[ Human Trafficking, Country-by-Country ]

TAJIKISTAN (Tier 2) – Extracted in part from the U.S. State Dept 2023 TIP Report

The Government of Tajikistan does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so.The government demonstrated overall increasing efforts compared with the previous reporting period, considering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, if any, on its anti-trafficking capacity; therefore Tajikistan remained on Tier 2. These efforts included identifying more trafficking victims than the previous reporting period and increasing the number of prosecutions.The government continued to conduct trainings on human trafficking for law enforcement and collaborate with civil society in awareness-raising campaigns. However, the government did not meet the minimum standards in several key areas. While the government identified more victims, it referred a lower proportion ofvictims to protection services as compared withthe previous reporting period and it continued to heavily rely on international organizations to provide victim assistance.The government remained without comprehensive SOPs for victim identification to supplement the NRM, contributing to inadequate victim identification efforts and potential penalization of internal sex trafficking victims. The government did not report convictions for the second consecutive year. Despite allegations of possible official complicity in some localities, including forced labor by local officials in the cotton harvest, the government did not report any criminal investigations, prosecutions, or convictions of government officials complicit in human trafficking crimes. Authorities continued to mobilize citizens for public works projects, including in agriculture and beautification projects, which may have included instances of forced labor. Although the government publicized the ban on child labor in the cotton harvest in previous years, it did not do so this year, and children continued to be at risk of forced labor in the harvest.

Prioritized Recommendations

Adopt and implement SOPs to identify trafficking victims and refer them to care, train stakeholders on their use and proactively increase victim identification and screening, including in domestic trafficking (forced labor and sex trafficking), and ensure victims are not inappropriately penalized solely for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of their victimization.

Increase funding and create mechanisms that allocate adequate financial and other resources on a consistent basis for comprehensive victim care and services and NGO-managed dedicated trafficking shelters throughout the country.

While respecting due process, vigorously investigate and prosecute suspected traffickers, including officials complicit in trafficking including cases of domestic trafficking, and seek adequate penalties for convicted traffickers, which should include significant prison terms.

Improve the collection of anti-trafficking law enforcement data, including by disaggregating data by type of exploitation for investigations, prosecutions, and convictions.

Invite and grant independent observers full access to freely and independently monitor cotton cultivation and deliver an unfiltered report of the annual cotton harvest and increase oversight of provincial and local authorities’ seasonal labor recruitment processes to ensure no adults or children are subjected to forced labor in the cotton harvest and hold those in violation criminally accountable.

Increase anti-trafficking training and guidance for government employees, including diplomatic personnel, law enforcement officers, border guards, and customs officials, to prevent their engagement in or facilitation of trafficking crimes and to increase their capacity to identify and assist victims domestically and abroad, including during repatriations and screening of refugees and asylum-seekers.

Implement a victim-witness assistance program and train law enforcement and judicial officials on a victim-centered approach for the treatment of victims and witnesses of trafficking crimes during investigations and court proceedings.

Sufficiently increase the number of labor inspectors and provide them with specialized training to identify victims of forced labor and report potential trafficking cases to the police, including by allowing unfettered access to factories, construction sites, and farms for unannounced inspections.

Increase awareness of predeparture and post return support services available to Tajik migrant workers and strengthen the collection of statistics on labor migration trends.

Monitor private employment agencies for recruitment fees charged to workers and take steps to eliminate employee-paid fees.