U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE: AZERBAIJAN SERVES AS TRANSIT COUNTRY FOR VICTIMS OF TRAFFICKING
PanARMENIAN.Net
13.06.2007 14:03 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The U.S. Department of State has released the 2007
Trafficking in Persons Report on over 150 countries.
The report rates Azerbaijan as a source and transit country for men,
women and children trafficked for the purpose of commercial sexual
exploitation and labor.
It says in part, "Women from Azerbaijan are trafficked to Turkey
and the United Arab Emirates for purpose of sexual exploitation. Men
are trafficked to Russia for forced labor. Azerbaijani children are
trafficked to Turkey for purposes of sexual exploitation and to Russia
for purposes of forced labor," it says.
"Azerbaijan serves as a transit country for victims from Uzbekistan,
Kyrgyzstan and Moldova trafficked to Turkey and the United Arab
Emirates for sexual exploitation."
"The government should develop and implement formal nation-wide victim
identification procedures and ensure that the nation-wide toll-free
hotline becomes functional," the report says.
"Azerbaijan’s anti-trafficking prevention efforts remained modest. The
government periodically monitors its anti-trafficking efforts and
makes the results public. In 2006, the Ministry of Culture supported
school information programs run by domestic NGOs," the report says.