GTIP DEPUTY DIRECTOR NAN KENNELLY'S MEETINGS IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRUSSELS 001605

SIPDIS

STATE PASS EUR/WE AND G/TIP

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/26/2029
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KTIP PREL BE
SUBJECT: GTIP DEPUTY DIRECTOR NAN KENNELLY'S MEETINGS IN
BRUSSELS AND ANTWERP

Classified By: A/DCM Richard Eason for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D).


1. (C) Summary. GTIP Deputy Director Nan Kennelly met
October 16 with Justice Ministry officials, a federal police
officer in Antwerp, and Ambassador Gutman to discuss trends
in trafficking in persons (TIP) in Belgium. She also
stressed to the Justice Ministry the importance of obtaining
up-to date, official data from the GOB for the annual TIP
report. The Justice Ministry mentioned a press conference of
TIP prosecutors as evidence of Belgian efforts to raise
public awareness of TIP. They also described progress on
implementing the GOB's Anti-TIP Action Plan and some programs
to prevent trafficking of children. They said data
collection remained slow. The Antwerp police officer
discussed new trends now that Bulgaria and Romania are in the
European Union, and said traffickers have become steadily
more sophisticated, making TIP victims harder to find and
cases harder to prosecute. End Summary.

Introduction
--------------


2. (U) On October 16, GTIP Deputy Director Nan Kennelly met
Justice Minister Stefaan De Clerck's Deputy Cabinet Director
and MOJ TIP Coordinator Paule Somers, MOJ Diplomatic Advisor
Piet Heirbaut, and MOJ Director of Criminal Policy Freddy
Gazan in Brussels. In Antwerp, Kennelly met with Belgian
Federal Police Commissioner Jeff Swartele. The purpose of
Kennelly's visit was to learn how Belgium combats human
trafficking in all its forms, especially sexual and labor
exploitation.

Ministry of Justice
--------------


3. (U) The Justice Ministry officials described efforts to
combat TIP in Belgium. They mentioned a press conference
held by prosecutors to highlight anti-TIP efforts that day.
They also provided examples of flyers they provided to
work-visa applicants to warn them of the dangers of human
trafficking. They said three GOB working groups work on
combating TIP. There are also three government-supported
shelters (located in Antwerp, Brussels, and Liege) that
assist trafficking victims. The Justice Ministry said victim
identification is conducted by the police and
non-governmental organizations. The Ministry acknowledged
that the bulk of Belgium's prevention effort is focused on
child trafficking. The Justice Ministry said that because
prostitution is legal in Belgium, reducing demand is not a
high priority. The officials noted the challenge of
providing data in a timely manner. Kennelly emphasized that
law enforcement data is an essential element of TIP Report
analysis and that the USG greatly appreciated the GOB,s
efforts to provide us with this information.

Belgian Federal Police, Antwerp
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4. (U) According to Swartele, EU enlargement has presented
new challenges for combating TIP in Antwerp. He said that as
long as standards of living in new EU member states, like
Bulgaria and Romania, are lower than in Belgium, human
trafficking will persist. Swartele noted a reduction of
violence and associated crime after Antwerp's red light
district was reduced in size. However, police and
prosecutors have found it increasingly difficult to
investigate and prosecute TIP as organized crime groups have
become more sophisticated and moved prostitution underground.
Swartele identified three key trends that have reduced
victims' willingness and ability to come forth or testify:
women who have already worked in prostitution in Eastern
Europe are trafficked temporarily to Belgium and then rotated
to another country after a few months of work; traffickers
provide victims some incentive by allowing them to keep soe
of the money they earn, which also makes i more difficult to
make a case that they were forced to engage in prostitution;
and threats against families of the victims. Swartele
described new efforts to identify and investigate labor
trafficking. In a notable new development, the police are
now working with Ministry of Labor officials to try to
identify victims. Swartele said the police also work closely
with victims' shelters.

Comment
--------------


5. (C) Kennelly's meetings with Belgian officials provided a
useful review of TIP trends in Belgium. They also allowed

her to emphasize the need for Belgium to submit data in a
timely manner. Post will continue to press the GOB to
provide data by the deadlines established for the TIP report.


6. (U) This cable has been cleared by GTIP Deputy Director
Kennelly.

GUTMAN
.