06/23/2009

News / Topics: Democracy, Europe and Eurasia Keywords: Human rights, trafficking in persons, human slavery, Trafficking in Persons Report 16 June 2009 In Albania and Greece, Brave Individuals Fight Human Slavery Vera Lesko and George Vanikiotis honored b

By Yasmine Alotaibi
Staff Writer
Source: http://www.america.gov/st/democracyhr-english/2009/June/20090609094639byibiatola0.7989095.html?CP.rss=true

Washington — By fighting human trafficking in Albania, Vera Lesko knows she is risking danger to herself and her family.

Since beginning her efforts in 1997, Lesko has received threats as well as several public beatings. Her family has also suffered. In fact, Lesko sent her daughter to live with relatives in Italy after threats were made against her daughter. Despite the danger, Lesko continues to fight human trafficking in her country.

Albania has served as a major source and transit country for human trafficking over the years and also has been a major source for the trafficking of women.

In 1999, Lesko opened The Hearth Psycho-Social Center, the first organization in the country to help human trafficking victims. Two years later, her organization opened Albania’s first shelter designed to help trafficked Albanian women and girls. The shelter not only provides victims with a safe location away from traffickers but also offers legal and medical counseling, educational training, employment assistance and family mediation services.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) estimates that such efforts by Lesko and her organization have saved more than 1,600 trafficked girls and women.
In July 2008, the Albanian government approved a plan to reduce trafficking. The government has also made significant improvement over the last year in recognizing victims of human trafficking as well as increasing investigations and prosecutions of traffickers. Despite these improvements, human trafficking continues to plague Albania and its neighbors, including Greece.

POLICE OFFICER FIGHTS TRAFFICKING IN GREECE

In Greece, Major George Vanikiotis of the Attica Police Department’s Organized Crime Division has focused his career on human slavery as commander of its Anti-Trafficking Unit. In addition to breaking up major urban trafficking rings, he also trains others in Greece on how best to address the trafficking problem. This includes training police cadets, prosecutors, health professionals and labor inspectors throughout the country.

Vanikiotis has also focused on promoting awareness in Greece’s education system by leading anti-trafficking seminars at high schools and universities. He is taking his work to a global level, not only focusing on urban rings but also labor exploitation and international law enforcement cooperation.

INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION

This year, Lesko and Vanikiotis are being recognized by the U.S. Department of State for their significant work in the fight against human trafficking. Since 2001, the department has released its annual Trafficking in Persons Report, which has served as a comprehensive report on governments’ efforts to stop trafficking. While some nations have made progress in reducing this crime, modern-day slavery continues to devastate the lives of millions around the world.

In addition to addressing government efforts, the report recognizes “Heroes Acting to End Modern-Day Slavery.” Lesko and Vanikiotis are two such heroes.

An estimated 800,000 men, women and children are trafficked across international borders each year. Millions more are trafficked within their own countries.

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