The U.S. Department of State issued the “2024 Trafficking in Persons Report”. According to the report, the Armenian Government does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking. Armenia remains in Tier 2 among 188 countries that are classified in two levels. The government did not meet the minimum standards in several key areas. First responders did not consistently screen vulnerable populations for trafficking indicators. Prosecutors dropped or reclassified cases due to a lack of evidence or a high reliance on victim testimony without corroborating evidence. Law enforcement officials did not always take victim-centered approach in criminal proceedings. The government continued to fund victim assistance reintegration programs, which, at times, was not sufficient to fully meet victim needs.
Experts say law enforcement in some remote areas may lack the information and training to inform victims of their rights to protection or assistance. Observers continued to report that investigations did not include gender-sensitive approaches, such as the participation of female doctors in forensic examinations of female victims. Observers have emphasized that victims are reluctant to participate in criminal trials due to the lack of confidentiality in public testimony, fearing that their traffickers may retaliate against them or their families, or that they may be stigmatized by their communities. The government has no formal program to help victims and witnesses. The Criminal Procedure Code and the 2016 Decree mandated some victim-witness assistance measures, but none were implemented in 2023.
Traffickers exploit some Armenian migrants who seek employment in Russia.Traffickers exploit Armenian women in sex and labor trafficking, including forced begging, within the country. Traffickers target Iranian and Indian migrants in Armenia. Some children work in agriculture, construction, and service provision within the country, where they are vulnerable to labor trafficking. Traffickers increasingly used social media to recruit victims. The more than 100,000 displaced persons and refugees from Nagorno Karabakh experiencing unemployment are vulnerable to trafficking.
