and 
Poland), Austria, and Ukraine participated. 
 
In January 2009, the Ministry of Interior announced the 
establishment of an International TIP Information Center, in Kosice, 
eastern Slovakia.  The MOI has devoted 55,000 Euro to the center, 
which is designed to centralize the collection of TIP-related data 
for Slovakia, and to encourage international cooperation and 
facillitate information sharing with neighboring countries.  This 
funding was provided by the GOS after MOI lobbied to have the center 
included in a amendment to the Prevention of Criminality law passed 
in 2008. 
 
¶H. EXTRADITION 
 
Based on the Law on Criminal Court Procedures, Slovakia can 
extradite persons for any crime with a corresponding sentence longer 
than one year, except a crime political in nature.  Slovak citizens 
can only be extradited when governed by a treaty signed by Slovakia. 
The UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime allows for 
Slovakia to extradite traffickers.  Slovakia has a bilateral 
extradition agreement with the U.S. which allows for the extradition 
of non-Slovaks to the United States. 
 
¶I. GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT IN TRAFFICKING 
 
There is no evidence of governmental involvement in or tolerance of 
trafficking.  Despite governmental efforts to combat petty 
corruption on the borders and among police, the problem still 
exists.  However, the criminal activities of these individuals do 
 
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not reflect institutional acceptance on a local or national level. 
 
 
¶J. STEPS TO END GOVERNMENT  INVOLVEMENT IN TRAFFICKING 
 
According to police and NGOs, there were no cases of government 
officials involved in trafficking. 
 
¶K. PROSTITUTION 
 
Prostitution is neither illegal nor legal in Slovakia, nor is it 
regulated.  The Criminal Code prohibits pimping activities, 
including coercing or taking advantage of or gaining from the 
prostitution of others.  Sentences range from one to 15 years 
depending on the age of the victim, method in which the crime was 
committed, whether organized crime was involved, and whether the 
crime resulted in bodily harm or death.  If the offense involves 
children under the age of 15 or between 15 and 18, the Criminal Code 
adds three-to-ten and seven-to-twelve years to the sentences 
respectively. Because prostitution is not regulated, there is no 
minimum age at which a person may legally choose to be a prostitute. 
 However, the minimum age of consensual sex is 15.  Sex with a minor 
aged 14 or younger is considered statutory rape regardless of the 
circumstances. Local governments can prohibit the offer of sexual 
services in public places and offenders can be fined. 
 
¶L. INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION OF NATIONALS DEPLOYED ABROAD 
 
During the reporting period, Slovakia did not report any cases of 
trafficking involving nationals deployed abroad. 
 
¶M. CHILD SEX TOURISM 
 
Slovakia is not identified as a destination for child sex tourism. 
The trafficking in children law, like the trafficking in persons 
law, reflects extraterritoriality. 
 
¶4.  PROTECTION AND ASSISTANCE TO VICTIMS 
 
¶A. PROTECTION FOR VICTIMS AND WITNESSES 
 
The government provides witness protection for victims, based upon a 
decision by an inter-ministerial committee. NGOs, through their 
victim assistance grants, provide protection for victims housed in 
their shelters by the use of a private security firm. Other witness 
protection measures include recorded testimony or testimony through 
video connection, which is now mandatory for minors.  Another law 
explicitly states that the victim and perpetrator must be kept 
separate during the judicial procedure, thus requiring video 
testimony for most current trafficking cases.  Outside of the 
witness protection program, MOI will fund up to 40 days of care for 
victims, including any services deemed necessary on an individual 
basis.  According to the MOI, juvenile victims are housed separately 
from adult victims. 
 
Slovak law provides for a renewable 40-day "tolerated stay" for 
foreign victims of serious crimes, including trafficking in persons. 
 This status gives the victim the right to work.  In addition to the 
"tolerated stay" law, Slovak authorities are required to postpone 
deportation of any third-country national who seeks to enter a 
witness protection program or who claims asylum, thus providing 
temporary residency status. 
 
IOM and Dotyk receive GOS funding from the National Program to 
provide specialized victims' assistance program exclusively for 
repatriated Slovaks, or internally trafficked Slovaks.  The victim's 
assistance program provides financial support for at least 90 days 
(and is often repeatedly extended, according to NGOs), and includes 
three phases: crisis intervention, protection of victims, and 
reintegration.  According to IOM, the situation in Slovakia has 
improved dramatically in recent years.  The focus on increased 
victims support - including legal, psychological, medical, and 
social assistance - by the competent government Ministries has 
increased the country's capacity to help victims and encouraged 
returning victims to seek assistance. 
 
¶B. VICTIM CARE FACILITIES 
 
Access to legal, medical, and psychological services for victims 
(both foreign and domestic) were vital elements of Slovakia's 
National Program. The government provides dedicated shelters through 
its NGO programs. The MOI signed five cooperative agreements with 
NGOs (IOM, Dotyk, Slovak Caritas, Prima (an NGO that works with 
streetworkers)  in 2008, providing funding levels of approximately 
USD 220,000.  Two of these NGOs, IOM and Dotyk, provided shelter for 
TIP victims.  There are no specialized facilities for male victims 
 
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of TIP.  Child TIP victims are by law cared for by the Ministry of 
Labor, Social Affairs, and Family, but there were none identified 
during the year. 
 
During the reporting period, NGO's assisted approximately 37 
trafficking victims.  IOM assisted 17 victims of trafficking; 9 of 
these victims were assisted under the National Program.  Dotyk 
assisted 20 victims of trafficking, 8 of whom were assisted in the 
National Program. 
 
¶D. PROVISIONS FOR FOREIGN TIP VICTIMS 
 
Slovak law provides for a renewable 40-day "tolerated stay" for 
foreign victims of serious crimes, including trafficking in persons. 
 This status gives the victim the right to work. In addition to the 
"tolerated stay" law, Slovak authorities are required to postpone 
deportation of any third-country national who seeks to enter a 
witness protection program or who claims asylum, thus providing 
temporary residency status.  Foreign victims are also eligible for 
the shelter and social assistance provided by the National Program. 
However, these measures were not put in practice during the 
reporting period as there were no foreign victims identified. 
 
¶E. LONG TERM SHELTER 
 
NGOs reported in practice that the government resources devoted to 
assisting TIP victims were quite generous.  Victims participating in 
the National Program were able to stay in state-funded shelters and 
rehabilitation programs for as long as their cases were ongoing, and 
these cases often take years. 
 
¶F. NATIONAL REFERRAL MECHANISM 
 
The Expert Working Group adopted a National Referral Mechanism in 
December 2008.  This provides a standard operating procedure 
throughout the country for law enforcement practioners who suspect 
they have come into contact with a trafficking victim, and enables 
them to reach out to the most readily available state and NGO 
resources to assist the victim.  The National Referral Mechanism is 
posted on the MOI website, where it is also available to the 
public. 
 
¶G. TOTAL NUMBER OF VICTIMS 
 
As mentioned previously, NGOs assisted 37 victims during the year. 
 
¶H. IDENTIFYING AND REFERRING VICTIMS 
 
During the reporting period, police identified and referred 16 TIP 
victims to NGOs,  based on a law requiring authorities to provide 
information about organizations offering support services to 
potential victims.  The Anti-trafficking unit screens and refers 
victims who are actively participating in the investigation process 
or witness protection. 
 
¶I. RIGHTS OF VICTIMS 
 
When an individual is identified as a trafficking victim, the 
victim's rights are respected and he or she does not face fines or 
jail sentences.  However, it has been reported that unidentified 
victims have been treated as illegal migrants or prostitutes and 
have been detained or deported. 
 
¶J. INVESTIGATION 
 
The National Program encourages victims to participate in cases 
against their traffickers.  17 victims participated in such cases 
during the year, according to the police.  Victims may file civil 
suits against their traffickers in addition to criminal charges. 
Slovakia also has a victim's compensation law that allows for a 
one-time reimbursement for victims of violent crime, paid by the 
Ministry of Justice. 
 
¶K.  TRAINING FOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS 
 
During the reporting period, the MOI -- in cooperation with IOM and 
other NGOs --provided training to over 400 law enforcement officers 
and community social workers.  The training included how to 
communicate with victims, victim assistance, and general information 
about TIP.  TIP is also included in the human rights curriculum at 
the Police Academy. Lastly, the MOL educated local governments, 
central government branches and law enforcement agencies on 
trafficking and victim assistance. Slovak missions abroad provide 
travel documents, assistance with money transfers, contacting 
relatives, arranging services, and travel home. The Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs helps refer repatriated victims to NGOs for 
 
BRATISLAVA 00000085  008 OF 009 
 
 
assistance, and IOM reported that the MFA helped repatriate at least 
3 victims during the reporting period.  IOM also worked with the 
Slovak MFA to develop a standard operating procedure for Embassies 
abroad, and reported especially smooth cooperation with Slovak 
Embassies in Germany and the U.K. 
 
¶L.  GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE 
 
The MOI-funded assistance through the National Program is available 
to repatriated Slovak citizens as well as foreign victims identified 
in Slovakia, though during the reporting period, no foreign victims 
were assisted. 
 
¶M.  NGO ASSISTANCE 
 
Most NGOs aiding trafficking victims in Slovakia are domestic, 
although they may have loose cooperation agreements with NGOs 
abroad.  Some of these Slovak NGOs are: the Alliance of Women, 
Dafne, Dotyk, Prima, Storm, Slovak Caritas, the Cultural Association 
of Roma in Slovakia, and Victims' Support Slovakia.  They provide a 
wide range of services, from preventive awareness education and 
identifying victims to arranging for repatriation transport to 
post-trafficking needs such as medical, mental health, legal, and 
protective services, and work re-training courses. 
 
In 2008, NGOs received approximately USD 227,000 from the GOS for 
Anti-TIP programs. 
 
¶5.  PREVENTION 
 
¶A. ANTI-TRAFFICKING CAMPAIGNS 
 
Government officials and agencies cooperated with NGOs on 
anti-trafficking information and education campaigns, targeting 
potential trafficking victims, but also educating local government 
workers, teachers, students, community centers, journalists, local 
police, and the border and alien police. 
 
The GOS funded part of a public-private partnership for a national 
TIP hotline. Under this agreement, the telephone company T-Mobile 
provides the phone line free of charge, and IOM staff (paid for 
through the National Program) man the phone lines. From June to 
December 2008, the phone line received 1272 phone calls, in which it 
provided counseling services to 120 clients, and identified three 
trafficking victims. 2000 posters advertising the hotline were 
posted in local bus stations, 5000 leaflets were distributed to 
at-risk populations, radio spots advertising the hotline were 
broadcast during the year, and a series of T.V. spots kicked off the 
hotline on Slovakia's three main television networks in June 2008. 
 
The GOS continued to make an effort to identify and help current and 
potential victims by making available to police, border guards, 
municipal workers, and NGOs brochures about trafficking. The 
brochures were written in 9 languages (English, Vietnamese, Russian, 
Roma, Moldovan, Ukrainian, Polish, Hungarian, and Slovak). The 
brochure asks specific questions such as, "Are you being forced to 
work as a prostitute?"; "Are you being forced to work in a household 
or elsewhere?"; "Do they threaten you with violence?"; "Are they 
threatening your relatives?"; and, "Did they promise you something 
different?". The brochures, which were distributed in areas where 
potential victims might be found, contain the hotline telephone 
number. 
 
¶B.  MONITORING OF BORDERS 
 
The MOI has strengthened border protection mechanisms and improved 
cross-border cooperation; Slovakia has been part of the Schengen 
zone since December 2007, and foreign law enforcement officials have 
reported that Slovakia's border security is the envy of many 
neighbors.  However, Slovakia continues to be a transit country for 
illegal migrant smuggling to Western Europe.  During 2008, 103 
persons were convicted of human smuggling; 24 were given prison 
sentences of 3-84 months, and 67 were given suspended sentences of 
2-60 months. 
 
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) believes 
that the majority of smuggled or trafficked persons that have 
claimed asylum in Slovakia "disappear" by terminating their asylum 
cases after being registered at reception and refugee facilities. 
Slovakia has made progress in deterring illegal migration across its 
borders: in the past year, the number of new asylum cases decreased 
by nearly fifty percent. The number of asylum cases granted remains 
below one percent. 
 
UNHCR reported that better implementation in recent years of 
Slovakia's Readmission Treaty with Ukraine has reduced the number of 
 
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migrants in Slovakia.  An agreement among the GOS, NGOs and UNHCR 
allows NGOs to monitor the border situation to ensure that asylum 
seekers are not sent back to their country of origin. The Ministry 
of Labor funds a facility for unaccompanied minors. 
 
NGOs, UNHCR and IOM also continue to conduct police training and 
have cooperated with border police to identify potential trafficking 
victims among migrant populations.  This cooperation with police has 
increased and is generally positive, according to NGO 
representatives. IOM reported that the government approved funding 
for additional training for border police in 2009. 
 
¶C.  INTER-GOVERNMENTAL COORDINATION 
 
The National Coordinator at the MOI is the point for 
inter-governmental coordination on trafficking.  Within his office, 
he has designated the Director of the Department of Security 
Strategies to be the working-level point of contact.  The National 
Coordinator convened the high-level Expert Group again in December 
2008, and invited the U.S. Embassy to participate.  The group is 
designed to have the political weight to enforce measures to combat 
TIP.  The Expert Group includes Directors and State Secretaries from 
the Ministries of the Interior, Justice, Labor, Finance, Health, and 
Foreign Affairs, as well as, the office of the Deputy Prime 
Minister, the General Prosecutor, five NGOs, IOM, and UNODC. 
 
¶D. NATIONAL ACTION PLAN 
 
The National Program contains a National Action Plan for the fight 
against trafficking in persons. The plan calls for the establishment 
of an increased network of victim support services (specifically 
regarding legal, psychiatric, medical, and social assistance), the 
creation of repatriation protocols for Slovak victims identified 
abroad, and increased media and youth outreach campaigns. 
 
The agency responsible for its development is the MOI, in 
cooperation with other relevant ministries. The MOI invited NGOs to 
participate in the December 2008 Expert Group meeting, to contribute 
their perspective on the implementation of the National Program and 
Action Plan, as well as logical next steps in coming years.  We 
observed that the dialogue was respectful and that the NGO comments 
were valued by the GOS, and included in the reports. 
 
¶E. REDUCING DEMAND FOR COMMERICAL SEX ACTS 
 
Part of the training provided by the MOI and NGOs under the National 
Program educated key interlocutors from municipal offices, schools, 
and law enforcement about TIP and the criminal consequences of 
participation in illegal commercial sex acts.  Participants in these 
trainings were provided with additional materials to distribute in 
their communities, to raise awareness about the role of consumers in 
perpetuating the illegal sex trade.  However, Slovakia is not 
considered a destination country for TIP victims. 
 
¶F. MEASURES TO REDUCE PARTICIPATION IN CHILD SEX TOURISM 
 
The Anti-Trafficking Unit of the police did not report any cases of 
Slovak nationals who had traveled abroad for child sex tourism 
during the reporting period. However, as mentioned in the previous 
paragraph, TIP trainings do include an explanation of the Palermo 
protocol and the domestic penal code's instruments to prosecute 
traffickers. 
 
¶G. MEASURES TO ENSURE PEACEKEEPERS DEPLOYED ABROAD DO NOT ENGAGE IN 
TIP-RELATED ACTIVITIES 
 
The National Program provided anti-TIP training for government 
personnel stationed abroad. This training focused on the 
consequences of participation in illegal commercial sex acts. The 
MOI and Ministry of Defense are responsible for the training, which 
is also incorporated into police and military personnel basic 
training. 
 
EDDINS