The Moldovan Government is expected to show progress reports on combatting trafficking in human beings this coming month at the National anti-trafficking Committee, where a road map of action plans taken by authorities should be approved.
The United State’s Department has already warned Moldovan authorities on its last 2017 Trafficking in Persons Report, in which the Republic of Moldova has been downgraded to Tier 2 Watch List ranking.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of Moldova stresses that the state reflected in the report mainly refers to the year 2016, when the reform of the competent institutions responsible for fighting trafficking in human beings was underway.
Aware of this state of play and without waiting for the release of the report, the authorities have drafted a roadmap in close cooperation with the US Embassy in Chisinau, in order to redress the situation in this area.
According to the last US State Department report, Moldova is one of those countries whose governments do not fully meet the minimum standards, but are making significant efforts to bring themselves into compliance with those standards.
The Moldovan authorities stated that they are aware of the gravity of the phenomenon and will deploy necessary efforts to achieve rapid and consistent progress in eradicating this phenomenon.
Today, Moldova is regarded as the poorest country in Europe. Moldova is primarily a source country for victims of human trafficking, who are frequently forced to become sex workers in the Middle East. By the mid-2000s, there was rampant corruption among senior government officials, police, boarder guards and judges (including the deputy director of the Center to Combat Trafficking in Persons) who were complicit in human trafficking.
The very people who were supposed to be protecting Moldovans were using their power for personal gain in the recruitment, transport and exploitation of their own citizens. The government was slow to react, failing to investigate and prosecute these trafficking rings. Legislation has been slow to evolve, allowing recruiters to act with impunity.
The Moldovan authorities think that tier 2 Watch List ranking for the Republic of Moldova will have no impact on the amount of assistance provided by the US Government.
