GREECE/TIP: RESPONSES FOR INTERIM ASSESSMENT FOR

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ATHENS 002927

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

STATE FOR EUR/SE, EUR/PGI, G/TIP, INL/CTR

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PHUM KWMN KCRM GR TIP
SUBJECT: GREECE/TIP: RESPONSES FOR INTERIM ASSESSMENT FOR
SPECIAL WATCH LIST COUNTRIES

REF: A. STATE 188750


B. ATHENS 2742

C. ATHENS 1626

Sensitive but unclassified, please protect accordingly.

Embassy Athens provides the following update, keyed to REF A,
on Greece's Tier 2 Watchlist Status:


1. (U) SUMMARIZE THE PROGRESS, OR LACK THEREOF, THE GOG HAS
MADE IN DEVELOPING AN EFFECTIVE SCREENING AND REFERRAL
MECHANISM FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT AND NGOS TO USE IN IDENTIFYING
VICTIMS AND DIRECTING VICTIMS TO APPROPRIATE CARE.

-The GoG is actively negotiating a "Memorandum of
Cooperation" (MOC) with 14 NGOs and IOM, which is scheduled
to be signed on November 29. The draft MOC, which we have
seen, formalizes NGO cooperation with the GoG, and defines
the way NGOs should coordinate with the prosecutor's office
to obtain the 30-day reflection period for potential victims
of trafficking they identify. The draft MOC also recognizes
NGO shelters and defines how child victims should be handled.
The GoG is working closely with an IOM-affiliated lawyer
(and IV grantee) on revisions to the draft based on NGO
suggestions.

-The negotiation of the Memorandum of Cooperation is an
effort by the GoG to create a more effective screening and
referral mechanism for the GoG and NGOs to use to identify
victims and direct them to appropriate care. The Ministry of
Public Order, which has responsibility for Greek law
enforcement, will also be a signatory to the MOC.

-The GoG continues to co-sponsor training seminars and
conferences with IOM and NGOs for prosecutors, judges and
police to define the TIP problem and educate more officials
on their role in how to appropriately screen and refer
victims. At least four such conferences or seminars were
held in the past six months. The GoG, in cooperation with
the International Police Association NGO, has plans for
upcoming seminars in ten Greek cities.

-In an effort to increase both public awareness and victim
referrals to appropriate care, the Secretariat General for
Gender Equality reports that it has produced a public
awareness campaign including a multi-lingual information
leaflet and a television advertisement which will be aired by
the end of the year.


2. (U) SUMMARIZE THE PROGRESS, OR LACK THEREOF, THE GOG HAS
MADE IN INCREASING THE NUMBER OF WOMEN REFERRED TO SHELTERS
AND AFTER-CARE BY PROVIDING NGOS WITH MORE CONSISTENT AND
SUFFICIENT ACCESS TO IMMIGRANT DETENTION CENTERS TO SCREEN
AND ASSIST POSSIBLE TRAFFICKING VICTIMS BEFORE THEY ARE
DEPORTED.

-The GoG identified 79 victims of trafficking in persons from
January 1 - June 30, 2005. Of those 79 victims, 69 were in
legal status in Greece and 10 were in illegal status but had
deportation orders suspended by a decision of the prosecutor.
The GoG offers shelter and protection to all identified TIP
victims, and eleven victims accepted and were granted this
protection and aid in shelters. (Note: Two GoG-funded NGO
shelters were opened in Athens in October (REF B).) Five
victims were repatriated by IOM. 181 victims were identified
during 2004.

-The GoG reported that in the first six months of 2005, 22
TIP victims were issued special residence permits.

-As a component of an existing EU-funded project on TIP, IOM
reports that it expects to begin screening persons being held
in detention centers in Athens and provide legal assistance
to victims or potential victims who are found. The GoG
reports that the Secretary General of the Ministry of Public
Order is considering a request by NGOs to be allowed greater
access to detention centers as a part of the MOC.


3. (U) SUMMARIZE THE PROGRESS, OR LACK THEREOF, THE GOG HAS
MADE IN SIGNING, MAKING PUBLIC, AND ACTIVELY IMPLEMENTING THE
DRAFT PROTOCOL WITH THE ALBANIAN GOVERNMENT ON CHILD
REPATRIATION.

-The GoG forwarded its final draft of the Greece-Albania
protocol on child repatriation to the Government of Albania
in September. There has been a slight delay in the
completion of the agreement due to the change of government
in Albania, but Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Stylianides has
expressed willingness to sign the protocol as soon as it is
approved by the Albanian Government.


4. (U) SUMMARIZE THE PROGRESS, OR LACK THEREOF, THE GOG HAS
MADE IN ACTIVELY IMPLEMENTING THE 2002 ANTI-TRAFFICKING LAW
AND SHOWING APPRECIABLE PROGRESS IN CONVICTIONS AND SENTENCES
OBTAINED UNDER THIS LAW.

-Based on law enforcement efforts, the GoG filed charges
against 162 TIP offenders during the first six months of

2005. 352 offenders were charged during 2004.

-The GoG provided total conviction statistics under law
3064/2002 for the three years since the law entered into
force on October 15, 2002. Law 3064 covers trafficking in
persons as well as offenses potentially relating to TIP, such
as crimes against carnal freedom, pornography, and economic
exploitation of carnal freedom. Over the past three years,
the GoG reports that 382 cases have been prosecuted under law
3064, 211 court decisions have been issued, in which 284
defendants were found guilty out of 327 total defendants.
Nine defendants were exonerated in six cases. Two cases
resulted in dismissals. Information was not available about
length of sentences or appeals.

-Conviction and sentencing information for 2005 for cases
related to trafficking in persons only was unavailable.
Anecdotal evidence, however, suggests that few traffickers
ever see the inside of a cell. In an October trial in
Serres, for example, three traffickers were respectively
given 17, 17, and 15 year suspended sentences. Additionally,
the defendant in one of the major trafficking convictions of
2004 in Kavala was reportedly released on appeal. We will
press the GoG to provide us with qualitative information on
prosecutions, convictions and sentences, not just the
numbers.


5. (SBU) COMMENT: The GoG continues to take incremental
steps to combat TIP by arresting traffickers, opening new
shelters, issuing residence permits to victims, holding
training seminars and conferences, moving ahead on a
Memorandum of Cooperation with NGOs, and considering plans to
allow greater NGO and IOM access to detention centers.
Outside of the four benchmarks, the GoG has sponsored the
creation of a the Ariadne NGO network (REF C),and the
creation of a national public awareness campaign. Earnest
negotiations over the MOC with NGOs point to a greater
willingness by the GoG to cooperate with NGOs. While NGOs
have reported that they feel they are now a real part of the
GoG's anti-TIP plan, there are still outstanding technical
points in the MOC that they are continuing to negotiate. For
this reason, we can not yet promise a November 29 signing.
Embassy's assessment is that the GoG has made good faith
efforts to address TIP since the benchmarks were delivered,
but the initiatives described here have not yet made an
appreciable impact on TIP trends in Greece. Implementation
of the GoG's well-laid plans remains the primary goal for the
coming year in every benchmark area, and the only reason to
move them off the Watchlist. END COMMENT.
RIES