U.S. Department of State 2002 Trafficking in Persons Report - Spain

Spain (Tier 1)

Spain is a destination and transit country for trafficked persons, primarily women between the ages of eighteen and thirty trafficked for the purpose of prostitution from Latin America (Colombia, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, Brazil), Africa (Nigeria, Guinea, Sierra Leone), and Eastern Europe.

The Government of Spain fully complies with minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, including making serious and sustained efforts to eliminate severe forms of trafficking with respect to law enforcement, protection of victims, and prevention of trafficking. Spanish law prohibits trafficking and alien smuggling, with a specific provision outlawing trafficking in workers. Exploitation of prostitution through coercion or fraud and the exploitation of workers in general are also outlawed. The police dismantled many criminal organizations involved in some aspect of trafficking and made more than one thousand arrests. The government vigorously prosecuted many cases, notably those that also implicated illegal immigration, prostitution, and criminal organizations making use of false identity documents. Spain cooperates with other governments, especially those from source countries, in the investigation and prosecution of trafficking cases, primarily through Interpol and Europol. To protect victims, the law allows temporary residence for undocumented persons who cooperate with law enforcement for the prosecution of migrant smugglers. Victims who are granted the right to stay are authorized to work and travel. After legal proceedings conclude, the victim is given the option to remain in Spain or return to his or her country of origin. Medical assistance is available from government and NGO sources, although undocumented migrants are ineligible for government assistance other than emergency care. The government provides some funding to religious organizations and other NGOs, such as shelters for rape victims or immigrants' health or legal services organizations, that indirectly serve trafficking victims. The police also refer trafficking victims to an NGO in Madrid that specifically serves trafficking victims. To prevent trafficking, the government's strategic plan on illegal immigration explicitly recognizes the need to fight against trafficking. The Ministry of Labor provided support to an NGO that produced a pamphlet reviewing the problem of trafficking intended to raise the visibility of trafficking within Spanish society. The Autonomous Community of Madrid and the European Commission provided funding for a best practices guide produced by a journalists' organization for journalists covering prostitution and trafficking in women.