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/Malta.htm
Malta is a
destination country for women from Russia, Ukraine, Romania, and other
European countries trafficked for the purpose of commercial sexual
exploitation. In addition, irregular migrants from African countries arrive
in Malta en route to Italy and elsewhere and may be vulnerable to human
trafficking. - U.S. State Dept Trafficking in Persons Report, June, 2009 Check
out a later country report here and possibly 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 Human trafficking hotline ***
FEATURED ARTICLE *** Malta ratifies
treaty banning sale, prostitution of children during annual UN event UN News Centre, 28
September 2010 www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=36261&Cr=treaties&Cr1= [accessed 20
February 2011] A top United
Nations official today hailed The treaty, one of
two Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, extends
the obligations of States parties to guarantee the protection of children
from sale, pornography and prostitution, through explicit prohibition of
these acts in their laws. It strengthens the
protection of the rights of child victims and consolidates international
cooperation to fight impunity for crimes against children, including the sale
of children, trafficking and sexual exploitation. ***
ARCHIVES *** 2020 Country
Reports on Human Rights Practices: Malta 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/malta/
[accessed 16 June
2021] PROHIBITION OF
FORCED OR COMPULSORY LABOR There were reports
of men and women in bonded labor and domestic servitude. Many victims of
labor trafficking borrowed large sums of money to travel to Malta where they
were recruited for certain work and salary. In reality, however, terms of
their employment fell short of promises, and the borrowed money was used to
keep the victims enslaved. Both foreign domestic workers and irregular
migrant workers were vulnerable to forced labor in various sectors that
included cleaning, construction, and caring. PROHIBITION OF CHILD
LABOR AND MINIMUM AGE FOR EMPLOYMENT The government
generally enforced the law in most formal sectors of the economy. No assessment was
available on the effectiveness with which Jobs Plus monitored the
unregistered employment of children as domestic employees and restaurant
workers. Freedom House
Country Report 2020 Edition freedomhouse.org/country/malta/freedom-world/2020 [accessed 3 May 2020] G4. DO INDIVIDUALS
ENJOY EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY AND FREEDOM FROM ECONOMIC EXPLOITATION? Residents
generally enjoy fair access to economic opportunity and protection from labor
exploitation, though migrant workers in particular are vulnerable to labor
and sex trafficking or conditions that amount to forced labor. In July 2019,
approximately 100 migrants were found to be living in substandard conditions
in Marsa.1 The
leader of a leading Maltese trade union claimed that some migrants are being
paid less than one euro an hour for their labor. Publication of
anti-human trafficking action plan ‘imminent’ David Lindsay, The www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=133003 [accessed 3 October
2011] Between 2002 and
2010, there were 10 cases of human trafficking in Malta is to ratify
six international conventions The www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=61224 [accessed 20
February 2011] [accessed 5 February
2018] The Cabinet has
approved the ratification of six international conventions. These are: The
Convention for Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters between European
Union Member States of 29 May, 2000, and the relevant protocol, the protocol
for the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, on the Sale of
Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography; the European Council’s
Convention on Money Laundering, and the Financing of Terrorism; The United
Nations Convention against Corruption; the Convention for the Protection of
Financial Instruments of the European Communities, and the relevant
protocols; and the European Council’s Convention for Action against Human
Trafficking. Renewed call for David Lindsay, The www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=59710 [accessed 20
February 2011] [accessed 3 May
2020] Despite Malta being
placed right in the centre of one of the world’s densest human trafficking centres, the Mediterranean, it still has to sign the
declaration, which sets out a range of minimum requirements that states must
conform with in order to respect and protect the rights of trafficked
persons. In Malta, there has
been a noted prevalence of foreign women being forced into prostitution in
recent years. Criminals responsible for the practice, usually operating under
the radar in the underbelly of Maltese society, are also said to buy and sell
such women through “owners” simply by exchanging the passports of such
exploited women. “Frequently,”
Amnesty International points out, “their rights to physical and mental
integrity; liberty and security of the person; freedom from slavery,
slavery-like practices, torture and other inhuman or degrading treatment;
family life; freedom of movement; privacy; the highest attainable standard of
health; and safe and secure housing are violated.” But rather than
being treated as victims, when trafficked persons come to the attention of
the authorities they are typically treated as criminals, illegal immigrants
or as tools for the judicial system as authorities seek to bring charges
against traffickers. Palestinian man
wanted in Juan Ameen, The www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=56430 [accessed 20
February 2011] A 42-year-old
Palestinian man was arraigned under arrest after the Maltese authorities
received a European Arrest Warrant asking for his extradition to face charges
in Prosecuting
inspector Chris Pullicino told the court that on 23
March 2005, a number of Chinese migrants were abandoned in the waters between
Malta and Sicily. One of these
identified Mr Ebeid.
Furthermore, he added, six Chinese migrants had died as a result. Italian police
disrupt Chinese human trafficking ring The www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=55325 [accessed 20
February 2011] [accessed 5 February
2018] Italian police have
arrested five people of Chinese origin who are said to have been involved in
an organisation that allegedly arranged to bring
irregular migrants to Malta en route to Italy, Alice Notizie
and Capri News reported yesterday. Residence permits
for immigrants who snitch on human traffickers Matthew Vella, archive.maltatoday.com.mt/2007/07/15/n9.html [accessed 20
February 2011] The government will
be offering a temporary residence permit to immigrants who cooperate with the
authorities in the fight against human trafficking, in a bid to retain key
informants on the island for the duration of their investigations. A legal notice published this week
introduced a six-month renewable residence permit for persons described as
“victims of trafficking and illegal immigration” who are ready to cooperate
with the police in investigations into illegal immigration networks. They will be generally expected to furnish
the police with names of traffickers, their accomplices and details related
to departure points, information witch will contribute significantly to the
tracing and prosecution of traffickers. EPP leader urges
crackdown on human trafficking Martin Banks, August
3, 2007 -- Source: www.eupolitix.com www.impetuseurope.com/news/index.cfm?ID=1397&xMonth=All&xYear=All&xPage=68 [accessed 20
February 2011] The leader of
parliament’s biggest group has called on the European commission to 'immediately'
resume a scheme aimed at combating human trafficking into "It appears
that the mission has been effective in reducing the number of illegal
immigrants heading to Malta,"
said EPP leader Joseph Daul. "Certainly, when one compares the
latest figures to those in the same period in June, the number of
arrivals in Malta are 50 per cent down." Over recent years,
the Mediterranean has been experiencing an increasing number of crossings
from the northern shores of Africa, with Malta being directly on the
route. Uncounted numbers die every
year. Patrols ‘deterring
human trafficking’ - All year round mission from January - Frattini Herman Grech, Times of www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20070706/local/patrols-deterring-human-trafficking [accessed 20
February 2011] timesofmalta.com/articles/view/patrols-deterring-human-trafficking.12235 [accessed 3 May
2020] The flow of illegal
migrants in the Mediterranean has dropped by 40 per cent since the start of
the patrols by EU border agency Frontex, according
to Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini. Four boats with a
total of 99 immigrants on board were stopped by Frontex
vessels since the start of the operation on June 25, but three of the boats
decided to venture to Malta and another to Lampedusa, Mr
Laitinen said. Mr Frattini did not mince words and reminded home affairs
ministers from 19 member states that they had committed to contribute a total
of 115 boats, 25 helicopters and 25 aircraft for patrol missions. The commissioner, however, refused to
single out any particular culprit and instead poured praise on the Maltese
forces. Asked whether he stood by
critical comments levelled at Malta last May in the aftermath of the
notorious tuna pen incident, when migrants were forced to cling on to the pen
for three days, he replied vaguely: “It’s impossible for Malta to patrol the
region alone. While it’s absolutely necessary to save human life, I have to
acknowledge that Malta still deserves our help. From May until now, the
situation is changing. My idea is to help Malta, not to blame it.” Court: Man charged
with human trafficking The www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=51201 [accessed 20
February 2011] [accessed 15
February 2019] A 32-year-old man
from St Paul’s Bay was yesterday charged with human trafficking and with
conspiring to traffic people in or out of Malta. The police said yesterday that the
arraignment followed the arrest of a Maltese man and six foreigners on the night
between 13 and 14 May. The police had also seized a speedboat. Court: Romanian
woman charged with human trafficking Juan Ameen, The www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=43817 [accessed 20
February 2011] A 22-year-old
Romanian woman, residing in Malta, was placed in preventive custody yesterday
after she pleaded not guilty to human trafficking for the purposes of
prostitution. Simona Ortansa Bostan was charged with
trafficking people under the age of 21 for prostitution purposes and
conspiring with other people to commit a crime in November and before. Chinese man jailed
six months for involvement in human trafficking di-ve news, At one time this
article had been archived and may possibly still be accessible [here]
[accessed 8 September
2011] [scroll down] A 35-year-old
Chinese man was sentenced for six months imprisonment after he admitted to
being involved in the trafficking of human persons to and from In the Law Courts The www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=42271 [accessed 20
February 2011] Five Chinese
nationals were charged yesterday with involvement in the trafficking of human
beings and with assisting people to leave 20 charged with
human trafficking, 83 refused entry to Malta MaltaMedia, May 3, 2005 www.maltamedia.com/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi?archive=13&num=5914 [accessed 20
February 2011] The minister said that out of the 20 persons charged for human trafficking, nine were sentenced. Of these, only three were handed a prison term. The rest were given a suspended sentence. Article
5 Prohibition of Slavery and Forced Labour European Parliament
Committee on Citizens' Freedoms and Rights, Justice and Home Affairs www.europarl.europa.eu/comparl/libe/elsj/charter/art05/default_en.htm [accessed 20 February
2011] 6. NATIONAL LAWS CONSTITUTION OF
MALTA
- Article 35 (1) No person shall be required
to perform forced labour. UNODC Global Report
on Trafficking in Persons [PDF] UN Office on Drugs
and Crime UNODC & Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking UN.GIFT,
February 2009 www.unodc.org/documents/Global_Report_on_TIP.pdf [accessed 20
February 2011] [page 264] SERVICES PROVIDED TO
VICTIMS
- The State provides legal protection, temporary stay permits,
medical/psychosocial support and housing/shelter exist to support victims of
trafficking in persons who cooperate with the law enforcement authorities. ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION
- All the victims identified in 2006 and 2007 were trafficked for sexual
exploitation. Victims originated from ***
EARLIER EDITIONS OF SOME OF THE ABOVE *** Freedom House
Country Report 2018 Editiion freedomhouse.org/country/malta/freedom-world/2018 [accessed 3 May 2020] G4. DO INDIVIDUALS
ENJOY EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY AND FREEDOM FROM ECONOMIC EXPLOITATION? Residents
generally enjoy fair access to economic opportunity and protections from
labor exploitation, though migrant workers in particular are vulnerable to
labor and sex trafficking or conditions that amount to forced labor. 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/2005/61663.htm [accessed 10
February 2020] TRAFFICKING
IN PERSONS
– Reliable law enforcement sources reported that women were recruited for
prostitution from eastern European countries and essentially
"purchased" by Maltese men, sometimes pimps intent on exploiting
them for commercial sex or by individuals for exploitative sex only with the
purchaser. These women were often "sold" to other pimps or
individuals who then continue the cycle; it is typical for a woman to be
"sold" every three months under these schemes. The victims of this
type of sexual exploitation will typically arrive in the country legally on a
tourist visa and often with understanding that they will be employed in the
sex trade. The degree of the cooperation of these victims with the
"purchasing schemes" once they arrive in the country, or whether
any coercion or force was used to ensure that they remained in this trade,
was unknown. All
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