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). -------------- Summary -------------- ¶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. -------------- -------------- IOM: No Significant Increase in TIP During World Cup -------------- -------------- ¶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. -------------- Lessons Learned/Evaluations Underway -------------- ¶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. -------------- NGO Hotlines: Low Call Volume -------------- ¶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. -------------- NGO Campaigns Raised Public Awareness -------------- ¶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