The procedure sets out how the needs of trafficking victims are to be identified and how social services are to be provided, including rehabilitation and assistance with reintegration.
People seeking help can contact an Inson Social Services Center, a specialized rehabilitation facility, a social worker in their neighborhood, or the National Agency for Social Protection’s 1146 hotline.
Applications can be made within one month after a person is identified as a potential trafficking victim, or within one year after they are officially recognized as a victim.
After an application is filed, specialists conduct an initial identification to determine whether there are grounds to consider the person a victim of human trafficking. Their socioeconomic circumstances and need for assistance are then assessed.
Those requiring rehabilitation may be referred to specialized facilities, where they can receive free accommodation in a safe environment, food and personal hygiene products for up to six months.
Victims can also receive free medical care, psychological and legal counseling, as well as assistance with obtaining or restoring identity documents.
Those wishing to acquire vocational skills will be referred to vocational training centers. Specialists will also assist them in finding employment through district and city departments responsible for poverty reduction and employment support.
If a victim stays at a rehabilitation facility with minor children, specialists will arrange temporary placement for the children in nearby kindergartens or schools. Where necessary, a caregiver can be assigned to the children while the parent undergoes vocational training or seeks employment.
People who do not have identity documents are also entitled to social services. They will receive the necessary assistance while information is simultaneously sent to internal affairs bodies to establish their identity.
Under the approved procedure, women who are victims of human trafficking and their minor children will be referred to specialized facilities located near their place of residence.
Men, foreign nationals and repatriates who return to Uzbekistan under special programs will undergo rehabilitation at the Republican Rehabilitation Center for Assistance to Human Trafficking Victims.
