COMOROS 2006 TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS REPORT

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