IOM AND NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS ASSESS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BERLIN 002266

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/AGS, EUR/PGI, G/TIP, DRL/IL, INL/HSTC, AND PRM

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/07/2016
TAGS: KCRM PHUM KWMN KJUS SMIG ELAB PREL PGOV GM
SUBJECT: IOM AND NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS ASSESS
WORLD CUP ANTI-TIP EFFORTS IN GERMANY

REF: A. BERLIN 1835


B. BERLIN 1687

C. BERLIN 298

D. FRANKFURT 4232

E. FRANKFURT 3313

F. MUNICH 369

Classified By: Acting Minister-Counselor for Economic Affairs
Robert S. Hagen for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

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Summary
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1. (U) The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and
German anti-trafficking NGOs say there was no significant
increase in trafficking in persons (TIP) or forced
prostitution during the 2006 Soccer World Cup in Germany.
The IOM and NGOs credit public awareness campaigns and
effective police monitoring of brothels and other venues.
The IOM and NGOs are pleased that forecasts of 40,000 TIP
victims have been proven wrong. Government officials and
NGOs are evaluating their World Cup-related efforts to apply
lessons learned and strengthen anti-TIP measures. German
NGOs agree their outreach campaigns raised the level of
public awareness to a new high and helped sensitize potential
clients. Special telephone hotlines set up for potential TIP
victims during the World Cup received relatively few calls.
End Summary.

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IOM: No Significant Increase in TIP During World Cup
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2. (U) Preliminary results of an IOM study echo the
conclusions of German government officials reported ref A --
there was no significant increase in human trafficking or
forced prostitution in Germany during the June 9 - July 9
Soccer World Cup. In a press statement, the IOM credited a
combination of public awareness campaigns and regular police
monitoring of brothels and other venues. In September the
IOM will release the results of the study, which was jointly
funded by the IOM and the Swedish International Development
Cooperation Authority.


3. (C) Bernd Hemingway, IOM's Chief of Mission in Germany,
discussed the study's conclusions with emboff. Hemingway
reiterated he had expressed skepticism even before the World
Cup about predictions that large numbers of prostitutes would
be brought to Germany for the event (ref C). Hemingway
explained traffickers generally operate below the surface in
venues World Cup fans would be unlikely to visit. Hemingway
expressed concern that "overblown" predictions of the number
of victims would harm long-term efforts to fight TIP because
the public -- and politicians -- might discount future
estimates of TIP victims as similarly exaggerated. Hemingway
said World Cup public awareness campaigns were successful in
educating the public, as well as potential clients of
prostitutes, about TIP. He noted most NGO hotlines set up
for TIP victims received few calls during the World Cup.

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Lessons Learned/Evaluations Underway
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4. (U) MFA Deputy Director for Cooperation against
International Organized Crime Werner Koehler agreed that
trafficking had not increased during the World Cup but
stressed, "even one victim of trafficking is too many." He
said Germany would use lessons learned from the World Cup to
continue to strengthen anti-TIP efforts. As reported ref A,
the Federal Family and Interior Ministries, along with state
officials and municipal authorities in the 12 cities that
hosted World Cup games, are conducting evaluations of their
anti-TIP efforts. Federal government officials and law
enforcement representatives will participate in an EU-wide
assessment and a series of EU-sponsored evaluation workshops
later this year.

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NGO Hotlines: Low Call Volume
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5. (U) Four NGOs received government funding to operate World
Cup telephone hotlines for trafficking victims and for the
public to report possible victims. Each of the NGOs --
"Women's Rights are Human Rights" (FIM); Diakonisches Werk, a
social aid organization affiliated with the Lutheran Church;
Bella Donna; and "Solidarity with Women in Distress"

BERLIN 00002266 002 OF 002


(SOLWODI) -- reported a low volume of telephone calls during
the four-week event. According to the government-funded
Federal Association against Trafficking in Women (KOK) -- a
Berlin-based umbrella organization for German anti-TIP NGOs
-- the Diakonisches Werk hotline received 60 calls, while FIM
received approximately 100 calls. KOK representatives
indicated few calls were directly related to the World Cup
and said the low volume supported conclusions that there were
far fewer TIP victims than some had feared. Despite the low
volume of calls, Elivira Niesner, FIM's Deputy Director, told
ConGen Frankfurt the organization's hotline was a success.
The Diakonische Werk hotline will continue to operate through
the end of the year.


6. (U) SOLWODI's director, Sister Lea Ackerman, told emboffs
the NGO's hotline -- staffed by 20 religious workers fluent
in six different languages -- received a total of 2,200 phone
calls, but noted most were pranks or calls from victims of
domestic abuse. Ackerman said the SOLWODI hotline was also
useful because religious workers from abroad who staffed the
hotline returned to their home countries with a better
understanding of the dangers TIP victims face. Ackerman said
SOLWODI would oppose Federal Family Ministry plans to
establish a nationwide hotline (ref A),noting the NGO's
preference for multiple hotlines to address regional
differences and complexities.

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NGO Campaigns Raised Public Awareness
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7. (U) Over 20 NGOs throughout Germany received government
funds to conduct dozens of trafficking prevention and
awareness campaigns (refs A,B,C). Awareness campaigns used a
combination of petition drives, media events, conferences,
video clips, and distribution of flyers and postcards at fan
festivals and outside stadiums. Most campaigns called on
government agencies to continue to improve protection and
assistance for TIP victims. According to KOK, the campaigns
raised the level of public awareness of trafficking and
forced prostitution to an unprecedented high. KOK officials
also stated the campaigns were vital in sensitizing and
educating the public how to recognize that someone may be a
trafficking victim.


8. (U) According to the German Women's Council (Deutsche
Frauenrat),over 55,000 people signed petitions circulated by
the government-funded "Final Whistle" campaign. The
signatures will be presented to Chancellor Angela Merkel in
September. "Final Whistle" representatives characterized
their campaign as a success primarily because of the role it
played in generating public awareness of trafficking. German
Women's Council representatives said they were relieved there
was no significant increase in TIP and stated police
procedures used to fight TIP during the World Cup were
appropriate and authorities dealt with the issue in a
sensitive and responsible manner. (Note: As reported ref A,
government officials credit extensive pre-World Cup
surveillance and raids, along with effective border controls
and joint police operations with other countries. End Note.)
Like the IOM, the German Women's Council and KOK criticized
pre-World Cup predictions that large numbers of women would
be trafficked to Germany.


9. (U) Although SOLWODI used the World Cup as a platform to
press the German government to do more to protect TIP
victims, Ackerman said, the NGO sees Germany as a leader
among European countries in terms of the services and
protections it provides to TIP victims. She said SOLWODI
used federal government funds to print 6,000 posters in eight
languages and distribute over 30,000 pamphlets in Germany and
abroad.


10. (U) A representative of the Women's Information Center
(FIZ),a Stuttgart NGO, told ConGen Frankfurt that public
interest in the organization's campaign against forced
prostitution was higher than originally anticipated. The FIZ
campaign will last two years and is co-sponsored by Amnesty
International, Terre des Femmes, Diakonisches Werk
Wuerttemberg (a social aid organization affiliated with the
Lutheran Church),and members of the Stuttgart city council
and the Baden-Wuerttemberg state parliament.


11. (U) This message was coordinated with ConGen Frankfurt.
TIMKEN JR