Human Trafficking & Modern-day Slavery Poverty drives the unsuspecting poor into the
hands of traffickers Published reports & articles from 2000 to 2025 gvnet.com/humantrafficking/Armenia.htm
Armenia is primarily a source country for women and girls
trafficked to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Turkey for the purpose of
commercial sexual exploitation. Armenian men and women are trafficked to
Russia for the purpose of forced labor. NGOs reported that Armenian women
were also trafficked to Turkey for the purpose of forced labor. Women from
Ukraine and Russia are trafficked to Armenia for the purpose of forced labor.
Victims trafficked to the UAE usually fly to Dubai from Yerevan or via cities
in Russia; the trafficking route to Turkey is generally via bus through
Georgia. A small number of Armenian girls and boys are trafficked internally
for purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and forced begging. - U.S. State Dept
Trafficking in Persons Report, June, 2009
Check out
a later country report here
or the full TIP Report here |
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CAUTION: The following
links have been culled from the web to illuminate the situation in HOW TO USE THIS WEB-PAGE Students If you are looking
for material to use in a term-paper, you are advised to scan the postings on this
page and others to see which aspects of Human Trafficking are of particular
interest to you. Would you like to
write about Forced-Labor? Debt
Bondage? Prostitution? Forced Begging? Child Soldiers? Sale of Organs? etc. On the other
hand, you might choose to include possible precursors of trafficking such as poverty. There is a lot to the subject
of Trafficking. Scan other countries
as well. Draw comparisons between
activity in adjacent countries and/or regions. Meanwhile, check out some of the Term-Paper resources
that are available on-line Teachers Check out some of
the Resources
for Teachers attached to this website. HELP for Victims United
Methodist Committee on Relief ***
FEATURED ARTICLE *** Gyumri’s Human
Trafficking Victims Varduhi Zakaryan,
Hetq Online, January 15, 2007 hetq.am/eng/news/5409/gyumris-human-trafficking-victims.html/ [accessed 5
September 2014] “Seven of us lived in
one room, where we didn't even have the most basic facilities. We would be
kept partly hungry almost all the time – there would be days when we would
eat dry bread, cabbage stems and even days when we would go hungry. We had
already been working in those conditions for eight months when we learned
that Ararat had not sent any money back to our families, even though he would
swear on his brother's grave that our families were receiving payments
regularly each month,” narrated 42-year old Robert Karapetyan,
a resident of Gyumri. ***
ARCHIVES *** 2023 Findings on
the Worst Forms of Child Labor U.S. Dept of Labor, Bureau of International Labor Affairs,
Child Labor and Forced Labor Reports www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/resources/reports/child-labor/armenia
[accessed 19
December 2024] Minimal Advancement – Efforts Made but Continued Law
that Delayed Advancement - In 2023, Armenia made minimal advancement
in efforts to eliminate the worst forms of child labor. The government
adopted an amended Labor Code to include child labor provisions that now
fully covers and protects all children, including those working in the
informal sector, and aligns the minimum age for work law with international
standards. Further, enforcement agencies, such as the National Police,
Investigative Committee, and Prosecutor General’s Office, adopted and started
implementing a set of guidelines on ensuring trauma awareness and
victim-centric approaches in working with all victims of human trafficking or
exploitation, including children. In addition, the government adopted the
2023–2025 Action Plan on Trafficking in Persons,
which includes a chapter on preventing child trafficking and child
exploitation. However, despite new initiatives to address child labor,
Armenia is assessed as having made only minimal advancement because labor
inspectors lack full legal authority to conduct unannounced inspections,
which may leave potential violations of child labor laws and other labor
abuses undetected in workplaces. In addition, as the minimum age for work at
age 16 is lower than the compulsory education age of 18, children may be
encouraged to leave school before the completion of compulsory education. The
government also does not routinely collect or maintain official data on the
prevalence of child labor. Furthermore, the government does not have
coordinating mechanisms and policies to address all worst forms of child
labor, including in agriculture, services, and other forms of informal work. 2020 Country
Reports on Human Rights Practices: Armenia U.S. Dept of State Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and
Labor, 30 March 2021 www.state.gov/reports/2020-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/armenia/
[accessed 10 May
2021] PROHIBITION OF
FORCED OR COMPULSORY LABOR The law prohibits and criminalizes all forms of forced and compulsory labor, although it does not define forced labor. The government did not effectively enforce the law. Prosecutions were not proactive and heavily relied on victim self-identification; the most recent labor-trafficking conviction was in 2014. Resources, inspections, and remediation were inadequate to identify forced labor cases at large due to the lack of an effective labor inspection mechanism. PROHIBITION OF CHILD
LABOR AND MINIMUM AGE FOR EMPLOYMENT Children younger than age 14 worked in a variety of industries, including agriculture, construction, and begging. Children living in rural areas were more vulnerable to forced labor in the agricultural sector. In addition, while the government made an effort to reduce institutionalization of children with disabilities, those living in institutions were more vulnerable to child labor. Freedom House
Country Report 2020 Edition freedomhouse.org/country/armenia/freedom-world/2020 [accessed 19 March
2020] G4. DO INDIVIDUALS
ENJOY EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY AND FREEDOM FROM ECONOMIC EXPLOITATION? Legal protections
against exploitative or dangerous working conditions are poorly enforced, and
about half of workers are employed in the informal sector, where they may be
more exposed to such conditions. Armenians are subjected to sex and labor
trafficking abroad, and some children in the country work in agriculture and
other sectors. According to the US State Department, the government has made
efforts to address trafficking in persons in recent years, in part by raising
awareness of the problem and training law enforcement authorities, but it has
done little to identify victims proactively, and the number of successful
prosecutions remains small. 2017 Findings on
the Worst Forms of Child Labor Office of Child
Labor, Forced Labor, and Human Trafficking, Bureau of International Labor
Affairs, US Dept of Labor, 2018 www.dol.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ilab/ChildLaborReport_Book.pdf [accessed 15 April
2019] www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ILAB/child_labor_reports/tda2017/ChildLaborReportBook.pdf [accessed 22 April
2020] Note:: Also check out this country’s report in the more recent edition DOL
Worst Forms of Child Labor [page 158 Despite government
efforts to decrease institutionalization of children, nearly 3,500 children
remain in government boarding schools, orphanages, and special education
institutions. (26) These children are more likely to experience physical and
psychological violence and were at a higher risk of becoming victims of human
trafficking. (6; 19; 26) Children living in these institutions were
reportedly also vulnerable to exploitation in child labor, including in labor
within the institutions. (27; 28). Exact data on
trafficking victims not available in Armenia PanARMENIAN, May 8, 2009 www.panarmenian.net/eng/society/news/31336/ [accessed 19 January
2011] The data on
trafficking victims on the Human Trafficking: Panorama.am,
05/09/2007 www.panorama.am/en/law/2007/09/05/gitajoghov/ [accessed 19 January
2011] According to data
released by prosecutor’s office, the cases of trafficking are increasing in
number. In 2004, 14 cases were reported, in 2006 – 32 and in the seven months
of this year – 20. Armenian women are
mainly transported for sexual abuse to Dubai, Turkey, Georgia and other
countries. The prosecutor’s office has developed 2007-2008 national program
including comprehensive efforts against trafficking. Armenian Prosecutor
‘Alarmed’ By Human Trafficking Karine Kalantarian
and Anna Saghabalian, Radio Free Europe /Radio At one time this
article had been archived and may possibly still be accessible [here] [accessed 3
September 2011] A senior prosecutor
dealing with human trafficking admitted on Wednesday that transport of
Armenian women for sexual exploitation abroad has reached “alarming”
proportions but denied that Armenian law-enforcement authorities are too
lenient towards traffickers. Armenia ratifies
Optional Protocol on Sale of Children UNICEF Media Centre,
www.unicef.org/ceecis/media_1512.html [accessed 19 January
2011] www.unicef.org/media/media_25689.html [accessed 22 April
2020] President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan today signed the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, ratified by the National Assembly of Armenia on 28 February2005 The UMCOR Hotline United Methodist
Committee on Relief UMCOR, April 13, 2004 gbgm-umc.org/umcor-hotline/20040413.cfm [accessed 19 January
2011] Russian Police
‘Helping Stop Human Trafficking From Karine Kalantarian,
Radio Free Europe /Radio www.azatutyun.am/a/1574073.html [accessed 3
September 2011] At one time this
article had been archived and may possibly still be accessible [here] Growing cooperation
between Russian and Armenian law-enforcement bodies has prevented more than
one hundred Armenian women from being trafficked abroad for sexual
exploitation, Russia’s Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliev
said on Friday. Nurgaliev
said “criminal groups” neutralized in joint Russian-Armenian police
operations planned to transport the mostly young women to third countries,
mainly the United Arab Emirates, via Russia. He revealed that members of one
such group, allegedly intent on forcing six Armenians into prostitution in
the Gulf state, were arrested as recently as on June 24. He did not give
details. Bureau of
International Information Programs, iipdigital.usembassy.gov/st/english/texttrans/2003/10/20031009160812ruevecert0.4783441.html#axzz3CMfHlohT [accessed 5
September 2014] INTERNATIONAL
ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION RECEIVES $170,000 GRANT - The United
States has provided a $170,000 grant to the International Organization for
Migration's (IOM) Yerevan office to fund two projects to stop human
trafficking in Armenia, according to an October 7 IOM press release. The two projects
will be aimed at raising awareness among potential victims of human trafficking,
strengthening the capacity of personnel at Armenian diplomatic missions to
assist victims of human trafficking, and increasing the capacity of a
national non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that provides shelter, support
and counseling to victims. Trapping women and
children in world of prostitution Ann Cahill, Irish
Examiner, September 29, 2001 archives.tcm.ie/irishexaminer/2001/09/29/story13721.asp [accessed 19 January
2011] The story in UN
Convention on the Rights of the Child, January 30, 2004 UN
Convention on the Rights of the Child, January 30, 2004 sim.law.uu.nl/SIM/CaseLaw/uncom.nsf/0/431b11a18a3ec535c1256e2e0044014e?OpenDocument [accessed 19 January
2011] [243] The Committee
welcomes the recent efforts made by the State party to combat the phenomenon
of trafficking and sale of children in the State party, including the
establishment of an inter-agency commission to deal with trafficking in women
and children and the amendment of the Criminal Code in April 2003 whereby
trafficking and sexual exploitation are made specific criminal offences.
However, the Committee notes that a comprehensive policy to combat
trafficking in women, girls and boys is still lacking. Furthermore the
Committee is concerned that refugee children and children living in orphanages
may be particularly at risk. Human Rights
Overview by Human Rights Watch
– Defending Human Rights Worldwide www.hrw.org/europecentral-asia/armenia [accessed 19 January
2011] ***
EARLIER EDITIONS OF SOME OF THE ABOVE *** Freedom House
Country Report - Political Rights: 5
Civil
Liberties: 4 Status: Partly Free 2018 Edition freedomhouse.org/country/armenia/freedom-world/2018 [accessed 22 April
2020] G4. DO INDIVIDUALS
ENJOY EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY AND FREEDOM FROM ECONOMIC EXPLOITATION? Armenia is a source
and, to a lesser extent, destination country for men, women, and children
subjected to sex and labor trafficking. The government has made efforts to
address the problem, including by initiating a national plan of action,
identifying more victims, and setting up a compensation fund for trafficking
victims. At the same time, there is no formal protection program for victims
or witnesses, and funding to NGO-run shelters for trafficking victims has
recently decreased. 2017 Country
Reports on Human Rights Practices U.S. Dept of State Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and
Labor, 20 April 2018 www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/2017/eur/277137.htm
[accessed 12 March
2019] www.state.gov/reports/2017-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/armenia/ [accessed 24 June
2019] PROHIBITION OF
FORCED OR COMPULSORY LABOR The law prohibits
and criminalizes all forms of forced and compulsory labor, although no
definition of forced labor is provided in the law. While the government
effectively prosecuted labor trafficking cases, resources, inspections, and
remediation were inadequate to identify forced labor cases at large due to
absence of an effective labor inspection mechanism. Penalties for labor
trafficking ranged from five to 15 years in prison and were sufficiently
stringent to deter violations. Human Rights
Reports » 2005 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices U.S. Dept of State Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and
Labor, March 8, 2006 2009-2017.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/2005/61635.htm [accessed 4 February
2020] TRAFFICKING
IN PERSONS
– According to the general prosecutor's office, at least 80 women were
victims of trafficking in 2004. Trafficking organizations typically recruited
victims with the promise of high paying work in another country. Once in the
country of destination, victims were deprived of their travel documents,
locked in hotel rooms, and told that they must "repay" their
expenses. There were reports of women encouraged to become recruiters for
trafficking rings with a promise of keeping a percentage of their
"earnings." Prostitutes, orphans, the homeless, and those in
difficult financial situations were at particular risk of being trafficked.
Trafficking victims were at greatly increased risk of sexually transmitted
diseases, and some reported incidents of physical violence. Victims reported
that Russian and Armenian border guards were easily bribed or commonly worked
with traffickers. Some prosecutors were also reportedly complicit in
trafficking. There were persistent allegations that senior members of the
prosecutor general's office were susceptible to outside influence. Some
observers asserted agreements between corrupt court officials and traffickers
were also common. There were persistent reports that police employees and
employees of the country's international airport assisted traffickers with
transportation of victims to and through the country. Unlike in previous
years, there were no arrests in these types of cases The Department of Labor’s 2004 Findings on
the Worst Forms of Child Labor U.S. Dept of Labor Bureau of International Labor Affairs, 2005 www.dol.gov/ilab/media/reports/iclp/tda2004/armenia.htm [accessed 19 January
2011] Note:: Also check out this country’s report in the more recent edition DOL Worst Forms of Child Labor INCIDENCE
AND NATURE OF CHILD LABOR - Trafficking of girls to Turkey and the United Arab
Emirates for prostitution is a problem. [276] Minors are
sometimes unaccompanied by their parents, which implies the involvement of
corrupt officials in the trafficking chain. See IOM, Trafficking in Women
and Children from the Republic of Armenia: A Study, Yerevan, 2001, 10,
11, 20, 22. Girls are also thought to be trafficked to Germany, Greece, the
United States, and other European countries. See U.S. Department of State, Country
Reports- 2003: Armenia, Section 6f. See also U.S. Department of State, Trafficking
in Persons Report - 2004: Armenia, Washington, D.C., June
14, 2004. All
material used herein reproduced under the fair use exception of 17 USC § 107
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ARTICLES. Cite this webpage as: Patt,
Prof. Martin, "Human Trafficking & Modern-day Slavery -
Armenia", http://gvnet.com/humantrafficking/Armenia.htm, [accessed
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