Two studies were presented by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) regarding trafficking in human beings in Armenia. The studies were conducted by the Armenian Sociological Association and the Armenian Relief Society and analyzed the understanding of trafficking of different social groups in Armenia, as well as identified which groups are most commonly victims of trafficking. The first study found the group to be most at risk of trafficking was institutionalized children and their care takers. Though they are at an increased risk for being trafficked, they are uninformed on the problem of trafficking in general. Also, the study found that those thinking of leaving Armenia to work in another country do not know the procedures for legal migration; their main source of information is people who have already left the country, which may not be that reliable.
The second study surveyed some people suspected to be victims of trafficking. They found that the greatest country for labor trafficking was Russia and that men are the majority of victims. For women, the greatest trafficking countries were the United Arab Emirates and Turkey where they were subject to commercial exploitation.
These studies show that more needs to be done to raise awareness of trafficking and to inform Armenians on the procedures involved in legal migration. These studies were done in response to the Armenian National Plan of Action on Combating Trafficking, which calls for more research on the phenomenon of trafficking.
Compiled from: OSCE Office in Yerevan Presents Results of Human Trafficking Studies, Press Release, OSCE, 8 September 2006. http://www.osce.org/item/20417.html.