The Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) has published today its second evaluation report on the Republic of Moldova. The report assesses developments since the publication of GRETA’s first evaluation report on the Republic of Moldova in February 2012 as regards the implementation of the Council of Europe’s Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings.
According to the report, progress had been made in a number of areas. The legal framework for combating human trafficking has been further developed, including the criminalisation of the use of services of victims of trafficking and increased sanctions for traffickers. Efforts have been made to expand the categories of staff trained and to continue to raise awareness of the risks of trafficking, including by promoting a safe use of the internet. Further, the number of places available for victims of trafficking in specialised shelters has considerably increased.
However, the report highlights several areas which require further improvement. GRETA calls on the Moldovan authorities to provide adequate funding for victim assistance and protection measures and to ensure that all victims are guaranteed effective access to public health-care. As regard in particular child victims of trafficking, GRETA urges the authorities to increase the outreach work to identify such victims, provide them with adequate accommodation and services, and ensure long-term monitoring of their reintegration.
GRETA notes the efforts to prevent trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation, but considers that these efforts should be intensified, by strengthening the monitoring of recruitment and temporary work agencies and involving the private sector. It also stresses the need to reinforce the training of labour inspectors in order to proactively identify victims of trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation.
Considering the difficulties for victims of trafficking to receive compensation, GRETA urges the Moldovan authorities to facilitate and guarantee access to compensation by making use of traffickers’ confiscated assets and setting up a State compensation scheme which is accessible to all victims of trafficking.
Furthermore, GRETA considered that the Moldovan authorities should ensure that THB cases are successfully investigated and prosecuted and lead to effective, proportionate and dissuasive sanctions. In this context, GRETA urges the Moldovan authorities to make full use of the available measures to protect victims and witnesses of human trafficking and to allocate the necessary funds for implementing such measures.
