Azerbaijan, Baku, Jan. 8 / Trend K. Zarbaliyeva /
Last year, the women - victims of human trafficking are often taken out from Azerbaijan and exploited in Turkey, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Iran, the Interior Ministry's Department for Combat with Human Trafficking Head, Colonel Javad Shikhaliyev told Trend on Friday.
"Recently, the number of women transported from Azerbaijan to Russia has also increased", Shikhaliyev said.
About 80 cases registered last year and related to human trafficking included mainly women.
About 91 victims of human trafficking were revealed. Crimes against ten of them were committed in 2009. About 70 people were sentenced due to registered facts of human trafficking.
About 90-95 percent of them are women. Last year, three cases of the number of crimes in this category were related to the exploitation of labor. Two these facts are connected with Azerbaijan, one - with Russia.
Shikhaliyev said the majority of women - victims of human trafficking are from unhappy families. They are illiterate people with limited world outlook.
About 48 victims of human trafficking revealed last year were placed in shelters. There they receive medical, psychological, legal and other assistance.
About 42 people were drawn to study at vocational courses, 19 - provided with jobs.
As 2009 was declared the Year of the Child, a shelter for children-victims of human trafficking was established last year. Four children, two of them are minors, have been placed there.
According to the department head, the Ministry of Education created the conditions for children to get education in the period of their stay in a shelter.
About 76 people of the victims of human trafficking are provided with benefits given by the state.
Shikhaliyev said this amount will be gradually increased to 500-600 manats.
Last year, the Second National Plan of Actions (2009-2013) was approved in connection with special attention paid to combating human trafficking in Azerbaijan.
The Cabinet of Ministers approved and prescribed for the execution the national mechanism "Rules on Victims Identification, the department head said.
The memorandum on cooperation was also signed with 45 non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
Shikhaliyev said as a result of conducted actions, the number of appeals to the department concerning victims of human trafficking has recently increased. The appropriate assistance is rendered to them under the condition of anonymity, he said.