NATO / MMM / international Advanced Research Workshop:

Global challenges to societies in transition
Case study: Human trafficking in Moldova

Moldova   was virtually abandoned in the turmoil created by the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.It  is the poorest country in Europe: 80% of the population is very poor, trying to exist on one Euro  a day :Women and girls are the most vulnerable because of the very low status they have.  The impact of this absolute poverty is undermining the whole social fabric, of family and community, because the remedy, as perceived by the Moldovans, is to run away: nearly a million young people have left the country. This is tragic for a country with a population of only four million.  The steady haemorrhage is detrimental to progress in the country and  this migration, mostly illegal, has opened the floodgates to human trafficking on a huge scale.  It seems to be a hopeless task to turn the situation around. 

 Jill Donnelly, acting on behalf of MMM, devised a series of small projects designed to help keep young women in Moldova, in training, education and employment: the issue of Human trafficking is so serious that NATO was willing to fund a workshop in Moldova within the Science Programme to try to address some key questions and work out some recommendations to lead on to further action:

A range of recommendations emerged for action in Moldova, receiving countries and the major International organisations such as the UN the EU and NATO.

• Frequent census in Moldova
• Legal support and protection for returning victims
• Reintegration programme for males
• International collaboration at state level
• Moldovan representation needed in all destination countries –particularly United Arab Emirates- accessible for victims of trafficking
• Engage Diaspora to provide support networks for victims
• Training for police, border guards, migration services judges
• Creation of intelligence database
• Civil education programme – particularly families helping all members learn self-respect, respect for women and control
• Work to develop all aspects of Children’s Rights in Moldova, from concept to application
• Develop regional enforcement legislation
• Rethinking of the European Visa regime urgently required to help develop, monitor and control legal migration
• Moldovan travel , labour and marriage agencies should be strictly regulated
• Raise awareness of members of parliament –not all are corrupt but often ill-informed
• There is a need for co-ordination between donors, NGOs and government agencies

The immediate results

• Training for border guards in Ukraine was improved.
• Conference to develop closer regional links and international cooperation.
• Initiative of the International Organisation for Migration to mobilise the Moldovan Diaspora in the destination countries to offer support for victims.