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Results for forced begging (romania)

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Author: Swiss-Romanian Cooperation Programme

Title: Trafficking in Persons for Begging -- Romania Study

Summary: Romania is one of the states that have explicit domestic legislation on trafficking in persons for forced begging. The victims of forced begging are not punished, irrespective of their age. Assistance to victims of trafficking is granted irrespective of the form of exploitation. Hence, a victim forced to beg is entitled to and receives the same type of assistance as other victims of trafficking. Moreover, through child protection mechanisms and legal proceedings, Romania determines all the possible situations that involve child begging. This also includes the situation when a child is forced to beg by another person, including the children's parents. Vulnerability to trafficking for begging is not particularly gender biased. Factors such as low levels of schooling, lack of employment opportunities, dysfunctional or absence of social support networks, poor conditions of living and also other elements all acting together, favour the coercion of the victim and indirectly their victimisation. Family-related dysfunctions, such as: violence, alcohol abuse, tense relations between the family members, the absence of a parental model or an inappropriate one, and the lack of effective support, may represent factors that increase an individual's vulnerability to trafficking. Regarding the methods used by traffickers and also the abuses that victims suffer during the trafficking period, there are no different particularities comparing trafficking for begging to other forms of trafficking. Trafficking related to forced begging has mainly developed abroad. This evolution has been associated with the large profits obtained in trafficking for begging, in countries with high living standards, but also with the weak legislation of such countries, which mitigates the traffickers' risk of being identified. The traffickers operating abroad generally consist of individuals with criminal records, who have over time, oriented themselves towards this type of criminality, based on the significant volume of income that can be obtained, compared to the low level of risk undertaken. Interviews of both victims and experts related that most of the time, trafficking related to forced begging only represents one of the criminal actions performed by the traffickers operating abroad, such that traffickers also force victims into sexual exploitation or various street-related criminal offenses. In some cases, the traffickers were also involved in drug trafficking or car theft. Domestic trafficking constitutes a small percentage of trafficking for forced begging. Domestic trafficking shows specific features, compared to the external trafficking. The victims are generally disabled persons, institutionalized minors or homeless children. The victims are forced into begging under the pretext of 'protection', yet most of these victims were already practicing begging in order to obtain a minimum daily living. The study shows the situation of children who are exploited through begging by their own parents as a problem, which must be taken into account. The causes associated with trafficking by parents, include the lack of resources needed for decent living conditions as well as educational and cultural problems that prevent this group from being able to benefit from the social assistance that the Romanian state provides. With respect to the characteristics of traffickers, those operating domestically generally operate individually or in small groups, by exploiting a low number of victims. Generally, no other criminal actions are envisaged, although sometimes, trafficking for forced begging is correlated with trafficking for sexual exploitation or with petty street crimes. The ratio of women to men is equal amongst domestic traffickers, with women and men being involved in both recruitment and exploitation. The evaluation of the vulnerability of persons who are practicing begging, indicates that proper identification and referral of those victims to adequate assistance could break the chain of this particular type of trafficking. If the beggars could be removed from the streets and assisted in a proper manner, the traffickers would lose their assets and the victims could be assisted to exit the trafficking cycle. The assistance process however must be focussed, as an increasing percentage of victims being re-trafficked for forced begging is evident, as opposed to other forms of exploitation.

Details: Bucuresti, Romania: National Agency against Trafficking in Persons, 2013. 86p.

Source: Internet Resource: accessed March 18, 2015 at: https://ec.europa.eu/anti-trafficking/sites/antitrafficking/files/trafficking_in_persons_for_begging_-_romania_study_0.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: Romania

URL: https://ec.europa.eu/anti-trafficking/sites/antitrafficking/files/trafficking_in_persons_for_begging_-_romania_study_0.pdf

Shelf Number: 134962

Keywords:
Child Trafficking
Forced Begging (Romania)
Human Trafficking
Organized Crimes