VZCZCXRO6870
RR RUEHIK
DE RUEHSL #0071/01 0491539
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 181539Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY BRATISLAVA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0423
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHSL/AMEMBASSY BRATISLAVA 0489

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 10 BRATISLAVA 000071 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR G/TIP, G-LAURA PENA, EUR/CE, EUR/PGI, G, INL, DRL, PRM 
STATE PLEASE PASS TO USAID, DOJ, DHS, DOL, TREASURY DEPT 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KCRM PHUM KWMN SMIG KFRD ASEC PREF ELAB KMCA
SUBJECT: SLOVAKIA 2010 ANNUAL REPORT ON TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS 
 
REF: 10 STATE 2094 
 
BRATISLAVA 00000071  001.3 OF 010 
 
 
SUMMARY 
 
¶A. Slovakia continues to make strides in strengthening and 
expanding its anti-TIP programs. A generous victim assistance 
program provides both Slovak and foreign victims with a minimum 
of 180 days of fully funded crisis intervention and 
reintegration services. Although estimates on the total number 
of victims in Slovakia have not changed, the assistance program 
has grown significantly in the past year, with a nearly 60 
percent increase in victims identified and participating. 
 
The GOS is making serious efforts to identify foreign victims 
through outreach to asylum-seekers and immigration detention 
camps and public information campaigns. Training activities in 
2009 focused on areas that had been identified as gaps last 
year: border police and community workers working with 
vulnerable Roma, who make up an increasing percentage of Slovak 
victims. Despite these efforts, the GOS has not yet identified 
foreign victims. 
 
There is still room for improvement in investigation and 
prosecution of traffickers.  Training and capacity-building of 
police investigators, prosecutors, and judges will enhance the 
GOS's track record in getting convictions and prison time for 
traffickers. End summary. 
 
¶B. Answers below are keyed to section and paragraph numbers in 
reftel. Embassy Bratislava point of contact is: 
 
Name: Anne Debevoise 
Position:  Consular Officer 
Phone: 421 2 5922 3291 
Fax: 421 2 5441 8861 
E-mail: debevoiseab@state.gov 
 
¶C.  Total time to complete TIP report: 
 
FSN: 50 
FS04: 50 
FS02: 30 
FS01: 1 
 
¶1. SLOVAKIA'S TIP SITUATION 
 
¶A. SOURCES OF INFORMATION 
 
The Ministry of the Interior (MOI), police, the International 
Organization for Migration (IOM), and NGOs are reliable sources 
of information regarding the number and kinds of TIP victims. 
 
In March 2010, the government will open an International TIP 
Information Center in the city of Kosice in eastern Slovakia. 
The MOI has devoted USD 75,400 to the center, which will 
centralize the collection of TIP data for Slovakia and 
facilitate information sharing with neighboring countries. 
 
¶B. COUNTRY OF ORIGIN AND TRANSIT 
 
Slovakia is considered a source and transit country for 
trafficking in persons. IOM estimates that 150 to 200 
individuals are trafficked each year. 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 some women may be 
forced to work briefly in Slovakia while in transit to their 
final destinations in Western Europe. 
 
According to NGOs, most of the victims trafficked through 
Slovakia come from the former Soviet Republics (especially 
Moldova and Ukraine), Bulgaria, the Baltics, the Balkans and 
China.  Victims are mainly trafficked to the Czech Republic, 
Germany, United Kingdom, and Ireland, with smaller numbers going 
to Switzerland, Sweden, Italy, Austria, the Netherlands, Spain, 
Croatia, and Slovenia. 
 
NGOs have reported some cases of internal trafficking within 
Slovakia, usually of Roma women trafficked from the eastern to 
the western part of the country. 
 
Slovak victims usually come from economically depressed regions 
of Slovakia with high levels of unemployment, especially eastern 
Slovakia. They are trafficked for sexual exploitation, as well 
as for forced labor. 
 
¶C. CONDITIONS 
 
Victims report being trafficked after accepting offers from 
 
BRATISLAVA 00000071  002.3 OF 010 
 
 
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. 
 
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, and become victims of 
trafficking in the destination country.  The NGO Caritas 
reported that one of its Roma clients was a young woman who grew 
up in an orphanage, was trafficked by an acquaintance, and was 
living in his apartment in Prague while being sexually 
exploited.  We also heard from NGOs that several of the Roma 
victims they have helped are mentally handicapped. 
 
The NGO Dotyk described groups of Roma men who traveled to the 
UK with the promise of jobs on farms.  Upon arrival, traffickers 
took their travel documents and told the men they owed USD 
12,500 for their travel and living costs.  The men said they 
were sent out to commit theft to pay off their debts.  The 
Police Anti-Trafficking Unit reported that traffickers are also 
increasingly applying for and collecting social benefits in the 
UK on behalf of their victims. 
 
Roma activists have reported 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. 
 
¶D. VULNERABLE GROUPS 
 
The MOI, IOM, and NGOs all report that an increasing percentage 
of Slovak TIP victims are Roma.  The NGO Dotyk reported that 
while five years ago their typical TIP client was an ethnically 
Slovak woman in her late teens to early twenties, in the past 
few years they have found that the majority of victims are 
poorly-educated, vulnerable Roma from segregated settlements, 
ranging in age from teen to middle-aged.  Other NGOs have found 
that about half of their TIP clients are Roma.  They also report 
an increase in cases of trafficking of Roma men for forced labor. 
 
¶E. TRAFFICKERS AND THEIR METHODS 
 
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 trafficking 
victims in particular tend to know their traffickers, who are 
often also Roma.  The Police Anti-Trafficking Unit reports that 
Roma traffickers operate in groups based on family clans. 
 
¶2. SETTING THE SCENE FOR THE GOVERNMENT'S ANTI-TIP EFFORTS 
 
¶A. ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF A PROBLEM 
 
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 Interagency TIP Expert Group. Cecot and his staff have 
demonstrated a sustained commitment to upgrading GOS efforts to 
combat TIP. The Director of the MOI's Department of Security 
Strategies, Jozef Hlinka, is responsible for the day-to-day 
activities of the Expert Group and oversees the implementation 
of the National Program. Hlinka chaired the Expert Group meeting 
in December 2009 to discuss progress on the 2008-2010 National 
Action Plan.  This included 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 
 
BRATISLAVA 00000071  003.3 OF 010 
 
 
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 workers' 
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. 
 
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's 2009 budget to fight trafficking was 
approximately $400,000, with $275,000 granted to NGOs to provide 
training, prevention, and victim assistance.  Anti-TIP police 
remain funded at past levels, supporting 10 officers at the 
national police headquarters.  Government corruption is not a 
problem for trafficking in persons.  NGOs report that they 
believe government resources devoted to anti-TIP efforts are 
more than sufficient for their needs, and in fact are more 
generous that many other European countries, especially in the 
area of victim assistance.  The NGO Caritas said that its budget 
for victim assistance was much more generous than it could use 
during 2009. 
 
Inability to identify foreign victims remains a limitation, but 
in 2009 the GOS expanded its training program for border police 
and social workers, and its outreach to illegal migrants and 
asylum-seekers in order to identify foreign victims. 
 
Effective investigation and prosecution of traffickers is also a 
limitation. NGOs familiar with the Slovak police reported that 
investigators have difficulty conducting large-scale 
investigations on TIP, particularly on traffickers' finances, 
due to a lack of capacity.  They are more likely to focus on 
low-level traffickers than to find connections to organized 
crime.  The NGOs recommended that the existing police anti-TIP 
unit develop a trained, specialized investigator to handle TIP 
cases. 
 
¶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.  In 2008, the 
UNODC and the MOI conducted a joint evaluation of Slovakia's TIP 
programs.  As a signatory to the Council of Europe's 
anti-trafficking convention, Slovakia is subject to regular 
monitoring of its TIP activities.  The evaluating body, the 
Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings 
(GRETA), will conduct its first evaluation of Slovakia starting 
in February 2010. 
 
¶E. ESTABLISHING IDENTITY OF POPULATION 
 
Local vital records offices (matrika) issue birth certificates 
for each town and city.  Matrika offices also accept 
applications for Slovak citizenship and forward them to the MOI 
for approval. All Matrika offices report to the MOI, which 
maintains a central database of all citizens and residents. 
Slovak law requires that all residents in Slovakia register 
their permanent or temporary residence with the police 
department in their district of residence. 
 
BRATISLAVA 00000071  004.3 OF 010 
 
 
 
¶F. DATA GAPS 
 
The MOI's National Coordinator's office serves as the 
clearinghouse for TIP data.  It is capable of gathering the 
required data, but is unable to provide some more detailed 
information on criminal cases (e.g. the number of cases that 
were related to sexual vs. economic exploitation.)  The 
International TIP Information Center, scheduled to open in March 
2010, is intended to gather and assess data and should improve 
the quality of TIP information for Slovakia. 
 
¶3. INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION OF TRAFFICKERS 
 
There have been no changes in laws against TIP, sex and labor 
trafficking, or rape during the reporting period. 
 
¶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 acknowledges 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 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. Starting in February 2010, the COE's Group of 
Experts on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) 
will carry out an evaluation of Slovakia's performance for the 
period 2007 to 2009. 
 
In the past several years, Parliament has amended and ratified 
other relevant trafficking legislation to conform with 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. 
 
¶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 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. 
 
¶C. PUNISHMENT OF LABOR TRAFFICKING OFFENSES 
 
The penalty for trafficking for labor exploitation is the same 
as for trafficking for sexual exploitation. 
 
 
BRATISLAVA 00000071  005.3 OF 010 
 
 
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. 
 
¶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. LAW ENFORCEMENT STATISTICS 
 
According to official statistics, 3 TIP cases reached the point 
of investigation by the General Procurator during the reporting 
period. For these cases, three perpetrators were identified, all 
men. Nine victims were identified, all women. It was not 
reported whether these were cases of sexual or economic 
exploitation. There were no cases of trafficking of children 
investigated during the reporting period. 
 
The MOJ reported a total of ten convictions for TIP in 2009, and 
one for trafficking in children.  Of the ten TIP convictions, 
six were under section 246 of the criminal code, which was 
effective until December 31, 2005, and four were under section 
179 of the criminal code, which is effective starting January 1, 
¶2006. The single conviction of trafficking in children was 
pursuant to sections 180 and 181.  There were nine convictions 
for pimping under section 367 of the criminal code. 
 
For the ten TIP convictions, eight perpetrators received 
suspended sentences and two received prison terms. (NOTE: it is 
common for Slovak judges to grant suspended sentences for 
first-time offenders for crimes with a maximum sentence of two 
years or less. However, TIP offenses have a minimum sentence of 
four years.  End note.) The one person convicted of trafficking 
in children received a prison sentence. Details on the length of 
the sentences were not provided.  There were no fines imposed. 
It was not reported whether the TIP convictions were for sexual 
or economic exploitation. 
 
In 2009, the General Procurator investigated 19 cases of 
pimping, leading to nine charges and three convictions. 
 
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. 
 
¶F. TRAINING 
 
IOM and NGOs built on their 2008 GOS-funded training program, 
training 319 individuals in victim identification, care, and 
prevention in 2009.  IOM and NGOs trained border police and 
migration and asylum-seekers' camp employees; police officers 
working as community liaisons; police academy instructors; labor 
inspectors; members of the GOS's Plenipotentiary for Roma 
Affairs; social workers working in Roma communities; Catholic 
nuns and priests; and secondary school teachers. 
 
The 10 officers in the Police Anti-trafficking unit located in 
Bratislava have been fully trained in TIP, and often participate 
in international trainings.  All police districts have at least 
one officer who receives some additional instruction and, among 
his/her other duties, serves as a point of contact with the 
Anti-trafficking unit. 
 
NGOs and the GOS agree that more training is necessary, 
especially for prosecutors, judges, and Roma community social 
workers in eastern Slovakia.  IOM reported that follow-up 
training will be necessary in the next year to ensure that newly 
hired officials are fully trained. 
 
BRATISLAVA 00000071  006.3 OF 010 
 
 
 
¶G. INTER-GOVERNMENTAL COOPERATION 
 
The GOS cooperated with 14 international investigations on TIP 
during the reporting period.  Additionally, police had 65 
working-level contacts and requests for information regarding a 
total of 223 victims and 184 suspects.  Over 40 of these cases 
involved the UK, demonstrating that cooperation with the British 
police is especially close. Most of these cases consisted of 
requests from abroad for Slovak police assistance in cases 
involving Slovak victims and suspects, mostly in the UK, 
Ireland, and Germany. 
 
Many international investigations occur in the framework of 
Interpol and Europol.  Additionally, Slovak embassies abroad 
have a police attache who assists with joint investigations. 
 
The government plans to use its new International TIP 
Information Center (see section 1A) to improve cooperation and 
information-sharing with other European countries. 
 
¶H. EXTRADITION 
 
Slovakia extradited four TIP suspects in 2009. Slovakia did not 
request the extradition of any suspects. 
 
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 in cases governed by a 
treaty signed by Slovakia. The UN Convention against 
Transnational Organized Crime allows 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. 
 
¶J. STEPS TO END GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT IN TRAFFICKING 
 
According to police and NGOs, there were no cases of government 
officials involved in trafficking. 
 
¶K. INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION OF NATIONALS DEPLOYED ABROAD 
 
During the reporting period, Slovakia did not report any cases 
of trafficking involving nationals deployed abroad. 
 
¶L. 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 
 
NGOs receive GOS funding from the National Program to provide 
specialized victim assistance program for repatriated Slovaks, 
internally trafficked Slovaks, and foreign victims.  The victim 
assistance program provides financial support for a minimum of 
180 days (and is often extended, according to NGOs), including 
90 days each of crisis intervention and reintegration. According 
to NGOs and the MOI, the Slovak program is among the most 
generous in the EU. 
 
According to IOM, the situation in Slovakia continues to improve 
every year.  The generous package of victim support - including 
legal, psychological, medical, and social help - has encouraged 
returning victims to seek assistance.  The GOS is ready to 
provide the same level of assistance to foreign victims once 
they are identified. 
 
Slovak law provides for a renewable 40-day "tolerated stay" for 
foreign victims of serious crimes, including TIP. 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. 
 
The government provides witness protection for victims. NGOs, 
through their victim assistance grants, provide protection for 
victims housed in their shelters by the use of a private 
 
BRATISLAVA 00000071  007.3 OF 010 
 
 
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. 
 
¶B.  VICTIM CARE FACILITIES 
 
The government provides dedicated shelters through its NGO 
programs. In 2009, the MOI funded six NGOs with approximately 
USD $241,000 for victim care.  Three of these NGOs - IOM, Dotyk, 
and Caritas - provided shelter for TIP victims.  There are no 
specialized facilities for male victims of TIP.  There was one 
child participant in the National Program; an NGO provided 
reintegration services to her while she was living at home with 
her family. 
 
Foreign victims have the same access to shelter as Slovak 
victims. 
 
¶C.  VICTIM SERVICES AND FUNDING 
 
Through NGO grants totaling $241,000 in 2009, National Program 
victim assistance program provides Slovak and foreign TIP 
victims with medical, psychological, and legal services for a 
minimum of 180 days.  The program also provides secure shelter, 
food, clothing, and job retraining and job-seeking help free of 
charge.  Victims do not have to cooperate with police in order 
to join the program.  However, victims who do cooperate with 
police investigations of traffickers can receive services for 
the duration of their cases, which could last several years. 
 
¶D. PROVISIONS FOR FOREIGN TIP VICTIMS 
 
Slovak law provides for a renewable 40-day "tolerated stay" for 
foreign victims of serious crimes, including TIP. 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 eligible for the same benefits as Slovak 
victims under the National Program.  However, these measures 
were not put in practice during the reporting period due to a 
lack of identified foreign victims. 
 
¶E. LONG TERM SHELTER 
 
NGOs reported that the government resources devoted to assisting 
TIP victims are quite generous.  Victims participating in the 
National Program are able to stay in state-funded shelters and 
rehabilitation programs for at least 180 days.  Victims 
cooperating with police investigations can stay as long as their 
cases are ongoing, which may take several 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 officials who 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 
 
During the reporting period, NGOs working with the MOI reported 
assisting 59 trafficking victims, a significant increase from 
the 37 assisted in 2008. 27 of these victims participated in the 
National Program, compared with 17 in 2008. NGOs assisted the 32 
victims who declined to participate in the Program through other 
funding. 
 
According to the NGOs, of the 27 participants in the National 
Program, 19 were victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation, 
seven of forced labor, and one of forced begging. 
 
According to Slovak law, police are required to offer potential 
TIP victims the assistance of NGOs working under the National 
Program. 
 
NGOS reported that the main reason that victims declined to 
participate in the National Program was that they had criminal 
records and were uncomfortable with contact with the 
authorities.  Additionally, some victims were drug addicts and 
 
BRATISLAVA 00000071  008.3 OF 010 
 
 
were unwilling to abide by the rules of the program, which ban 
drug use. 
 
¶H. IDENTIFYING AND REFERRING VICTIMS 
 
Slovak law requires authorities to provide information about 
organizations offering support services to potential TIP 
victims.  Under the National Program, the GOS has trained border 
police and social workers who interview illegal migrants and 
asylum-seekers to screen for foreign victims.  Officials also 
have access to a manual developed by IOM on victim 
identification.  These officials have materials available in 
seven languages to provide potential victims information about 
the services available. 
 
The National Program has also funded training of social workers 
and religious workers who work in vulnerable Roma communities on 
victim identification. 
 
Prostitution exists in a legal gray area in Slovakia: it is 
neither legal nor illegal.  (Pimping is illegal.) Therefore, the 
sex trade is not regulated and there are not regular mechanisms 
for authorities to screen sex workers for trafficking victims. 
However, the GOS-funded NGO Prima does work with sex workers and 
assists with victim identification. 
 
¶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.  Twelve victims participated in such 
cases during the year, according to the police. Six cases 
involved forced labor, five sexual exploitation, and one forced 
begging. 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. 
 
Foreign victims cooperating with the police in cases may stay in 
Slovakia under renewable 40-day tolerated stay status, and may 
work. 
 
¶K. TRAINING FOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS 
 
As described in Section 3F, the MOI, in cooperation with IOM and 
other NGOs, provided training to 319 law enforcement officers, 
government officials, and community workers.  The training 
included victim identification. 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 MOI educated local governments, central 
government branches and law enforcement agencies on trafficking 
and victim assistance. 
 
Slovak embassies helped six Slovak victims return home during 
¶2009. 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 assistance. 
 
¶L. GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE 
 
The MOI-funded National Program package of services described in 
sections 4.A-C is available to repatriated Slovak citizens as 
well as foreign victims identified in Slovakia. 
 
¶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: Dafne, Dotyk, Prima, 
Storm, Slovak Caritas, the Cultural Association of Roma in 
Slovakia, the Association of Community Centers in Kosice, Naruc, 
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 2009, NGOs received approximately USD 275,000 from the GOS 
for anti-TIP programs, including USD 241,000 for victim care, 
 
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and remaining funds for training and prevention. 
 
¶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. 
 
Since 2008, the GOS has 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. In 2009, the phone line received 840 phone 
calls.  Since the phone line started in June 2008, it has 
identified eight trafficking victims. 
 
The GOS also funded a number of other TIP information campaigns, 
including: billboards and leaflets in nine languages for 
potential foreign victims; leaflets for potential Slovak 
victims; internet ads on Slovak-language websites; television 
ads for the TIP hotline; a mobile TIP information center for 
youth that traveled around the country and distributed leaflets 
and showed a film about TIP; 5300 posters posted at bus 
stations, police stations, migrants and asylum-seekers camps, 
and Slovak embassies abroad; and 600 copies of the National 
Program distributed to Slovak embassies and government officials. 
 
¶B. MONITORING OF MIGRATION PATTERNS 
 
According to the MOJ, in 2009, the GOS investigated 55 cases of 
human smuggling.  Thirty-three people were charged, and 25 were 
convicted of smuggling. 
 
Slovakia has a well-controlled border with Ukraine, which is its 
only non-Schengen border. 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.  NGOs and law 
enforcement have reported that since Slovakia's border with 
Ukraine is so secure, illegal migrants (and presumably 
traffickers) enter the Schengen zone through Poland, and then 
may cross undetected from Poland into Slovakia before heading 
further west. 
 
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. UNHCR reported that better implementation in 
recent years of Slovakia's Readmission Treaty with Ukraine has 
reduced the number of 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 minor asylum seekers. 
 
As described in section 3F, in 2009 IOM trained border police 
and social workers dealing with illegal migrants and 
asylum-seekers in TIP victim identification. 
 
¶C. INTER-GOVERNMENTAL COORDINATION 
 
The National Coordinator at the MOI is the focal 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 in 
December 2009, and again 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, valid for 
2008-2010, 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. 
 
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The agency responsible for its development is the MOI, in 
cooperation with other ministries. The MOI invites NGOs to 
participate in its Expert Group meetings, to contribute their 
perspective on the implementation of the National Program and 
Action Plan, as well as logical next steps in coming years.  We 
have observed that cooperation between the MOI and NGOS is very 
good, and that NGOs have reported satisfaction with the MOI's 
level of attention to and funding for trafficking. 
 
¶E. REDUCING DEMAND FOR COMMERCIAL 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 provides anti-TIP training for government 
personnel stationed abroad. This training focuses 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. 
 
¶6. PARTNERSHIPS 
 
¶A.  PARTNERSHIPS 
 
The GOS regularly engages with other governments through 
international conferences and training.  In January 2010, MOI 
officials represented the GOS at a conference on TIP in Central 
and Eastern Europe organized by DHS-ICE and the Austrian police 
and held in Traiskirchen, Austria.  The conference shared best 
practices in combating TIP. 
 
The GOS's focal point for TIP in the MOI has a close 
relationship with the six NGOs through which it provides victim 
assistance and prevention activities.  For its 2010 programs, it 
has expanded to seven NGOs and increased its budget by ten 
percent. 
 
Slovakia participates in all EU and Council of Europe structures 
and working groups that seek to monitor and control trafficking 
in persons. 
 
¶B.  INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE 
 
As described in section 3G, Slovak police regularly work with 
their counterparts in other countries on international 
investigations.  Additionally, the MOI has a program in place to 
assist foreign victims with voluntary return to their home 
countries, should they wish it. 
EDDINS