NCJ Number
227759
Date Published
February 2007
Length
68 pages
Annotation
This study assessed current referral practices for assisting and protecting the rights of trafficked persons in Moldova.
Abstract
Despite efforts by many service providers in Moldova, the identification of potential and presumed victims of trafficking remains a challenge. This report recommends expanding the range of specialists able to perform primary identification of trafficking victims, as well as the development of methods for assisting possible identifiers in referring victims to specialist service providers. Apparently the number of persons referred for assistance continues to increase, creating difficulties in maintaining systematic followup on cases after the crisis-intervention phase. The recent establishment of a National Referral System (NRS) could contribute considerably to enhancing victims' access to a wider range of services and a longer monitoring period. Collaboration among relevant service providers is critical in this effort. Also, law enforcement personnel have not been formally brought into the NRS to date. Although medical professionals have been formally included in the NRS, not all of the multidisciplinary teams have active medical partners; consequently, many victims do not receive medical services. Currently, each organization in the field maintains its own internal policy for monitoring victims' rehabilitation after crisis intervention. The development of standard operating procedures will be the key for future internal monitoring efforts. Currently, there are no common criteria for data collection on trafficking victims in Moldova. The use of standardized criteria will facilitate the collection of quantitative and qualitative data on trafficking victims nationwide. This will assist in the development of effective and efficient policies for preventing and combating human trafficking. This assessment is based on interviews with stakeholders, observation, policy documents, legislation, reports of nongovernmental organizations, and a roundtable discussion. 125 notes