U.S. Department of State 2001 Trafficking in Persons Report - Greece
| Publisher | United States Department of State |
| Author | Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons |
| Publication Date | 12 July 2001 |
| Cite as | United States Department of State, U.S. Department of State 2001 Trafficking in Persons Report - Greece, 12 July 2001, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/4680d781c.html [accessed 7 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Greece (Tier 3)
Greece is a transit and destination country for trafficking. Most victims are women who are trafficked for sexual exploitation through Greece to Western Europe from Ukraine, Russia, Bulgaria, Albania, and Yugoslavia.
The Government of Greece does not meet the minimum standards; and has not yet made significant efforts to combat trafficking. The Government has established an inter-ministerial committee for trafficking in human beings, but has not yet acknowledged publicly that trafficking is a problem. There is no law that addresses all forms of severe trafficking, although the Penal Code prohibits slavery, pandering, and pimping. Trafficking cases rarely are brought to trial, and sentences are light. Corruption among police and border control is a major problem; the police bureau of internal affairs has successfully investigated a number of cases of police misbehavior. The Government signed the UN Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime and the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children. The Government has not sponsored any significant protection or prevention efforts, other than a hotline for battered women and limited funding for the International Organization for Migration to assist in the voluntary return of victims in 2000. Greek officials met with German, Italian, and Albanian ministers in the summer of 2000 to discuss creating a regional center to handle trafficking in persons. Greece maintains tight controls on non-EU citizens' entry.
