ANNUAL ANTI-TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS REPORT: JORDAN

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 001357

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

PLEASE PASS FOR G/TIP, INL, DRL, NEA/RA, AND NEA/ARN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KCRM PHUM KWMN ELAB SMIG ASEC KFRD PREF JO
SUBJECT: ANNUAL ANTI-TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS REPORT: JORDAN

REF: SECSTATE 22225


1. Per reftel, Post's information for the 2002
anti-trafficking in persons report is contained in paras
below. Responses are keyed to reftel questions. Until
6/1/2003, embassy poc on trafficking issues is PolOff Gregory

D. LoGerfo. Subsequent to 6/1/2003 poc will be PolOff James
Fellows.

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OVERVIEW
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2. In response to para 16a (reftel): Jordan does not meet the
definitions contained in the act for a country of "origin,
transit or destination for a significant number of victims of
severe forms of trafficking." According to government, local
human rights, and international NGO contacts (including the
Minister of Labor, the International Labor Organization's
regional director, a representative of the Women's Forum for
Human Rights, the European Commission human rights officer in
Jordan; the former president of the Jordan Society for
Citizens' Rights; the human rights consultant for the prime
ministry and a supervisory prosecutor general with the
Ministry of Justice) there are no known operations,
practices, or customs in Jordan - or which are conducted from
or through Jordan - which conform to the definitions
contained in section 103 (8) of the act. Based upon
familiarity with local human rights conditions and the
previous accuracy of the sources employed, post believes the
sources are both adequate and reliable in addressing this
question.

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PREVENTION
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3. As Jordan is not a country of origin, transit or
destination for a significant number of victims of severe
forms of trafficking:

- In response to para 17b (reftel): The GOJ has never
formally assigned specific anti-trafficking responsibilities
to any agency or agencies. However, as part of Jordan's
overall border security program (which has intensified during
the year due to various unrelated security concerns),
security forces, customs officers, and immigration
authorities closely monitor the flow of people and goods into
and out of the country.

- In response to para 17c (reftel): There were no
anti-trafficking information campaigns.

- In response to para 17d (reftel): The government has
continued a number of programs that indirectly discourage
trafficking by keeping children in schools through grants,
subsidies, and awareness; by educating local and foreign
workers about their rights under Jordanian labor laws and by
promoting women's and family rights. Additionally, Jordan's
socially conservative family culture actively discourages
women (married or unmarried) from leaving their families in
search of work in another country.

- In response to para 17e (reftel): As trafficking is a not
an issue in Jordan, programmatic efforts have been focused
elsewhere. However, in the unlikely event that trafficking
became an issue of national urgency, past government actions
indicate that Jordan would be able to successfully solicit
and allocate resources to provide prevention programs.

- In response to para 17f (reftel): There are no
trafficking-specific programs or relationships between the
government, NGOs or other elements of civil society.
However, international agencies such as UNHCR and ICRC report
the government remains very cooperative in their work efforts.

- In response to para 17g (reftel) The government has strict
controls on its Iraqi and Syrian borders and has effective
joint patrols of its western border with Israel and the
occupied territories. Jordan's southern border is as well
effectively controlled. With the on-going
Israeli-Palestinian conflict and overall concerns for
regional stability, Jordan intensified its already tight
border security regime during the year.

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Investigation and prosecution of traffickers
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4. In response to para 18a/b (reftel): As Jordan is not, and
has never historically been, a country of origin, transit or
destination for a significant number of trafficking victims,
the government has never had reason to pass a law
specifically prohibiting trafficking in persons. However,
traffickers can be prosecuted through the penal code of 1953,
which prohibits all forms of slavery. Additionally,
according to penal law no. 16 of 1960 (specific provisions
are outlined below),prostitution and child prostitution are
both criminal offenses in Jordan. Articles no. 305-306 and
310-318 detail penalties. Article 305 states that whoever
banters, jokes, or plays around in an immoral or sexually
suggestive manner with a child under 15 or a female child
over 15 without her consent, will be punished with up to one
year in prison. Article 306 states that the proposition of
immoral action or even words of immoral content to a boy or
girl under 15 years of age is punishable by up to six months
in prison or a 25 Jordanian Dinar (JD) fine (35 USD).
Article 310 states that whoever has led or has attempted to
lead a female under 20 years of age into prostitution will be
punished by no less than one month and no more than three
years imprisonment and a 5-50 JD fine (71 USD). The same
punishment applies for anyone who has led or has attempted to
lead a boy under 15 to perform homosexual acts. Article 311
states that anyone who threatens or intimidates a female to
perform illegal intercourse inside or outside the Kingdom
will be sentenced to one to three years in prison. Article
314 states that any guardian of a child between six and
sixteen years of age who allows his/her child to live in a
house of prostitution is punishable by up to six months in
jail or up to a 20 JD fine (28 USD). The rest of the
articles detail different prison sentences that range from
two months to three years depending on the type of
prostitution-related activity.

- In response to para 18c (reftel): According to Article 292
of the penal code, the penalty for rape of a female victim
under the age of 15 is death, and no less than 7 years
imprisonment for rape of male victims. For female victims
between the ages of 15-18, the penalty is between 5-15 years
with hard labor (article 294),or 10-15 years with hard labor
if the perpetrator is a family member or member of the
religious clergy (article 295). Any person who has sexual
intercourse with a female with a physical or mental
disability will be jailed for not less than ten years with
hard labor (article 293). Article 296 makes it punishable by
jail for anyone to disgrace the honor of men, women or
children (through unwanted sexual acts without penetration)
with varying terms of imprisonment depending on the age and
gender of the victim.

- In response to para 18L (reftel): In April 2000, Jordan
signed ILO Convention 182 concerning the prohibition and
immediate action for the elimination of the worst forms of
child labor. Jordan ratified the "rights of the child"
convention in 1991, however it has not yet signed the
supplemental "sale of children protocol". In 1976, Jordan
ratified the convention prohibiting the sale of persons into
slavery. As trafficking is not a problem in Jordan, the GOJ
has not signed or ratified the protocol to "prevent, suppress
and punish trafficking in persons".

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Protection and assistance to victims
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5. As Jordan is not a country of origin, transit or
destination of significant numbers of victims of trafficking:

In response to para 19b (reftel): The government has not
found it necessary to allocate budgetary resources for
programs which provide funding to foreign or domestic NGOs
for services to victims of trafficking. The GOJ is in the
process of establishing a law which will provide relief for
women who have been physically abused (in any circumstance).
The details of this law are forthcoming and will be reported
septel.

In response to para 19f (reftel): The government has not
designed training programs for officials in how to provide
assistance to trafficked victims. There are no
trafficking-specific training programs or instructions for
Jordanian diplomats serving in countries that are trafficking
destinations or transit routes; however, prior to their
service abroad, all diplomats are required to attend a human
rights course.
GNEHM