STATUS OF DUTCH EFFORTS TO COMBAT TIP - "WE WANT TO

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 THE HAGUE 001895

SIPDIS

STATE FOR D, G, P, G/TIP, EUR/PGI, EUR/UBI

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM KCRM KWMN NL
SUBJECT: STATUS OF DUTCH EFFORTS TO COMBAT TIP - "WE WANT TO
DO IT OUR WAY"

REF: (A) STATE 115541 (B) THE HAGUE 1803
(C) THE HAGUE 1712 (D) THE HAGUE 1446

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Overview
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1. The evidence of the past seven weeks indicates that the
Dutch will be good to their word in G/TIP Ambassador
Miller's June 7 meeting with Dutch Foreign Minister Bot and
Justice Minister Donner (reftel D). First, that they will
work towards "concrete, measurable targets" in combating
trafficking in persons (TIP). Second, that they will be
guided by their own national priorities, not USG draft
benchmarks. Mollified somewhat by Ambassador Miller's
reassurance that the Netherlands is a sovereign state and
the USG is "not telling you what to do," the Dutch have
engaged in constructive discussions with Embassy officials
about the concrete and measurable steps they are taking to
deal with the scourge of trafficking. We estimate that by
early November there will be a significant record of serious
and sustained progress even though the Dutch timetable for
implementing the current tranche of anti-TIP efforts
culminates in January 2005.


2. On a national basis, the GONL is aggressively pursuing
its goals of protecting minors, cracking down on escort
services, identifying and assisting illegal aliens,
combating organized crime influence, and enabling women to
escape prostitution and find acceptable employment. Many of
these initiatives have the added benefit of directly
addressing concerns laid out in the draft U.S. benchmarks.
On a regional basis, the Dutch (mirroring our own NSPD 22)
are forging partnerships through a Joint Investigation Team
with the U.K., Belgium, Germany and Europol to combat TIP in
Bulgaria. More broadly, they are utilizing their EU
Presidency to galvanize the Commission's Expert Group of
Human Trafficking and by funding International Organization
for Migration (IOM) and OSCE victim assistance projects.


3. Based on our continued dialogue with the GONL, the
following is our assessment of what we can expect to see in
terms of substantive, specific and measurable steps towards
the fulfillment of Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA)
statutory criteria by the end of the year:

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Prevention
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- The Justice Ministry will have launched a campaign against
human trafficking that targets "Johns" - clients of
prostitutes - via websites used by customers, brothel
operators and prostitution businesses. The Ministry will
have disseminated information to Johns about a program for
the anonymous reporting of TIP offenses.

- Owners and operators within the sex industry will have
implemented and enforced a Code of Conduct that requires
owners and operators within the industry to report TIP
suspicions to authorities, inform suspected TIP victims of
their rights, and publish contact information of NGOs
providing victim assistance.

- By January 1, 2005, the Justice Ministry will have created
a new National Expertise Center against Youth Prostitution.
This center will collect facts, figures, background
information and best law-enforcement practices to combat the
"lover boy" problem.

- The Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Health, Welfare
and Sport (VWS),and Ministry of Social Affairs will have
substantially augmented programs to support prostitutes
"stepping out" (leaving) prostitution. The Interior
Ministry will have launched an initiative informing
prostitutes who seek alternative employment of their
eligibility for welfare benefits. The VWS Ministry has
already granted the De Graaf foundation a subsidy to guide
local government development of coherent assistance packages
to those "stepping out" of prostitution. Finally, the
Social Affairs Ministry will have subsidized projects
developed by NGO's the Red Thread and the Scarlet Cord
including re-socialization and psychosocial support
programs, and training modules that help ex-prostitutes find
new jobs.

- The GONL will have spent $500,000 per year to fully fund
the Bureau of the National Rapporteur, and $375,000 to fund
the Foundation Against Trafficking in Women (STV). The
amount cited for the STV does not include government funding
for STV's programs and projects. By fall, the National
Rapporteur will have published a supplemental report
encompassing 2003 figures.

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Prosecution
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- The Justice Ministry will have shifted resources into
combating TIP and sexual crimes involving minors in the
illegal prostitution sector, where police believe such
problems are concentrated. One shift will be the regulation
of escort services. The Justice Ministry will have
disseminated among municipalities and implemented best
practices for administrative enforcement in the escort
sector. The Hague, Eindhoven and Amsterdam have already
concluded the pilot project developing these "best
practices."

- The Interior Ministry will have installed a TIP module for
criminal investigators at the new police academy and will
have trained police and prosecutors specifically on
operations and profiles of "lover boys." The Justice
Ministry will have trained prosecutors and judges on TIP
during two-day courses.

- Parliament will have adopted legislation passed by the
Second Chamber (Lower House) on June 29 that expands the
definition of trafficking to include labor trafficking. The
legislation also increased the maximum sentences for
trafficking crimes to 15 years, bringing sentencing ceilings
for these crimes in line with those of other serious crimes.

- The Dutch will have established a Joint Investigative Team
with the UK, Belgium, Germany, Europol and Eurojust to
combat trafficking in Bulgaria.

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Protection
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- The Dutch will have pushed a victim assistance program,
including return and re-integration of victims to their
countries of origin, onto the EU agenda. They will have
supported the work of the European Commission's Expert Group
on Human Trafficking, and they will have donated
approximately 2 million Euros to IOM and OSCE victim
assistance projects in the Balkans.

- By the fall of 2004, the GONL will have passed
implementing legislation allowing B-9 permit holders,
including TIP victims pursuing prosecutions, to work.

- The Immigration Service will have developed an enhanced
training program for immigration police to identify and
assist TIP victims during immigration actions.

- The VWS Ministry will have protected TIP victims with
acute safety risks by supporting pilot projects establishing
"safe-houses" - private shelters with secret addresses- and
the Dutch Cabinet will have structurally increased subsidies
for women's shelters.

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Comment
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4. While Ministers Bot and Donner made clear to Ambassador
Miller in June that they would not be bound in their
national program by terms set by another government, they
are making appreciable progress in eliminating severe forms
of trafficking in areas the Dutch have identified as
national priorities. As noted, there is substantial overlap
between the Dutch national priorities and the draft U.S.
benchmarks. By early November, two months prior to the Dutch
timeframe for TIP program results, we anticipate there will
be enough statistics to substantiate progress. Although the
resentment conveyed to Ambassador Miller by both Dutch
Cabinet Ministers lingers just beneath the surface, GONL TIP
officials continue to work with the U.S. toward the
development of clear guidelines to measure progress fighting
human trafficking on a national, regional and multilateral
basis. Post meets again with Justice and Foreign Ministry
officials August 9 to discuss the development of agreed
steps.

Sobel