Human Trafficking in [Tunisia Street Children in [Tunisia] [other countries]Child Prostitution in [Tunisia] [other countries] |
Human Trafficking & Modern-day Slavery In the
first ten years of the 21st Century -
2000 to 2009
Tunisia is a source, destination, and possible transit
country for small numbers of men, women, and children trafficked for the
purposes of forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation. Several Tunisian
trafficking victims were identified during the reporting period in foreign
locations; two women were rescued from forced prostitution in Jordan and
three men from forced labor in Italy. Some Tunisian girls are trafficked
within the country for domestic servitude. A 2008 survey of 130 domestic
workers in the Greater Tunis region found that 52 percent were under the age
of 16; twenty-three percent claimed to be victims of physical violence, and
11 percent of sexual violence. Ninety-nine percent indicated they had no work
contracts and the majority received salaries below the minimum wage. These
conditions are indicators of possible forced labor. - U.S. State Dept
Trafficking in Persons Report, June, 2009 [full country report] |
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CAUTION: The following links have been
culled from the web to illuminate the situation in ***
FEATURED ARTICLE *** Amnesty International has hit back
at a fake site lauding the human rights achievements of Tunisia by creating a
new Website to counter the claims.
www.amnesty-tunisia.org has "nothing to do with Amnesty
International," the new site says. "It was created by supporters of
the Tunisian government in an attempt intentionally to mislead the
public. "It is yet another
example of the extent to which the Tunisian authorities are prepared to go in
order to hide the reality of their human rights record. ***
ARCHIVES *** Bur of Democracy,
Human Rights & Labor - Country
Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2005 TRAFFICKING
IN PERSONS – The law
prohibits trafficking in persons, and there were no reports that persons were
trafficked to, from, or within the country. In January 2004 the legislature
approved amendments to the 1975 law on passports and travel documents. The
law includes provisions for sentencing convicted traffickers to prison terms
of 3 to 20 years, and fines of $67 thousand to $83 thousand (80 thousand to
100 thousand dinars). The amendments brought
national law into conformance with the international protocol agreement on
trafficking of persons. The government prepared to use provisions of the
penal code to combat trafficking should the need arise. For example,
traffickers could be prosecuted under laws prohibiting forced displacement of
persons. The Ministry of Interior and Local
Development and the Ministry of Social Affairs, Solidarity and Tunisians
Abroad were the agencies responsible for anti-trafficking efforts. Since
trafficking was not deemed a problem, there were no specific government campaigns
to prevent trafficking. Freedom
House Country Report - Political Rights: 7 Civil Liberties: 5 Status: Not Free Human Rights Overview
by Human Rights Watch – Defending Human Rights Worldwide The Protection Project - Tunisia [DOC] FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE
TRAFFICKING INFRASTRUCTURE - Tunisia’s 800 miles (1,300 kilometers) of coastline facing
Italy, combined with its proximity to
Sicily and the rest of Italy, make it an ideal transit country for smuggling
and trafficking in persons. Women and children make the dangerous journey
across the Mediterranean believing that they will have better lives in
Europe. The corruption of public
officials in Tunisia also contributes to the trafficking infrastructure. United
Nations and Tunisian police officers have been found to be involved in
trafficking for prostitution. FORMS OF TRAFFICKING - Victims are trafficked to and
through Tunisia for purposes of prostitution and domestic labor. Commercial
sex tourism exists in Tunisia, though little research has been devoted to
uncovering the extent of the problem. Commercial
sexual exploitation of children - The situation in the Middle East/North
Africa region SOME RESPONSES AND EXAMPLES OF
ACTION AGAINST CSEC -
In 1995, Tunisia introduced a Code for the Protection of Children, including
a rapid reaction task force to intervene in emergencies, under the direction
of the Family Judge, to ensure that the provisions of the Code are used. Amnesty International has hit back
at a fake site lauding the human rights achievements of Tunisia by creating a
new Website to counter the claims.
www.amnesty-tunisia.org has "nothing to do with Amnesty
International," the new site says. "It was created by supporters of
the Tunisian government in an attempt intentionally to mislead the
public. "It is yet another example
of the extent to which the Tunisian authorities are prepared to go in order
to hide the reality of their human rights record. All material used herein
reproduced under the fair use exception of 17 USC § 107 for noncommercial,
nonprofit, and educational use. PLEASE
RESPECT COPYRIGHTS OF COMPONENT ARTICLES.
Cite this webpage as: Patt, Prof. Martin,
"Human Trafficking & Modern-day Slavery - |
Human Trafficking in [Tunisia Street Children in [Tunisia] [other countries]Child Prostitution in [Tunisia] [other countries]