MOZAMBIQUE: COUNTRY'S FIRST TRAFFICKING VICTIMS SHELTER INAUGURATED

UNCLAS MAPUTO 000514

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

AF/S - HTREGER, G/TIP - RYOUSEY, AF/RSA - MHARPOLE, INL/HSTC
- MGORELICK
STATE PASS USAID

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM, KWMN, KCRM SMIG, KFRD, ELAB, MZ
SUBJ: MOZAMBIQUE: COUNTRY'S FIRST TRAFFICKING VICTIMS
SHELTER INAUGURATED

REF: 05 State 206165

1. (U) On May 2, 2006, the Mozambican civil society
organization FECIV (Civic Education Forum) inaugurated the
country's first permanent shelter for trafficking victims in
Moamba, approximately 50 kilometers from Maputo, with a
small ceremony attended by district government officials,
NGO workers, and local community members. The Moamba
shelter, funded by various donors including the U.S.
Government and the German NGO Terre des Hommes, has the
capacity to house up to 80 women and children, and will
serve as a transit point for rehabilitation of repatriated
victims of trafficking. The Moamba district government has
donated an additional 20 hectares of land, which will be
used to grow food for the shelter.

2. (U) FECIV officials plan to bring the first group of
trafficking victims to the shelter by next week, although
the basic utilities are still lacking. Water will be
brought by tractor from the border town of Ressano Garcia,
approximately 70 kilometers away, and plans to purchase a
power generator are in the making; resource limitations are
clearly driving implementation timelines. As construction
on the kitchen and cafeteria area is incomplete, meals will
be cooked outside on a campfire. USG funds from a FY05
Democracy and Human Rights project with FECIV will be used
towards providing general victims assistance services and
psychological counseling. $12,000 in FY05 ESF will be used
for additional support (Reftel).

3. (U) During the inauguration ceremony FECIV announced it
will start screening for victims of trafficking amongst the
800-1000 Mozambican illegal immigrants repatriated by South
African immigration authorities, on average, every
fortnight. At present, the group of repatriated Mozambicans
is dropped off in Ressano Garcia, and is the charge of a
local reception committee comprised by district government
officials, the Catholic organization Massangulo, and border
police. The primary responsibility of the committee is to
temporarily house and feed the returnees while making
arrangements for their departure to their home villages.
However, in reality, the committee does not have the
resources to provide basic services, and many returnees end
up crossing the border illegally back in to South Africa.
Massangulo, run by Catholic nuns, is the primary entity
responsible for determining who among the group of
repatriated Mozambicans might be trafficking victims.
However, this group, too, is understaffed and lacks the
personnel to conduct an all-encompassing screening process.
Post will continue to follow the progress of the Moamba
shelter and report as appropriate.