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GEORGIA: Tier 2
Georgia is a source, transit, and destination country for women and girls subjected to sex trafficking and men,
women, and children subjected to forced labor. Women and girls from Georgia are subjected to sex trafficking within
the country, in Turkey, and, to a lesser extent, in China, Egypt, Greece, the United Arab Emirates, and
Russia.Women from Azerbaijan and Central Asian countries are subjected to forced prostitution in Georgia’s
commercial sex trade in the tourist areas of Batumi and Gonio in Adjara province. Experts report women are
subjected to sex trafficking in saunas, strip clubs, casinos, and hotels.The majority of identified trafficking
victims are young, foreign women seeking employment. Georgian men and women are subjected to forced labor within
Georgia and in Turkey, Iraq, Russia, Azerbaijan and other countries. Georgian migrants pursuing employment in
agriculture and other low-skilled jobs contact employers or agents directly, only later becoming victims in their
destination country. In recent years, foreign nationals have been exploited in agriculture, construction, and
domestic service within Georgia. Georgian, Romani, and Kurdish children are subjected to forced begging or coerced
into criminality. No information was available about the presence of human trafficking in the separatist regions of
Abkhazia and South Ossetia; however, the government and NGOs consider internally displaced persons from these
occupied territories to be particularly vulnerable to trafficking.
The Government of Georgia does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking;
however, it is making significant efforts to do so. Investigations, prosecutions, and convictions increased during
the reporting period.The prime minister signed a decree establishing a labor inspectorate with authority to enforce
preventative measures related to labor trafficking.The government increased the number of anti-trafficking mobile
units from three to four, providing law enforcement more resources and personnel to conduct trafficking
investigations. However, law enforcement’s limited investigative capabilities hampered trafficking investigations.
Experts reported investigators focused on interrogating victims for evidence gathering, rather than interviewing
them to determine whether or not they were potential victims. The government did not outline a strategy to
systematically combat street begging; experts reported the police refused to investigate several cases of forced
begging, claiming street begging is not a violation of child’s rights under current legislation.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR GEORGIA:
Increase investigative capacity of law enforcement officers through specialized training and assign police with
specialized training in trafficking to participate in trafficking investigations; continue to incorporate
victim-witness advocates during the investigative phase; increase efforts to investigate and prosecute suspected
traffickers and convict labor and sex traffickers; enable and train the labor inspectorate to investigate potential
labor trafficking; employ more effective, proactive methods to detect and identify trafficking victims among
vulnerable populations; and continue awareness-raising campaigns about the existence of human trafficking, legal
recourse, and available protection services, targeted at vulnerable groups.
PROSECUTION
The government increased law enforcement efforts over the previous reporting period, but a lack of law enforcement
capacity led to missed investigations. Georgia prohibits all forms of trafficking through the Law on Combating
Trafficking in Persons and Article 143 of its criminal code, which prescribes penalties ranging from seven to 20
years’ imprisonment.These penalties are sufficiently
stringent and commensurate with those prescribed for other serious crimes, such as rape. The government
investigated 16 new cases—12 for sex trafficking and four for labor trafficking— compared with 11 investigations in
the previous reporting period. Twelve investigations were ongoing. Authorities prosecuted five defendants for sex
trafficking, compared with three in 2013.The government convicted six traffickers, compared with three in the
previous reporting period. Of the six traffickers convicted, three received 12-year prison sentences and the
remaining three received seven-, 13-, and 14-year prison sentences.
Law enforcement’s limited investigative capabilities continued to hamper its capacity to investigate suspected
traffickers. Some members assigned to anti-trafficking units in Tbilisi and Batumi continued to lack basic
investigative skills. Experts reported investigators focused on interrogating victims for evidence gathering,
rather than interviewing them for the purpose of determining whether they were potential victims.The government
lacked sufficient well-trained female investigators to interview sex trafficking victims, who are predominantly
female. Brothel owners, dance club owners, and taxi drivers involved in sex trafficking were investigated by law
enforcement to acquire more information. Experts noted police failed to provide available resources to
victim-witnesses, who experienced further trauma during the investigative process. Police fined large numbers of
women in prostitution, many of whom who were not screened for human trafficking, and potential victims may have
been compelled to testify against pimps and brothel owners. The government did not outline a strategy to
systematically address street begging; experts report the police refused to investigate several cases of forced
begging, claiming street begging is not a violation of child’s rights under current legislation. The government did
not report any investigations, prosecutions, or convictions of government employees complicit in human
trafficking.
PROTECTION
The government increased victim identification efforts and sustained efforts to protect trafficking victims. The
government identified 17 trafficking victims; 10 females, including one minor, were sex trafficking victims, and
seven males were victims of labor trafficking.There was a low level of victim identification of children in
exploitative situations on the street and Georgian and foreign workers in vulnerable labor sectors. In February
2015, the prime minister signed a decree establishing a labor inspectorate, which aimed to increase the
government’s capacity to identify victims of forced labor. Without the participation of victim assistance service
providers, some police raids on brothels did not involve proper screening of potential victims.
The government funded and operated two shelters that provided medical aid, psychological counseling, and legal
assistance to 16 trafficking victims in the reporting period, all of whom also received financial assistance from
the government.The government reported foreign trafficking victims were eligible for temporary residence permits,
but no foreign victims requested them during the reporting period. The government reported victims were encouraged
to assist law enforcement with investigations and prosecutions, although their assistance is not required in order
to receive government protection or shelter services; ten of the 17 identified victims assisted law enforcement. In
one case, information obtained from a victim helped law enforcement identify and assist another victim, as the
second victim was discovered while searching the house of the alleged trafficker. Victims of all
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