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

Slovenia (Tier 2)

Slovenia is primarily a transit country for women and girls from Eastern, Southeastern, and Central Europe trafficked to Western Europe, the United States and Canada. Slovenia is also a destination country for women and teenage girls mostly from other Yugoslav republics, as well as from Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria. A small number of Slovene women and teenage girls are trafficked to Western Europe.

The Government of Slovenia does not fully comply with minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so. Slovenia lacks a law specifically prohibiting trafficking.

It can prosecute traffickers under the following related offenses: pimping, procurement of sexual acts, inducement into prostitution, rape, sexual assault, bringing a person into slavery or similar condition, or the transportation of slaves. In practice, prosecutors find it difficult to get convictions of traffickers under these provisions and, therefore, prosecution is infrequent. It is particularly difficult to prove enslavement. Police focus their investigations on trafficking into Slovenia, and have worked in coordination with neighboring country authorities, where appropriate.

Police have arrested some people for trafficking-related offenses. To protect the few Slovene victims, the government works with an international organization and NGOs to assist returning Slovene victims with reintegration. Also to assist Slovene victims, the Foreign Ministry encourages embassies and consulates in key countries to develop relationships with NGOs involved in combating trafficking. With respect to protection of foreign victims, the government works closely with NGOs and international organizations, particularly on the reintegration of women trafficked from Eastern Europe to Slovenia. However, there is a reluctance or inability of witnesses to testify in court because there are no witness protection programs. There is an absence of shelters, and victims' undocumented status renders them ineligible to work or receive social assistance. To prevent trafficking, the Ministry of Interior produces pamphlets and other informational materials for awareness-raising programs to sensitize potential target populations to dangers of and approaches used by traffickers. These materials have been used by NGOs as part of a municipality-funded series of workshops in middle and high schools in the largest urban center in Slovenia. The government has made progress in monitoring its borders, and consequently has reduced illegal migration considerably. However, when trafficking is suspected, the Ministry of the Interior refuses entry of those involved, but does not coordinate sufficiently with neighboring border authorities to ensure prosecution of traffickers. The government named a National Coordinator for Trafficking in Persons and has formed an interagency working group that adopted a national strategy to combat trafficking.