Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07ANTANANARIVO225
2007-03-07 11:48:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Antananarivo
Cable title:  

COMOROS 2006 TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS REPORT

Tags:  PHUM KCRM SMIG KFRD ASEC PREF ELAB EAID CN 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO8245
RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHAN #0225/01 0661148
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 071148Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY ANTANANARIVO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4439
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0830
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RUEAHLC/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHDC
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANTANANARIVO 000225 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

PARIS FOR D'ELIA
DEPT FOR G/TIP RYOUSEY
DEPT FOR G
DEPT FOR INL
DEPT FOR AF/E BEYZEROV
DEPT FOR AF/RSA
DEPT FOR DRL HARPOLE
DEPT FOR PRM
DEPT PLEASE PASS TO USAID

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM KCRM SMIG KFRD ASEC PREF ELAB EAID CN
SUBJECT: COMOROS 2006 TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS REPORT

REF: A) 06 STATE 202745

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANTANANARIVO 000225

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

PARIS FOR D'ELIA
DEPT FOR G/TIP RYOUSEY
DEPT FOR G
DEPT FOR INL
DEPT FOR AF/E BEYZEROV
DEPT FOR AF/RSA
DEPT FOR DRL HARPOLE
DEPT FOR PRM
DEPT PLEASE PASS TO USAID

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM KCRM SMIG KFRD ASEC PREF ELAB EAID CN
SUBJECT: COMOROS 2006 TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS REPORT

REF: A) 06 STATE 202745


1. (U) The Embassy Point of Contact for TIP is Political Officer
Silvana Rodriguez. Ms. Rodriguez can be reached via email at
RodriguezSD [at] state.gov, via telephone at 261.20.22.212.57, or
via facsimile at 261.20.22.251.71. POLOFF Rodriguez spent
approximately 1 hour preparing this report.


2. (U) As requested in Ref A, Embassy Antananarivo submits the
following information, keyed to the questions in paragraphs 27-30
that are applicable to Comoros' situation.

- - - - -
OVERVIEW
- - - - -

-- 27. (U) Comoros is not known to be a country of origin, transit,
or destination for human trafficking. There have been no reports of
international or internal trafficking from the government, NGOs, or
any other sources.

- - - - - -
PREVENTION
- - - - - -

-- 28 B. (U) The Gendarmerie and Island security forces are involved
in anti-trafficking efforts such as immigration and border control.

--28 C. (U) The GOC does not have any anti-trafficking public
campaigns.

--28 D. (U) There have been no known government programs to prevent
trafficking.

--28 E. (U) There are few NGOs in Comoros, as it is impoverished
with extremely limited resources. There are no known NGOs who work
on trafficking issues.

--28 F. (U) There is no monitoring of immigration and emigration
patterns for evidence of trafficking. The airports maintain
immigration controls. However, as an archipelago with little border
and coastal security, there is a limited ability to track those
entering or leaving the country. There is a significant problem of
illegal emigration, with Comoran citizens traveling to the nearby
French-administered island of Mayotte, usually in small boats at
significant peril to their lives. There is no evidence that any of
these persons is a victim of trafficking; they are all believed to
be voluntary economic migrants.

--28 G. (U) There is no multi-agency working group or task force on
anti-trafficking issues.

--28 H. (U) The government does not have a national plan of action
to address trafficking-in-persons.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION OF TRAFFICKERS
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

-- 29 A,D. (U) Although there is no TIP-specific legislation,
trafficking acts would be prosecuted under existing laws in the
penal code. The Labor Code defines the age of 15 as the minimum for
employment. Rape is illegal, punishable by imprisonment of 5 to 10
years or up to 15 years if the victim is younger than 15 years of
age. The government did not enforce effectively these laws on rape.
These issues would generally be handled by village elders, the
"notables."

-- 29 E. (U) Prostitution is illegal. Unmarried children under the
age of 18 are protected legally from sexual exploitation,
prostitution, and pornography.

-- 29 N. (U) The country does not have an identified child sex
tourism problem. There is virtually no tourism industry in
Comoros.


ANTANANARI 00000225 002 OF 002


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
PROTECTION AND ASSISTANCE TO VICTIMS
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

-- 30 A-B. (U) The impoverished government does not have the means
to provide assistance to trafficking victims through NGOS or any
other sources.

-- 30 G. (U) The GOC does not provide any specialized training for
government officials in recognizing trafficking.

MCGEE