Yerevan /Mediamax/. U.S. Department of State’s "2017 Trafficking in Persons” report says that the "Government of Armenia fully meets the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking”.

“The government continued to demonstrate serious and sustained efforts during the reporting period. The government demonstrated serious and sustained efforts by identifying more victims, adopting a national action plan, and establishing and allocating funds for a compensation fund for trafficking victims. Although the government meets the minimum standards, it did not have established procedures to repatriate victims to Armenia, decreased funding to NGO-run shelters, and continued to lack a formal victim-witness protection program”, the report says.

The report also says that the Armenian government increased trafficking prevention efforts, developed and adopted the 2016-2018 national action plan.

“As reported over the past five years, Armenia is a source and, to a lesser extent, destination country for men, women, and children subjected to sex and labor trafficking. Armenians are subjected increasingly to labor trafficking in Russia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Turkey; Armenian women and children are subjected to sex trafficking in the UAE and Turkey. Armenian women and children are subjected to sex and labor trafficking and forced begging within the country. Men in rural areas with little education and children staying in child care institutions remain highly vulnerable to trafficking. Conflict-displaced persons, including Syrian Armenians, living in Armenia are at risk of exploitation and have been subjected to bonded labor”, the report notes.