A new report by the Council of Europe's anti-trafficking expert body GRETA, published today, evaluates the steps taken by Georgia in 2020-24 to address risks of trafficking among the most vulnerable groups, to detect and support victims, and to punish the offenders. The report pays particular attention to the increasing use of information and communication technology (ICT) by traffickers and the efforts made by the authorities to respond to this challenging new trend.
GRETA notes positively the regular adoption of biannual anti-trafficking national action plans and the opening of a new state shelter for victims of human trafficking in Tbilisi in 2023. Furthermore in 2021 the Law on Combating Trafficking in Human Beings was amended to ensure that victims' access to state compensation is not conditional on failure to obtain compensation from the perpetrators.
Trends and patterns of human trafficking in Georgia
The number of victims of trafficking identified in 2020-24 was 49, the majority of whom were female and nearly half were children. Forced begging was the predominant form of exploitation of the identified victims, followed by labour exploitation and sexual exploitation. Contrary to the previous reporting period, most of the identified victims were foreign nationals (73%), originating primarily from Azerbaijan, Russia, Thailand and Armenia. While fewer Georgian victims were identified, it is acknowledged that Georgian citizens continue to be trafficked to other countries, such as Germany, Italy, Greece, Iran and Türkiye.
The report notes that children and young people in street situations are particularly vulnerable to human trafficking in Georgia, as are members of ethnic minorities. There are cases of children dropping out of school due to their involvement in child labour. Children from the Azerbaijani and Roma minorities are often detected among individuals in street situations as well as in cases of child marriage. GRETA calls on the authorities to increase the resources of the shelters, day-care centres and mobile teams working with children in street situations, and to ensure the implementation of legal safeguards against child labour, including prevention, effective control and referral of cases of child labour.
Individuals seeking international protection in Georgia face poverty and unemployment, which can make them particularly vulnerable to human trafficking. GRETA considers that the authorities should train relevant professionals on the detection of trafficking indicators among asylum seekers and refugees, and improve the social and economic integration of asylum seekers and refugees.
GRETA welcomes the measures taken by the authorities to extend the mandate of the Labour Inspection Office and strengthen the protection of migrant workers, including through the control of intermediary companies. The report notes, however, that the resources of labour inspectors are insufficient to carry out inspections in rural or remote areas, and recommends additional measures to prevent trafficking of migrant workers through the provision of information, training and in the framework of bilateral labour-mobility agreements.
GRETA also asks the authorities to conduct research into the vulnerabilities of individuals with disabilities to human trafficking and develop preventive measures specifically aimed at this group.
Recommendations to the authorities
While welcoming the efforts to strengthen cybersecurity and online safety, GRETA considers that the authorities should improve the detection and proactive investigation of ICT-facilitated trafficking, including online child trafficking, and continue developing cooperation with ICT companies and internet service providers to prevent it.
GRETA's report also repeats a certain number of recommendations made in preceding reports which have not been implemented or have been only partially implemented, and should therefore be addressed as a priority:
- review the National Referral Mechanism to ensure that identification as a victim of trafficking is not dependent on the victim's willingness to cooperate in the criminal proceedings and is based on a victim-centred and trauma-informed approach;
- facilitate and guarantee access to compensation for victims of trafficking, including by ensuring that victims can obtain a decision on compensation from the offender, and that the collection of evidence about the harm the victim has suffered is part of the criminal investigations;
- ensure that human-trafficking offences are prosecuted as such, rather than as lesser offences, every time the circumstances of the case allow this, and lead to effective, proportionate and dissuasive sanctions for those convicted.
Finally, GRETA expresses concern over the negative impact of recently adopted legislation on civil society organisations working with victims of trafficking and individuals vulnerable to trafficking, whose private data may become publicly accessible if they receive assistance from entities labelled as "foreign agents". GRETA calls on the Georgian authorities to build strategic partnerships with civil society actors working with victims of trafficking and vulnerable groups, and to protect the private life and identity of victims of trafficking.
