BACKGROUND: According to various estimates the scale of human trafficking in Georgia is on the rise, and the government’s negligence to crack down on criminal networks puts more people at risk of being trafficked. Various sources indicate that hundreds of Georgians are trafficked annually to Turkey, Russia, France and Spain, Greece, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Germany, the Netherlands, with smaller numbers trafficked to Israel and Portugal, and even as far as Philippines. Because of the proximity of and cheaper travel Turkey seems a chief destination country. According to the interview conducted by the Organization for People’s Harmonious Development with the border patrol and police, 800-1200 people cross into Turkey from Sarpi daily, with the peak during the summer months, while 600-800 Georgian citizens visit the border from Turkey monthly in order to renew their visas and go back. Majority of these are young females and almost 50% are assessed to be victims of trafficking. To Western Europe, Georgians are supposedly trafficked via Russia and then Finland. Helsingin Sanomat reports that in 2002-2004 more than 1,500 Georgian citizens arriving by bus crossed into Finland. Up to 90% of the passengers were young women. The Finnish Frontier Guard assumes that many of these women may have ended up in the illicit sex trade in Western Europe. Unfortunately, there is no cooperation between the Finnish and the Georgian authorities, which could prove affective in identifying criminal networks involved. Reports of similar nature can be found in country reports on Greece, Turkey, Philippines, etc. According to International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports, approximately 500 women are trafficked annually from Georgia. Additionally, since Georgia is located along a transit route between the Middle East and Europe, approximately 500 Armenian and 500 Azeri trafficking victims pass through Georgia every year. Unfortunately, Georgian authorities or NGOs carry out almost no research in this direction. It is obviously not possible to make effective policies if the Georgian government relies on anecdotal evidence and few IOM reports. Additionally, the underground nature of the problem as well as the cultural tradition stigmatizing victims of trafficking makes it difficult to reveal them and estimate their true numbers. According to the survey conducted by “Women for Future”, 67% of respondents considered it shameful for a woman to become a victim of trafficking. Another challenge is general mistrust toward law enforcement in Georgia. According to the same study, only 6% of the respondents indicated that they would inform the police in case they learn that somebody is a trafficker, bringing as a reason rampant corruption in police and the fear of repercussions. During much of the 2004 reporting period, the Ministry of Interior’s anti-trafficking unit focused mostly on illegal adoptions rather than trafficking. Otherwise, police was mainly active in revealing the victims of trafficking rather than the traffickers. In nearly all cases currently under investigation, police have learned about human trafficking after the victims had succeeded in fleeing the captors. Measures taken both by police and by the Georgian government were mainly reactive and ineffective. Fighting trafficking qualifies more as trying to avoid US sanctions rather than designing a practical, cohesive strategy grounded in thorough research and dedication to eradicate the problem. IMPLICATIONS: The Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 requires the Department of State (DOS) of the United States to submit to the US Congress each year a list of countries of origin, transit, or destination for victims of “severe forms of trafficking”. The annual Trafficking in Victims Report (TIP) repeatedly placed Georgia in the list of Tier 2 countries in 2001, 2002, and 2003. This was a serious warning for Georgia, as beginning in FY 2004, countries listed by the DOS in the TIP as failing to make significant efforts to meet minimum standards to end severe forms of trafficking are subject to sanctions - cut off of non-trade, non-humanitarian aid. Tier 2 ranking means that Georgia does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so. However, in June 2003 the DOS categorized Georgia as a \"Tier 3\" country. Making good use of the 90-day “grace period”, the Georgian government hastily amended the Criminal Code adding in the new Articles - 144 and 172, criminalizing trafficking in persons – “Trade in humans or implementation of other illegal transaction in relation to humans”, and “Trade of underage children”. Two cases were initiated under the amended Criminal Code, but they were not brought to trial by the year\'s end. Several other cases were initiated against some traffickers using fraud statutes. Finally, in January, the government’s Action Plan for Combating the Trafficking of Persons was announced. In just three months, in September 2003, DOS quickly “upgraded” Georgia back to Tier 2. However, hasty reforms carried out by the Georgian government in order to avoid sanctions did not change the big picture. During the 2004 reporting period a new government came into power in Georgia. President Saakashvili signed the National Plan to Combat Trafficking for 2005-2006. However, the situation did not actually improve. Because of the government’s failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat trafficking in persons compared to the previous year, Georgia has been placed on special Tier 2 Watch List. This implies that the absolute number of victims of severe forms of trafficking in this country is very significant or is significantly increasing. It is worth noting that Ukraine and Moldova, countries that were in the previous years considered to be more affected by trafficking than any other former Soviet Union republic, are placed in Tier 2 in 2004 report as well.

CONCLUSIONS: The ramifications of the Georgian government’s current negligent attitude and haphazard approach to combating trafficking are sad. Unless the Georgian government steps up anti-trafficking efforts, trafficking will undoubtedly soon reach even greater proportions. The Tier 2 Watch List ranking is alarming, but even more alarming is the problem itself, although even its exact scale is unknown. Evidently, anti-trafficking efforts should not be limited to updating laws and issuing decrees solely. The government needs to attack the problem on multiple fronts simultaneously, focusing on identifying and eradicating criminal networks and corrupt officials, on the one hand, and launching more effective educational programs on the other. It is common sense that preventive and proactive action is the most cost-effective. Within the country, activities of labor and travel mediation agencies should be investigated and monitored. Statistical information should be gathered on the people that they had assisted in getting visas. Another most important area is effective rehabilitation of the victims, and when possible rescuing them from abuse and exploitation. An important step would be to direct cooperative anti-trafficking efforts towards disrupting the trafficking routes to the destination countries, as well as collaborating with those countries, for which Georgia serves as a transit country, in the first place neighboring Armenia and Azerbaijan. Considerable experience could be gained by looking at how the Baltic states work together and with the North European countries which are the primary destination countries for the Baltic republics. Only by understanding the nature of the problem, through international cooperation, and by learning the lessons of other countries with successful track record will it be possible to make significant steps towards fighting the problem and decreasing the absolute numbers of the victims of trafficking in Georgia. But first, there is a need for strong commitment on the part of the Georgian government. AUTHOR’S BIO: Tamar Mikadze is a Program Officer with the Institute of International Education and World Learning.