URUGUAY (TIER 2)
Uruguay is principally a source country
for women and children trafficked within the country, and
particularly to states bordering Brazil, for the purpose
of sexual exploitation. Prostitution rings may also exploit
children in popular tourist areas of Maldonado. Reports
were received of poor parents turning over their children
to third parties for domestic service or agricultural labor
in conditions of involuntary servitude. Authorities have
identified no transborder trafficking cases since the discovery
in January 2005 of a group of Chinese migrants exploited
in forced agricultural labor.
The Government of Uruguay does not fully comply with the
minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however,
it is making significant efforts to do so. Official reports
of trafficking are few, but the government has made a good
faith effort to investigate allegations of trafficking while
strengthening programs to educate and warn potential victims.
The government should update national laws to criminalize
all forms of trafficking, and increase efforts to train
government officials throughout the country to identify
and investigate potential trafficking situations.
Prosecution
The Government of Uruguay made limited progress in investigating
and prosecuting trafficking cases during the reporting period.
Authorities successfully prosecuted and convicted three
traffickers in a forced labor case uncovered in January
2005, initiated prosecution of one trafficking ring, and
investigated one case of an alleged child prostitution ring
operating near the Argentine border. Uruguayís anti-trafficking
laws do not address the trafficking of adults and most trafficking-related
crimes fall under commercial sexual exploitation of children,
fraud, and slavery statutes. There were no reports of officials
complicit in trafficking during the reporting period.
Protection
The Government of Uruguay continued to lack programs for
assisting trafficking victims during the last year. Social
services for all victims of crime were generally under-funded.
The government funded some assistance to NGOs working in
the area of trafficking, but legal, medical, and psychological
care for victims was not available in all parts of the country.
Shelters for victims of abuse were also mandated to assist
trafficking victims but could not provide accommodations
to all those requesting shelter and did not keep records
that identified whether any individuals they assisted were
trafficking victims.
Prevention
Government efforts to raise public awareness, particularly
among groups most vulnerable to trafficking, increased during
the reporting period. The Ministry of Education produced
public service announcements aired on national television.
The Ministry also began to incorporate anti trafficking
segments in the sex education curriculum at all levels taught.
The government disseminated information and trained police
forces on new legislation including anti-trafficking provisions,
but these efforts were weakly felt outside the capital,
where almost half of the population resides.
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