Ambassador Zuckerman urges Parliament to work to repair former gov't damage to human trafficking

The United States is committed to using all available law enforcement resources to help Romanian authorities end the 'shame' of human trafficking, US Ambassador in Bucharest Adrian Zuckerman said on Friday.

He said a US State Department report found that last year in Romania, under the former government, the efforts to combat human trafficking were diminished and called on the Romanian Parliament's leadership to work immediately with the incumbent government to adopt the necessary legislation, "to repair the damage caused by the former government, damage that encouraged offenders."

"One of the priorities of the United States is to advocate for the rule of law. Yesterday afternoon, the trafficking in persons report requested by the US Congress was published. Unfortunately, Romania remains on tier two watch list for the second consecutive year, which means the Romanian government failed to properly intensify its efforts to combat human trafficking. The report found that last year, under the former government, efforts to combat human trafficking had been decreased, the number of prosecutions and convictions for human trafficking had been reduced, while care for the victims was deficient," the US ambassador told a joint news conference with Romanian Interior Minister Marcel Vela, Minister of Justice Catalin Predoiu and Attorney General Gabriela Scutea.

He said he trusted the current government's commitment to eradicate this scourge in Romania, noting that more needs to be done to prosecute human trafficking offences.

"However, members of the government know that they face a legacy of politics, corruption and criminal networks that impede their every move. Since then, I have met regularly with the minister of justice, the minister of the interior and others. With the support of the United States, they have made sustained efforts to prosecute human trafficking offences, but more needs to be done," he said.

Zuckerman said the US report was correct, but fortunately the number of prosecutions was steadily rising.

"Unfortunately, it is obvious that the report is correct. Organised crime gangs have shamelessly trafficked people, knowing that they will escape unpunished, as happened many times in the past. Fortunately, the number of prosecutions has steadily increased, the protection of victims is also growing," Zuckerman said.

He announced a zero-tolerance for human trafficking.

"Today, I am proud to announce that, in collaboration with the Romanian Police, law enforcement and prosecutors, we are committed to a new zero-tolerance programme for human trafficking. The United States is committed to using all available law enforcement resources to help the Romanian authorities put an end to the shame of human trafficking. If you are a human trafficker, we will find you, arrest you and put you on trial. There will be no refuge for human traffickers, not in Romania, not in the United States, not in Europe, nowhere. You won't be able to hide, it's over," said the US ambassador.

Zuckerman called on the leadership of the Romanian Parliament to adopt, together with the government, the legislation necessary to combat this scourge.

"I am calling on the leadership of Parliament: start working immediately with the government to enact the necessary legislation to quickly prosecute these criminals, to confiscate the proceeds from human trafficking, to better protect victims and to repair the damage caused by the former government, damages which encouraged offenders. This is the time for Parliament to take action and protect the people it represents," he said.