Trafficking in Persons Report 2012 Austria

U.S. Department of State

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Human trafficking in Malaysia. Human trafficking in Mali. Human trafficking in Malta. Human trafficking in Mauritania. Human trafficking in Mauritius. Human trafficking in Mexico. Human trafficking in Moldova. East Asia Central Asia. Human trafficking in Mongolia. Human trafficking in Montenegro.

Country Narratives: Countries N Through Z

Human trafficking in Morocco. Human trafficking in Mozambique. Human trafficking in Namibia. Human trafficking in Nepal. Human trafficking in the Netherlands. Human trafficking in New Zealand. Human trafficking in Nicaragua. Human trafficking in Niger. Human trafficking in Nigeria. Human trafficking in Norway. Human trafficking in Oman. Human trafficking in Pakistan.

Human trafficking in Palau. Human trafficking in Panama. Human trafficking in Papua New Guinea. Human trafficking in Paraguay. Human trafficking in Peru. Human trafficking in the Philippines. Human trafficking in Poland. Human trafficking in Portugal. Human trafficking in Qatar. Human trafficking in Romania. Human trafficking in Russia. Human trafficking in Rwanda.

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Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Human trafficking in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Human trafficking in Saudi Arabia. Human trafficking in Senegal. Human trafficking in Serbia. Human trafficking in Sierra Leone. Human trafficking in Singapore. Human trafficking in Slovakia.

Human trafficking in Slovenia. Human trafficking in South Africa. Human trafficking in Spain. Human trafficking in Sri Lanka. Human trafficking in Sudan. Human trafficking in Suriname. Human trafficking in Swaziland. Human trafficking in Sweden. Human trafficking in Switzerland. Human trafficking in Syria. Human trafficking in Taiwan. Human trafficking in Tajikistan. Human trafficking in Tanzania. Human trafficking in Thailand. Human trafficking in East Timor. Human trafficking in Togo. Human trafficking in Trinidad and Tobago. Human trafficking in Tunisia.

Western Asia Eastern Europe. Human trafficking in Turkey. Central Asia Eastern Europe. Human trafficking in Turkmenistan. East Africa Eastern Europe. Human trafficking in Uganda. Human trafficking in Ukraine. Front-line customs officers received training aimed at raising their awareness of trafficking indicators and were provided templates of possible questions to ask if they encounter suspected victims of human trafficking.

No women in prostitution were identified as trafficking victims by compliance inspectors during their interviews of women in brothels. In November , a man was found guilty for facilitating child sex tourism to Thailand through a website. The government provided anti-trafficking training to military personnel prior to their deployment abroad on international peacekeeping missions. Nicaragua is principally a source and transit country for men, women, and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor.

Nicaraguan women and children are subjected to sex trafficking within the country as well as in neighboring countries, most often in other Central American states, Mexico, and the United States. Trafficking victims are recruited in rural areas for work in urban centers, particularly Managua, Granada, and San Juan del Sur, and subsequently coerced into prostitution. To a lesser extent, adults and children are subjected to conditions of forced labor in agriculture and domestic servitude within the country and in Costa Rica, Panama, and other countries in the region.

During the year, authorities reported a potential forced labor case involving 18 Nicaraguan men who were falsely recruited for work in Guatemala and were instead taken to Mexico to be trained in criminal activity by a drug trafficking organization; 10 of the men escaped and returned home. Nicaragua is a destination country for a limited number of women and children from neighboring countries exploited in sex trafficking. The Government of Nicaragua fully complies with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking in persons.

The government significantly improved its anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts during the reporting period, specifically through an increased number of investigations, prosecutions, and convictions of traffickers. During the year, authorities opened a shelter for human trafficking victims, despite limited resources; however, victim services remained uneven across the country. The government maintained anti-trafficking prevention efforts in partnership with civil society organizations. The Government of Nicaragua sustained progress in its law enforcement efforts against human trafficking during the reporting period.

These prescribed punishments are sufficiently stringent and commensurate with penalties prescribed for other serious crimes, such as rape. During the reporting period, police investigated 26 potential trafficking cases, including two labor trafficking cases, and judicial authorities initiated 21 prosecutions, compared with 19 investigations and five prosecutions initiated during the previous reporting period.

All accused trafficking offenders apprehended during the year were reported to be in preventive detention. Nicaraguan authorities collaborated with the governments of neighboring countries to investigate jointly trafficking cases and repatriate returning trafficking victims from abroad. In partnership with civil society organizations, authorities provided specialized training on trafficking investigative techniques to over 1, law enforcement officers, and the Nicaraguan foreign ministry trained its consular officials in several countries on how to identify trafficking victims.

There were no reported investigations, prosecutions, or convictions for official complicity during the year. The Government of Nicaragua significantly increased efforts to protect trafficking victims during the last year by opening a dedicated shelter in the capital and identifying a greater number of victims, although specialized services remained uneven across the country. There were no formal procedures for identifying trafficking victims among high-risk populations, such as adults and children in prostitution.

Police reported identifying 85 potential trafficking victims in , a significant increase from 18 victims identified in Authorities were still in the process of developing protocols to govern the use of the shelter, which is designed to provide temporary lodging.

The regional departments most affected by human trafficking lacked adequate services. However, NGOs operated shelters for at-risk children and female adult victims of domestic abuse in Rio San Juan, Esteli, Rivas, and Managua, and the government operated one short-term shelter for children who are victims of domestic or sexual abuse in Managua.

It was unclear how many trafficking victims were assisted at these shelters during the reporting period, though one NGO reported assisting 15 child trafficking victims, 10 of whom were referred by the government. While the government did not provide funding to these NGOs, officials referred victims to them for assistance. Victims received limited medical and psychological assistance from the government, as well as education when appropriate, though longer-term care was minimal. Services and shelter for male victims remained limited. The government encouraged victims to participate in trafficking investigations and prosecutions, though some were reluctant to do so due to social stigma and fear of retribution from traffickers.

During the year a record 44 victims testified in the prosecution of their traffickers. There were no reports of victims being penalized for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of being trafficked. Although there is no trafficking-specific legal alternative to the removal of foreign victims to countries where they may face hardship or retribution, victims often were allowed to remain in the country temporarily.

Trafficking in Persons Report Country Narratives -- Countries A Through F

The Nicaraguan government maintained efforts to prevent trafficking during the last year, mostly in partnership with civil society organizations and with foreign government funding. The government-run anti-trafficking coalition, which is composed of government and civil society actors, was responsible for coordinating anti-trafficking efforts and implementing its strategic plan, and met every two months. The regional groups varied in effectiveness, with some still in the developmental stage. There were no reported investigations of child sex tourism during the reporting period.

The government reported no initiatives to reduce demand for commercial sexual acts or for forced labor. Niger is a source, transit, and destination country for children, women, and men subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking. Caste-based slavery practices continue primarily in the northern part of the country.

Nigerien boys are subjected to forced begging or forced labor within the country, as well as in Mali and Nigeria, by corrupt marabouts religious instructors ; these individuals, or other loosely-organized clandestine networks, may also place Nigerien girls into domestic servitude or the sex trade. Nigerien children are subjected to forced labor in gold mines, agriculture, and stone quarries within the country. Nigerien women and children are recruited from Niger and transported to Nigeria, North Africa, the Middle East, and Europe where they are subsequently subjected to domestic servitude and sex trafficking.

There were unconfirmed reports during the year that Chinese workers were forced to labor at a petroleum refinery in Niger. Niger is a transit country for men, women, and children from Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Gabon, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria, and Togo migrating en route to Algeria, Libya, and Western Europe; some may be subjected to forced labor in Niger as domestic servants, mechanics, welders, laborers in mines and on farms, or in bars and restaurants. The Government of Niger does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking. The government has not shown evidence of increasing efforts to address human trafficking compared to the previous year; therefore, Niger is placed on Tier 2 Watch List for a third consecutive year.

Niger was granted a waiver from an otherwise required downgrade to Tier 3 because its government has a written plan that, if implemented, would constitute making significant efforts to meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is devoting sufficient resources to that plan. It was notable that this public proclamation explicitly referenced particular forms of trafficking and included a vow to apply severe penalties to traffickers, as senior Nigerien officials had previously exhibited an unwillingness to acknowledge the persistence of traditional slavery, and government efforts to apply criminal penalties to those who exploit others for compelled service have been virtually nonexistent.

The Government of Niger demonstrated weak efforts to investigate and prosecute trafficking cases during the year, failing to implement its anti-trafficking law, Order No. These prescribed penalties are sufficiently stringent, but not commensurate with penalties prescribed for other serious crimes, such as rape. The law defines slavery and practices similar to slavery and specifically prohibits exploitative begging.

During the year, the law remained nonoperational, as it lacked the necessary guidance for its implementation. Other statutes prohibit some forms of trafficking, but were not used to prosecute cases during the reporting period. During the reporting period, the government investigated two suspected trafficking cases, but did not prosecute or convict any offenders, representing a decline in its efforts from the previous year.

It continued to fail to identify cases and initiate investigations independently, and only took law enforcement action in a small number of instances after cases were brought to its attention by local NGOs. In December , police arrested five marabouts suspected of forcing children to beg, but released all suspects after two days in police custody.

In the same month, the government reported arresting two additional suspected child traffickers who remained in pre-trial detention at the close of the reporting period; it did not provide details about the nature of the case. There were no reported developments in a case in which a man was accused of re-enslaving two former slaves, and information was not available on a slavery case pending since , suggesting it is no longer pending. An NGO in Tahoua reported a small number of slavery prosecutions that have been ongoing for years remained pending, but no alleged traffickers have been detained.

In one infamous case during the year, the government failed to initiate an investigation or prosecution against a marabout in Agadez who was known to be forcing children to beg on the streets; some children remained in the custody of the suspected trafficker at the end of the reporting period. The government did not provide specialized training to law enforcement officers on the identification and investigation of trafficking cases, but foreign donors provided some training to officials.

In September , Nigerien officials met with counterparts in northern Nigeria to discuss cross-border trafficking, but this meeting did not yield discernible progress toward a bilateral MOU between the two governments. There were reports that local officials chose not to pursue slavery cases brought to their attention due to social or political connections of the alleged traffickers.

No government officials were investigated, prosecuted, or convicted for involvement in trafficking or trafficking-related criminal activities during the reporting period. The government undertook few efforts to protect trafficking victims during the year, and it relied almost exclusively on NGOs and international organizations to identify victims and provide them with services.

Authorities did not develop or employ proactive measures to identify trafficking victims among vulnerable populations, such as women and girls born into traditional slave castes or children at worksites. Moreover, there were no formal procedures to guide officials in referring identified victims to protective services; police often did not know where to refer victims for care. The government provided medical assistance and temporary shelter in social service facilities to a small number of child victims and referred others on an ad hoc basis to local NGOs for care, but it did not provide services to adult victims or victims of hereditary servitude.

The majority of victims were identified and cared for by NGOs without government involvement, and NGO capacity was inadequate. Victims were often forced to return to their villages after a few months if NGO resources ran out, and some children spent the night in police stations when shelter space was not available.

The government and NGOs identified victims during the year, of whom were removed from situations of exploitation and some of whom received protective services and temporary shelter. In June , local government officials worked with a local NGO and an international organization to rescue children who had been subjected to forced begging by a marabout in Agadez; the children were returned to their families, but did not receive additional services. Due to a lack of funding, an additional victims were not rescued during this operation and remained in the custody of the marabout.

The government did not assist any foreign victims with repatriation to their home country during the year, and an NGO reported some repatriations were on hold due to a lack of funds or of government cooperation or both. The regional government of Agadez continued to operate a committee comprised of police and local officials to assist in returning Nigerien migrants deported from North Africa to their countries or communities of origin, though it did not make efforts to identify trafficking victims among this population.

The government reported that adult victims would be encouraged to assist in the investigation and prosecution of trafficking cases, though none were identified during the year. There were no reports that identified victims were detained, fined, or jailed for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of being trafficked; however, the government did not make adequate efforts to identify trafficking victims, which may have led to some victims being treated as law violators.

Front-line officials did not receive training to identify victims and refer them to protective services, and border guards often denied entry to suspected traffickers and victims, rather than attempting to rescue victims and place them in protective care. The Government of Niger made some efforts to prevent human trafficking during the year. In May and September , the National Statistics Institute released studies on forced labor it produced in partnership with an international organization. The government did not, however, appoint staff or distribute funding necessary to make these bodies fully operational.

During the year, the government drafted a five-year action plan to combat trafficking. It took no discernible measures to address the demand for forced labor or commercial sex acts. Nigeria is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking. Trafficked Nigerians are recruited from rural, and to a lesser extent urban, areas within the country: Nigerian women and children are taken from Nigeria to other West and Central African countries, as well as South Africa, where they are exploited for the same purposes.

Nigerian women and children are recruited and transported to destinations in North Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia, where they are held captive in the sex trade or in forced labor. Nigerian women are trafficked to Malaysia where they are forced into prostitution and to work as drug mules for their traffickers.

Nigerian traffickers rely on threats of voodoo curses to control Nigerian victims and force them into situations of prostitution or labor. Nigerian gangs traffic large numbers of Nigerian women into forced prostitution in the Czech Republic and Italy, and EUROPOL has identified Nigerian organized crime as one of the largest law enforcement challenges to European governments. The Government of Nigeria does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, but is making significant effort to do so.

During the reporting period, the government did not demonstrate sufficient progress in its anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts. Roughly a third of convicted traffickers received fines in lieu of prison time, and despite identifying labor trafficking victims the government prosecuted only two forced labor cases. Despite documentation of a staggering number of Nigerians trafficking victims identified in countries around the world, the government inconsistently employed measures to provide services to repatriated victims.

However, NAPTIP did execute its first joint law enforcement exercise with the Government of Mali which led to the arrest of trafficking perpetrators and to the rescue of Nigerian trafficking victims. The Government of Nigeria did not demonstrate adequate progress in its anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts during the year.

Country Narratives: Countries A Through F

After a severe reduction in prosecutions in , the percentage of investigations of suspected trafficking offenses that resulted in court proceedings increased slightly in ; however the number of cases prosecuted remained low compared to the large numbers of trafficking investigations. Furthermore, sentencing of offenders was inadequate and, despite large numbers of identified forced labor victims, the government continued to neglect the prosecution of labor trafficking crimes. The Trafficking in Persons Law Enforcement and Administration Act, amended in to increase penalties for trafficking offenders, prohibits all forms of human trafficking.

For sentences that include only a fine, penalties are not sufficiently stringent. NAPTIP initiated new investigations during the reporting period, prosecuted 15 trafficking cases, and convicted 23 traffickers. Despite identifying almost forced labor victims, NAPTIP only prosecuted two forced labor cases, in comparison with 13 forced prostitution cases. Of the 23 offenders convicted, eight received a jail sentence with the option of a fine in lieu of time served, 13 offenders received jail time with no option of a fine, and two received both jail time and a fine.

NAPTIP proposed draft legislation to the national assembly that would eliminate the option of handing down only a fine in trafficking convictions. The national assembly has yet to pass these amendments into law and judges continued to use fines in lieu of prison sentences. At the conclusion of the reporting period, trafficking cases remained pending.

Although NAPTIP demonstrated an ability to obtain convictions from the prosecutions it initiated, a small number of investigations conducted during the year resulted in prosecutions, suggesting a need to enhance the investigation and prosecution skills of relevant officials. Throughout the reporting period, the government reported collaborating with law enforcement agencies in Germany, the United Kingdom, Greece, Sweden, France, Slovakia, Belgium, The Netherlands, and Italy on trafficking investigations involving Nigerian nationals.

In some cases this cooperation led to the successful prosecution of a suspect in the host country; however, specific details on these cases was unavailable. The government did not initiate any investigations, pursue prosecutions, or obtain convictions of government officials for involvement in trafficking-related corruption during the reporting period, although such corruption was known to have occurred.

NAPTIP maintained a database of trafficking victims identified by the government and NGOs and reported a total of victims identified within the country in , including victims of forced labor, victims of sex trafficking, and children. NAPTIP continued to operate eight shelters with the total capacity for victims at a time; this constitutes a 50 percent decrease in capacity from During the reporting period, NAPTIP completed the relocation of its primary and largest shelter to a higher-capacity facility devoted solely to trafficking victims.

In November , senior NAPTIP officials conducted a joint raid with Malian officials in order to rescue previously identified Nigerian sex trafficking victims in Bamako-based brothels. While screening mechanisms in Bamako remained limited, upon arrival in Nigeria victims were referred to local NAPTIP shelters for care; most victims chose to return to their homes after a brief stay in shelters.

Within Nigeria, government officials continued to lack systematic procedures for identifying victims among vulnerable populations, such as women in prostitution. Authorities outside of NAPTIP — such as police and immigration officers assigned to other units — were not well-trained to identify victims.

In one particular case, and for unknown reasons, Nigerian officials did not assist prosecutors, representing a Nigerian victim in a foreign country, in locating a Nigerian trafficker who was in Nigeria during the case proceedings.

Trafficking in Persons Report

Despite the growing number of Nigerian trafficking victims identified abroad, the government has yet to implement formal procedures for the repatriation and reintegration of Nigerian victims. Some shelter staff, however, lacked previous training or professional experience in treating the trauma of trafficking victims, and the government did not provide such specialized training to staff members during the reporting period.

Victims were allowed to stay in NAPTIP shelters for up to six weeks — a limit which was extended by up to four additional weeks in extenuating circumstances — during which time they received informal education or vocational training; after this time, those who needed long-term care were referred to a network of NGOs that could provide additional services, though few long-term options were available for adult victims.

Victims were not allowed to leave the shelters without a chaperone, a practice that is known to risk re-traumatization of trafficking victims. Government officials adhered to the explicit provision of the Trafficking in Persons Law Enforcement and Administration Act, which ensures that trafficking victims are not penalized for unlawful acts committed as a result of being trafficked. Officials encouraged victims to assist in the investigation and prosecution of trafficking cases, and NAPTIP reported that 29 victims served as witnesses or gave evidence during trial in The government provided a limited legal alternative to the removal of foreign victims to countries where they face hardship or retribution; short term residency that could not be extended.

The Government of Nigeria sustained modest efforts to prevent human trafficking through campaigns to raise awareness and educate the public about the dangers of trafficking. The objective of these and several related programs was to sensitize vulnerable people, sharpen public awareness of trends and tricks traffickers used to lure victims, warn parents, and encourage community members to participate in efforts to prevent trafficking.

The government took no discernible steps to decrease the demand for forced labor and, in fact, cut its labor inspection force from to Additionally, labor inspectors at headquarters lacked any vehicles with which to monitor field conditions. In efforts to reduce participation in child sex tourism, the government arrested Nigerian nationals for child sex tourism in the Philippines during the reporting period. The government, with foreign donor support, provided anti-trafficking training to Nigerian troops prior to their deployment abroad on international peacekeeping missions.

Norway is a destination and, to a lesser extent, a transit and source country for women and girls subjected to sex trafficking and for men and women subjected to forced labor in the domestic service and construction sectors. Children are subjected to forced begging and forced criminal activity, such as shoplifting and drug sales.

These victims usually travel to Norway on Schengen visas issued by other European countries, and transit several countries, such as Italy, Spain, and Morocco. African trafficking offenders often coerce victims into prostitution through threats to family at home and threats of voodoo. Traffickers from Eastern Europe are typically members of small family mafias; offenders seduce young women in their home countries and convince them to come to Norway, where they are forced into prostitution. Men from the United Kingdom have been forced to work in construction in Norway.

Some foreign au pairs, including those from the Philippines, were victims of trafficking in Norway. The Government of Norway fully complies with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking. The Norwegian government has adopted a victim-centered approach to victim protection, offering generous and diverse victim services through specialized NGOs and local governments. The government successfully concluded labor trafficking prosecutions involving atypical trafficking scenarios. Nevertheless, services to and identification of male victims of trafficking remain less developed than those for women.

NGOs report that referrals to care by the police reduced this year. The Norwegian government sustained its law enforcement efforts during the reporting period. The Coordination Unit for Victims of Trafficking — the police unit specializing in human trafficking offenses — was made permanent in Major cities, including Oslo and Bergen, also had specialized police officers trained to investigate trafficking offenses. Norwegian authorities initiated 32 sex trafficking investigations and 12 labor trafficking investigations in , compared with 26 sex trafficking and 11 labor trafficking investigations initiated in The government prosecuted a total of at least seven alleged trafficking offenders — six for sex trafficking and one for labor trafficking — under Section , compared with 11 sex trafficking offenders and no labor trafficking offenders in At least seven trafficking offenders were convicted in , compared with eight offenders convicted in In , all of the convicted trafficking offenders received jail sentences.

The highest sentences awarded were 4. NGOs report that the duration of a criminal trafficking trial from initial review to conviction is approximately three years. Norwegian law enforcement investigated a few high profile labor trafficking cases during the reporting period, including the alleged forced labor of hospital workers from the Philippines and the alleged forced labor of British men in construction in Norway. The police coordination unit completed a study during the reporting period surveying possible victims of forced labor to update labor identification criteria.

Norwegian authorities collaborated with several European governments to investigate trafficking cases, including Estonia and Finland. The Norwegian government did not report the investigation, prosecution, or conviction of any government employees for complicity in trafficking in persons. The Government of Norway sustained strong victim protection efforts during the reporting period.

The Norwegian government provided protection to trafficking victims through government-funded NGOs, church associations, and municipalities. These NGOs offered both foreign and domestic victims a generous range of assistance, including shelter, legal aid, stipends for food, psychological care, medical assistance, fitness facilities, and Norwegian language classes.

An NGO specializing in caring for trafficking victims who have received a reflection period offered vocational programs, education, and sponsored internships for victims who had completed a reflection period. Although some of the specialized NGOs primarily offered services to women, a few programs opened new facilities, including apartments, for men. By law, Norwegian municipalities were obligated to offer trafficking victims shelter, regardless of their immigration status.

One of the main government-funded institutions for trafficking victim care received contacts from trafficking victims in , in contrast to contacts in Nineteen of these initial contacts were men. Of these initial contacts, 44 trafficking victims ultimately were housed by the victim care institution, including one man. NGOs report that some trafficking victims reside in shelters for long periods of time; 22 victims lived more than a year in trafficking shelters. In , the Norwegian government reported providing services for trafficking victims, including women and 51 men, compared with trafficking victims in NGOs observed that there was a need for more longer-term shelter options for the rehabilitation of trafficking victims no longer in trauma situations.

The government empowered and trained a diverse set of actors to proactively identify and refer victims of trafficking, including municipal authorities, police, international organizations, and NGOs. In , however, NGOs reported that the number of persons in prostitution or sex trafficking victims referred by the police for care dropped dramatically.

Although the majority of trafficking victims identified by the government were sex trafficking victims, the government and NGOs suspected that labor trafficking victims were more likely to escape their detection and identification as trafficking victims. Victims were permitted to stay in Norway without conditions during a six-month reflection period, a time for them to receive immediate care and assistance while they consider whether to assist law enforcement with the prosecution of their case. Under new regulations adopted in , the Norwegian government also offered a permanent residency permit for victims facing retribution or hardship in their countries of origin, on the condition that they give statements to the police outside of court.

Any victim of trafficking, regardless of potential retribution or hardship at home, who made a formal complaint to the police, could remain in Norway for the duration of trial; victims who testified in court were entitled to permanent residency. NGOs reported some difficulties in obtaining permanent residency for Nigerian trafficking victims who had testified in court, due to Norwegian government skepticism about the validity of the Nigerian identity documents.

At least eight trafficking victims supported by the government-funded NGO testified in three separate trafficking trials in Only 17 out of the 44 victims cared for by the government-funded NGO project chose to report their situations to the police. According to the NGO, some of the victims chose to use the six-month reflection period, some feared reprisals of traffickers during trial, and others were advised by their attorneys not to report their trafficking case, either because of absence of information or because the victim was struggling with mental illness.

NGOs did not report the detention or punishment of any identified trafficking victims.

The Norwegian government sustained its trafficking prevention efforts during the reporting period. It framed many of its anti-trafficking prevention efforts in terms of preventing trafficking from the source countries. The Norwegian government continued to be a leading international anti-trafficking donor, significantly supporting victim care throughout the world, including in Nigeria, Kenya, Malawi, and Mozambique. Norway named human trafficking as its priority during its chairmanship of the Council of Baltic Sea States, leading other countries in high-level policy discussions on coordinated trafficking responses.

The Norwegian government funded an anti-trafficking hotline that offered information to potential trafficking victims, government officials, and other NGOs.

The government undertook steps to address the demand for commercial sex acts, including through investigating cases involving the purchase of sexual services of an adult. Norwegian law enforcement authorities collaborated with United States and Italian investigators on potential child sex tourism cases in Europe.

The Norwegian national criminal investigation service mapped the situation of Norwegian nationals travelling to child sex tourism destinations. The government did not, however, fund any broad-based national trafficking awareness campaigns targeting labor or sex trafficking. The head of the Norwegian National Advisory Group Against Organized, Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing took efforts to raise awareness about potential for forced labor on fishing vessels.

The government provided anti-trafficking training to Norwegian troops prior to their deployment abroad on international peacekeeping missions. In , the police began screening women in prostitution for trafficking indicators. Police had at their disposal various manuals on trafficking and victim identification — including a pocket card developed in coordination with NGOs — that listed the main indicators for identifying victims of trafficking.

In , the government, in cooperation with an NGO, launched a pilot project in a reception center for asylum seekers to facilitate the identification of trafficking victims. During the reporting period, the government identified 12 victims of domestic servitude in the residences of Asian, Middle Eastern, and African diplomats working in Austria. The Austrian government continued to fund a specialized anti-trafficking NGO that provided shelter, housing, and services in Vienna to female trafficking victims; victims provided such shelter were not detained involuntarily.

During the year, the NGO provided counseling, outreach, and other assistance services, including responsible repatriation, to the trafficking victims it identified in cooperation with the police. The government reported it provided foreign victims of trafficking with legal alternatives to their removal through its Residence and Settlement Act, which listed victims of trafficking as a special category with a right for temporary resident status of at least six months. The government reported that between April and December , it issued 24 temporary residence permits or renewals to trafficking victims.

Residence permits are generally granted for a period of one year. In July , via an amendment to the Law on Foreigners, the government granted trafficking victims who hold residence permits access to the Austrian labor market.

The government encouraged victims to assist with investigations and prosecutions, though NGOs reported that few victims assisted in prosecution of their traffickers due to fear of retaliation. The government continued to fund the city of Vienna's specialist center for unaccompanied minors, which accommodated approximately 17 child victims of trafficking in , a decrease from the 40 it assisted in The government reportedly ensured identified victims were not punished for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of being trafficked.

Austria sustained strong efforts to prevent domestic servitude within diplomatic households, requiring all foreign domestic workers to appear in person at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to receive information on how to get help if they become victims of forced labor. In addition, the government required diplomatic employers of domestic servants to provide evidence of direct salary transfers to accounts held in the domestic servant's name.

In July , it enhanced this oversight by requiring domestic workers to obtain their own ATM cards. The government continued its series of school exhibitions to sensitize Austrian youth to sex trafficking and continued to run an anti-trafficking hotline. Austria continued a campaign to encourage tourists and travel agencies to report cases of child sex tourism; it reported it prosecuted three child sex tourists in The government demonstrated transparency in its anti-trafficking efforts in by drafting a report on the implementation of its national action plan, released in March The government continued to fund courses conducted by an anti-trafficking NGO to sensitize troops prior to their deployment on peacekeeping missions.

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