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/Cyprus.htm
Cyprus is a
destination country for a large number of women from Eastern Europe, the
former Soviet Union, Russia, Latin America, and the Philippines trafficked
for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation. Recent trends indicate an
increasing number of women trafficked to Cyprus from Latin America, Morocco,
and Syria. In 2008, most
identified victims of sex trafficking were fraudulently recruited to Cyprus on
three-month “artiste” work permits to work in the cabaret industry, on
“barmaid work permits” to work in pubs, or on tourist visas to work in
massage parlors disguised as private apartments. - U.S. State Dept
Trafficking in Persons Report, June, 2009 Check
out a later country report here or a 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 precursors of trafficking such as poverty and hunger. 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 Republic of Cyprus Police Department ***
FEATURED ARTICLE *** Damning report on Jacqueline www.medinstgenderstudies.org/wp-content/uploads/cyprus-mail-2_12_2007.pdf [accessed 31 January
2011] Yelena told the
paper that women in the cabaret she worked at were being held hostage and
under constant observation by the owner and his men. She said she had come to Cyprus believing
she was going to work in a cafeteria. But upon her arrival, she was taken
straight to the cabaret and forced to have sex with customers at a
price. Painting an even grimmer picture,
Yelena added that women who resisted their owners’ orders were subjected to
threats and even beatings. Finally,
she claimed that the police seemed to be afraid of cabaret owners, which was
why the problem was being fixed. ***
ARCHIVES *** Report by the OSCE
Acting Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in
Human Beings following the official visit to Cyprus 10-12 September 2018 Organization for
Security and Co-operation in Europe, SEC.GAL/110/19, 5 June 2019 www.osce.org/secretariat/422138?download=true [accessed 7 June
2019] Identification,
referral and assistance for victims of trafficking 25.The absence
of comprehensive data
makes it difficult
to assess the
exact scope and
magnitude of trafficking in human beings in Cyprus. Yet, available
data collected and information provided during the visit from both Cypriots
authorities and civil society organizations,
indicate the existence
of various forms
of human trafficking
in the country. Cyprus is a destination country
for trafficking of foreign women for sexual exploitation, thus
anti-trafficking efforts have
mainly focused on
trafficking for sexual
exploitation. While in
the past the
majority of victims
in Cyprus were
trafficked from countries
outside of the
EU, however, a
change made related
to the provisions
regulating the so-called
entertainment visa12 has
reportedly shifted the
pattern of origin
countries to other
EU countries being
targeted by traffickers. Nevertheless, international reports
suggest that women
of Ukrainian nationality continue to
be trafficked for
prostitution purposes on
false promises to
work as barmaids or hostesses. 28.Reportedly, sham
marriages are an emerging form of exploitation in Cyprus affecting
mainly, but not
only, EU nationals
who are trafficked
to marry third
country nationals to
facilitate acquisition of
citizenship. There have
been some cases
of internal trafficking
of Cypriot women
for forced marriage
with third country
nationals. To this
end, the Acting
Co-ordinator
recommends the Cypriot
authorities to continue their
efforts to identify cases of this form of human trafficking. 2020 Country
Reports on Human Rights Practices: Cyprus 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/cyprus/
[accessed 4 June
2021] PROHIBITION OF
FORCED OR COMPULSORY LABOR Forced labor
occurred primarily in agriculture and in domestic work. Foreign migrant
workers, children, and asylum seekers were particularly vulnerable, according
to NGOs. Employers reportedly forced foreign workers, primarily from Eastern
Europe and East and South Asia, to work up to 15 hours a day, seven days a
week, for very low wages and in unsuitable living conditions. PROHIBITION OF CHILD
LABOR AND MINIMUM AGE FOR EMPLOYMENT Ministry of Labor
and Social Insurance inspectors were responsible for enforcing child labor
laws and did so effectively. The Social Welfare Services Department of the
ministry and the commissioner for the rights of the child could also
investigate suspected cases of exploitation of children at work. Freedom House
Country Report 2020 Edition freedomhouse.org/country/cyprus/freedom-world/2020 [accessed 23 July
2020] G4. DO INDIVIDUALS
ENJOY EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY AND FREEDOM FROM ECONOMIC EXPLOITATION? The legal framework
generally protects workers against exploitative conditions of employment, and
the government has made genuine progress in combating human trafficking.
However, persistent problems include a lack of resources for labor inspectors
and illegally low pay for undocumented migrant workers. Migrant workers and
asylum seekers remain vulnerable to sexual exploitation and forced labor. The
serial murders exposed in 2019 prompted a broader public discussion
concerning the difficult conditions that many migrant domestic workers face
in Cyprus. Sex trade thrives
in Cyprus despite visa reforms Agence France-Presse
AFP, www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/trafficking-cyprus.6k7 [accessed 31 January
2011] But experts in the
field say Cyprus's abolition of artiste visas -- around 3,000 were issued in
2007 -- has made barely any difference at all, instead moving the problem
elsewhere, mostly to bars and massage parlours. "The truth is that two years ago they
sold girls with artiste visas, and today they sell them with work
visas," said Androulla Henriques, vice president of ACESS-Suisse, an
organisation combating sexual exploitation. They changed the
name of the visa, the name of the contract, but the situation hasn't changed:
the women are still here, and the risk of trafficking also. Scrapping artiste
visas is not enough Alexia www.medinstgenderstudies.org/wp-content/uploads/cyprus-mail-19_9_08.pdf [accessed 31 January
2019] Abolishing artiste
visas would do little to combat the problem of human trafficking for sexual
exploitation, the Mediterranean Institute of Gender Studies (MIGS) said
yesterday. Although MIGS welcomed the
government decision to do away with special visas for cabaret women, it pointed
out the decision failed to provide concrete solutions to the problem. MIGS said the reform merely introduced a
more uniform visa policy that effectively involved a change in terminology
and the transfer of responsibly from the Interior Ministry to the Labour
Ministry. But MIGS responded:
“If the government’s objective is to combat human trafficking effectively,
particularly trafficking in women for sexual exploitation, the state must
stop issuing visas to individuals – citizens of third countries – under any
regime to work in high-risk areas.” The phenomenon of
trafficking for sexual exploitation had taken on enormous proportions and the
fact that the government’s decision to abolish artiste visas did not combat
human trafficking was particularly worrying, MIGS said. The wrong approach
on human trafficking www.cyprusedirectory.com/cyprusguide/cyprus.aspx?ID=1886 [accessed 31 January
2011] A more sensible
approach would be for the authorities to safeguard the rights of the women
employed by the cabarets. They do not enjoy the rights of other workers –
they are made to sign contracts that deprive them of basic rights, their
passports are held by their employers and their every movement is monitored
by the cabaret’s henchmen. It is this despicable treatment of foreign women
that needs to be stopped. Close down the
brothels in the north ! Source: www.cyprusedirectory.com/articleview.aspx?ID=594 [accessed 31 January
2011] “We have no laws to
prevent human trafficking and no legal deterrents,” Erk said. She added that
people generally viewed what happened in night clubs simply as prostitution,
and were mostly unaware that the 300-plus women working in them were victims
of human traffickers who made vast amounts of money by forcing the women into
modern-day slavery. Erk was at pains
to explain the differences between human smuggling and trafficking, the
latter being where people are brought into a country to face exploitation of
their sexuality or physical labour. The phenomenon was widespread in the
north Cyprus sex trade, she said, because women brought to the island were
kept in prison-like conditions, had their passports confiscated, and were
burdened with debt on their arrival – something which rendered the women
indentured labourers who worked “inhumanly long hours”. All these factors
constituted violations of the UN’s human rights charter on human trafficking,
she said. Campaign seeks to
highlight sex abuse of women Alexia www.cyprus-mail.com/cyprus/campaign-seeks-highlight-sex-abuse-women [accessed 6 November
2010] Myth: These women
are prostitutes. Reality: The victims
are forced into prostitution, abused, raped and psychological blackmailed and
often their human traffickers handle them in such a way that it appears they
willingly prostitute. Myth: These women
know the working conditions before they come to Cyprus. Reality: The women
often come to Cyprus under false pretences of good employment for a good
salary that will give them a way out and a chance for a better life. Most of
the time these promises do not reveal the extent of the exploitation such as
their limited freedom, the confiscation of their travel documents, and the
number of men they have to offer services to. Myth: These women
choose easy money. Reality: Many
victims do not want to make easy money but have limited access to financial
resources for themselves and their dependents and so look for a job to
survive. They often come from very poor families and are educated but cannot
find employment in their own countries. In many cases the traffickers tell
them they are indebted to them and for many months they have to offer
services without payment to pay off their ‘debts’ to exploiters. Myth: These women
have free movement and can leave. Reality: In most
cases the women have no or limited freedom of movement and are watched by
their traffickers. They are normally accompanied by their employers, live in
their workplace and not allowed to live alone. Where the women appear to have
‘freedom of movement’ they have reach the point where they are under
traffickers’ control. It is very hard for them to leave as they and their
families are threatened and blackmailed, they are afraid of deportation, of
the debts they owe their traffickers and the limited support they get from
authorities in Cyprus. Myth: These women
can easily report their abuse to authorities. Reality: The victims
are afraid of their traffickers and so with difficulty go to police because
they believe their exploiters are well connected. The way they are handled by
authorities also does little to encourage them to report the abuse and they
believe they can’t escape and don’t know where to turn. Council of Europe
trafficking convention enters into force Council of http://www.antislavery.org/english/press_and_news/news_and_press_releases_2008/2007_press_ and_news/251007_council_of_europe_trafficking_convention_enters_into_force.aspx [accessed 31 January
2011] In an important
move forward in the fight against human trafficking, on 24 October It is the only international
law that provides all trafficked people with guaranteed minimum standards of
protection, including at least 30 days to stay in the country to receive: o
Emergency
medical assistance o
Safe
housing o
Legal
advice House priority to
overhaul human trafficking laws Jacqueline At one time this
article had been archived and may possibly still be accessible [here]
[accessed 4
September 2011] A Foreign Ministry
spokesman said the bill should be passed into law as soon as possible in
order to rectify the image Rights information
leaflet for women Alexia At one time this
article had been archived and may possibly still be accessible [here]
[accessed 4
September 2011] Cabaret artistes
and barmaids are often ignorant of their rights, allowing them to be
sexually, psychologically and physically abused by their employers, will now
more readily have access to such information. The leaflet clearly
states that women who are exploited, sexually or otherwise, or forced into
prostitution, are entitled to protection and support as well as arrangements
for financial and psychological support. They also have the right to file
charges against their employer and/or anyone else who exploits them and to
ask for compensation due to violation of their rights. Cyprus is a flesh
trade destination Alexia At one time this
article had been archived and may possibly still be accessible [here]
[accessed 4
September 2011] She said: "In
2004, 66 victims were identified, with the majority from the Ukraine and
Moldova. In 2005, 42 victims were identified again the majority of whom were
from the Ukraine and Moldova. In 2006, following the largest police campaign
to deal with the phenomenon, 81 victims of sexual exploitation were found,
again from the same countries."
Of the victims identified in 2006, three had come to Cyprus as
tourists, three as housemaids, three as students, five were asylum seekers,
19 worked in bars, and the remaining 47 worked in cabarets, she said. Police training on
human trafficking Leo At one time this
article had been archived and may possibly still be accessible [here]
[accessed 4
September 2011] Justice Minister
Sophoclis Sophocleous yesterday spoke of his determination to eliminate the
trafficking of women. He said that in
Cyprus there were currently 1,200 artistes, 20 agents and 120 cabarets. “You
can draw your own conclusions,” he said. US Steps In To
Rescue Girl From Prostitution In The North At one time this article
had been archived and may possibly still be accessible [here]
[accessed 4
September 2011] The girl was
reportedly being sexually exploited by a cabaret owner in the north. Her
parents were alerted to her plight when she began calling them from mobile
phones. According to reports, the girl
had been forced to engage in sexual activities with customers. A Modern Form Of
Slavery Leo At one time this
article had been archived and may possibly still be accessible [here]
[accessed 4
September 2011] In June last year,
for the first time, the Treated like pieces
of meat Sofia Kannas, Cyprus Mail, October 30, 2004 At one time this article
had been archived and may possibly still be accessible [here]
[accessed 4
September 2011] I truly believe
that for it’s size there isn’t another country in Europe with so many women
working as prostitutes,” he adds, shaking his head. “It still distresses me greatly.” One girl who came
to the refuge after just a few days on the job has particularly stuck in her
mind. “I asked her what she needed
when she arrived here, expecting her to say perhaps a sandwich or a drink,
but she said all she wanted was to sleep. I was surprised until I learned
what her typical 24 hours entailed.
“She had to be at the cabaret for 6.30pm and until 3am she would have
to dance and entertain clients, most of who wanted more than a dance. Then
she would be expected to spend the night in a hotel with a client, until
around 7 or 8am. “But I thought surely
she must have been able to sleep properly after that? “‘No,’ she said. ‘I would grab a couple of
hours sleep until 11am. Then I had to be downstairs, in a room with some
arcade games and a couple of sofas. There were men there supposedly playing
games but in fact they would look us up and down and pick one of us and we’d
have to go upstairs and have sex with them. This went on until the afternoon.
After that we had time to ‘rest’ and get ready for the next night’s work.’ Concluding
Observations Of The Committee On The Rights Of The Child (CRC) UN Convention on the
Rights of the Child, 6 June 2003 www1.umn.edu/humanrts/crc/cyprus2003.html [accessed 31 January
2011] [55] The Committee welcomes
the enactment in 2000 of the Law on the Combating of Trafficking of Persons
and Sexual Exploitation of Minors and the Protection of Witnesses Law of
2001 making specific provision for the protection of child witnesses. While
noting that the State party does not consider that problems relating to
trafficking or other forms of sexual exploitation exist, the Committee
remains concerned that such problems may remain “hidden” and that the
authorities may be unaware of them. In
particular, the Committee refers to the concerns expressed by the Special
Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography
that The Protection
Project - The www.protectionproject.org/human_rights_reports/report_documents/cyprus.doc [Last accessed 2009] FORMS OF TRAFFICKING
- According
to government estimates, more than 1,000 foreign artistes arrive every 6
months to work in cabarets in All of these women
arrive in Cyprus in a similar way—by responding to newspaper or employment
agency advertisements inviting young women to work as cabaret dancers or as
barmaids in cabarets, nightclubs, and bars on the island. Many mistakenly
trust seemingly legitimate, sympathetic, and knowledgeable employment
recruiters. Others are deceived by their acquaintances, even childhood
friends. They learn the true
nature of their occupations after arriving on the island. Many foreign
cabaret dancers live lives of abuse and violence. At a minimum, they are
deceived about the exact nature of their employment, sold by impresarios to
cabaret owners, paid only a small fraction of the client’s fee or given no
payment at all for a sexual transaction, and have little freedom of movement.
They are often raped and beaten until they submit to performing a sexual
service. Their passports are taken away, leaving them little avenue for
escape or assistance. Although not all are forced into prostitution, most women
experience sexual abuse and other forms of physical violence at the hands of
the cabaret owners or their employees and friends. Those women who are not
forced into prostitution might be obliged to serve drinks topless or engage
in consumatsia. Consumatsia
is a practice intended to induce a client to buy alcoholic drinks—both for himself and for the woman—so as to increase the profit to
the establishment where she is working. It involves having a young woman
working in the cabaret or bar provide a service to
the client such as having an informal conversation with a client, performing
a striptease, or caressing him. Not all cabarets engage in such blatant
violations against their workers, but firsthand accounts of abuse from women
who have escaped from the cabarets are widespread. Often, cabaret owners
gradually move the artistes from legitimate tasks to more exploitive
conditions. ***
EARLIER EDITIONS OF SOME OF THE ABOVE *** 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/277153.htm
[accessed 20 March
2019] www.state.gov/reports/2017-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/cyprus/ [accessed 25 June
2019] PROHIBITION OF
FORCED OR COMPULSORY LABOR Forced labor
occurred primarily in the agriculture sector. Police investigated cases of
forced labor among men and women working on farms. Foreign migrant workers,
children, and asylum seekers were particularly vulnerable. Employers forced
foreign workers, primarily from Eastern Europe and East and South Asia, to
work up to 15 hours a day, seven days a week, for very low wages and in
unsuitable living conditions. In 2016 police identified two victims of labor
trafficking. Employers often retained a portion of foreign workers’ salaries
as payment for accommodations. There have been isolated cases of Romani
parents forcing their children to beg. Human Rights
Reports » 2005 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices 2009-2017.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/2005/61643.htm [accessed 7 February
2020] TRAFFICKING
IN PERSONS
– The country was both a destination and transit point for persons being
trafficked for sexual exploitation, and authorities were aware of and
generally tolerated the situation. The country was a destination for women
trafficked from Eastern Europe, primarily All
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