KOSOVO GOVERNMENT CONTRIBUTIONS TO SHELTERS FOR

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PRISTINA 000020

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR G/TIP, G - ACBLANK, EUR/SCE, EUR/PGI, INL, DRL,
PRM, USAID

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM KTIP KCRM KWMN SMIG KFRD ASEC PREF ELAB
KV
SUBJECT: KOSOVO GOVERNMENT CONTRIBUTIONS TO SHELTERS FOR
VICTIMS OF TRAFFICKING


1. (U) SUMMARY: In 2008, the Government of Kosovo's (GOK)
Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare (MLSW) took effective
measures to ensure the continued operation of victims of
trafficking (VOT) shelters in Kosovo. In 2007, two of the
three VOT shelters in Kosovo -- Hope and Homes (HAH) and the
Center for the Protection of Victims and Prevention of
Trafficking in Human Beings (PVPT) -- faced major
difficulties in obtaining funding for their operations. The
GOK, in cooperation with international donors, provided the
critical funding to ensure their continued viability in 2008,
and in the case of the PVPT, to expand its operations.
Challenges remain, including improving follow-up services the
need to establish new shelters outside of Pristina.
Nevertheless, the GOK has shown a commitment to VOT shelters
in 2008, an effort which is consistent with their overall
anti-trafficking work. End Summary.

EFFECTIVE ACTION
--------------


2. (U) On January 5, Poloff met with representatives of the
three organizations legally authorized by the GOK to shelter
VOT in Kosovo: Hope and Homes (HAH),the Center for the
Protection of Victims and Prevention of Trafficking in Human
Beings (PVPT),and the Interim Security Facility (ISF). Each
shelter has specialized its services for the needs of
specific VOT groups. HAH, a local NGO, exclusively shelters
children ages 3 to 18 at low risk of additional harm from
traffickers. HAH maintains one shelter in Pristina with a
maximum capacity of 12 children. (Note: The Anti-Trafficking
Section of the Kosovo Police determines the level of threat
prior to assigning the VOT to a shelter. High risk victims
are those who are witnesses in a trial, or require protection
for other reasons. Low risk refers to those victims who are
not perceived to be in any immediate danger. End Note.)


3. (U) Currently, eight children are sheltered at HAH, all of
whom are victims of domestic violence; five are boys, and all
are from Kosovo. At the start of 2008, HAH was unable to
obtain funding and would have been forced to cease operations
had the GOK's Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare (MLSW) not
provided the necessary monies. Currently, the MLSW provides
100% of HAH's funding, equal to 102,000 euro (approx. USD
138,372) per year.


4. (U) The Center for the Protection of Victims and
Prevention of Trafficking in Human Beings (PVPT),a local NGO
also based in Pristina, serves both children and adults. The
PVPT's shelter operations are smaller than HAH, with a
maximum capacity of 5 adults (there are currently two adult
female occupants from Kosovo),but the PVPT also operates a
Rehabilitation Center. The Center is capable of serving
eleven persons and focuses on long-term treatment designed to
reintegrate VOT into ordinary life. At the Center there are
currently three adult VOT and eight children designated as
possible VOT. (Note: The children participate in the
Center's program as a preventative measure designed to teach
awareness of trafficking. End Note.) All the current
Rehabilitation Center participants are female and from
Kosovo, although the Center, like all VOT shelters in Kosovo,
is open to all VOT regardless of nationality. The Center is
served by one physician, one psychiatrist, and three
psychologists. Additional medical treatment, such as
examination by a gynecologist or dentist, is made available
outside the Center when necessary. Day-to-day activities at
the center consist of legal counseling by a Kosovo
Prosecutor, English classes, vocational training, drama
therapy, as well as access to a gym and library. The PVPT
was closed from December 2007 to September 2008 due to lack
of funding, but it reopened with financial support from the
Finnish Office and the GOK's MLSW, which provided
approximately 20% (or 18,900 euro, $24,418) of the PVPT's

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90,000 euro ($122,053) annual budget. This financial support
permitted the PVPT both to restart its operations and to
expand its programs, such as opening the Rehabilitation
Center.


5. (U) The Interim Security Facility (ISF) is part of the
GOK, under the Ministry of Justice's Victims Advocacy
Assistance Unit, and can handle up to 20 VOT at one time.
The shelter is designed specifically for high risk VOT,
though it is open to low and medium risk VOT as well.
Currently, there are two adult women using the shelter: one
Kosovo citizen, and one Serb. Both are high risk VOT and are
witnesses in anti-trafficking trials. The ISF requires
greater funding, and its representative noted that medical
doctors and psychologists had not visited the shelter since
the end of 2007 due to insufficient staffing. Instead, VOT
are required to leave the shelter, under Police escort, and
travel to their medical appointments. The Kosovo Police are
responsive in providing the necessary escort. The ISF
representative also reported that the single security camera
at the shelter had failed in November 2008, and had not yet
been repaired due to procurement issues. There are no
security guards. In spite of these problems, the ISF
representative said that the shelter continues to function
effectively.

CHALLENGES REMAINING
--------------


6. (U) The representatives from HAH and PVPT said that they
are generally pleased with the support from the GOK, but they
hope to increase their level of service in the future,
particularly in follow-up support once VOT had left the
shelters. Currently, once VOT leave the shelters, there is
very little follow-up or additional support, and the HAH
representative was eager to change this. The ISF
representative was more critical of the GOK's efforts, noting
the security and medical difficulties the ISF faced. While
procedures exist to obtain the appropriate medical services
and complete the repair of the security camera, the ISF
representative complained that onerous paperwork requirements
had significantly delayed their resolution.


7. (U) The GOK also faces a lack of VOT shelters outside
Pristina. As a stopgap effort, the MLSW has opened 32 Social
Centers, one for each municipality. The Social Centers serve
a variety of needs, and each employs a social worker that is
trained to aid VOT. However, as the MLSW itself has
recognized, Social Centers are not a substitute for shelters.
The MLSW has not yet developed plans to fill this gap.


8. (U) COMMENT: The GOK in 2008 has taken initiative to
ensure that VOT have safe and appropriate shelters for
refuge. Due to their efforts, HAH and PVPT were operational
in 2008, and the latter actually expanded its operations.
The ISF continues to operate in the face of budget
contstraints, and we are encouraged that its representatives
recognize the need to improve services. Work remains, but
the GOK's success in improving the quality of its VOT
shelters during the past year shows that Kosovo is committing
resources to improving its anti-trafficking regimen.
KAIDANOW