Armenia downgraded to tier 2 in "Trafficking in Persons Report 2018" 

ArmInfo. US Department of State has published annual <Trafficking in Persons> report 2018, which downgraded Armenia to Tier 2. 

According to the report the Government of Armenia does not fully meet  the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it  is making significant efforts to do so. The government made  significant efforts to meet the minimum standards during the  reporting period by providing robust training for law enforcement,  initiating slightly more prosecutions, and organizing various  awareness campaigns. However, these efforts were not serious and  sustained compared to the efforts during the previous reporting  period. The government did not proactively identify victims or  conduct proactive investigations and relied on victims to  self-identify; the number of victims identified decreased compared to  the previous reporting period. Authorities dropped most cases  categorized as trafficking by local police due to a lack of evidence  and first responders did not use uniform indicators to screen  vulnerable populations.  Investigators repeatedly interrogated  victims, including children, and victims always appeared in front of  their traffickers in court; risking re-traumatization. International  organizations reported cases of child labor and child abuse in state  childcare institutions, and noted the institutions lacked measures to  prevent the exploitation of children. The government continued to  suspend the majority of labor inspectorate functions, hindering  regular inspections that had the potential to identify forced labor;  no labor inspections were conducted during the reporting period.  Therefore Armenia was downgraded to Tier 2, the report reads. 

At the same time the US Department of State recommends Armenia to  vigorously investigate, prosecute, and convict traffickers under  articlesfull 132 and 132-2; establish and implement preventative 77  measures for child labor and potential child trafficking in state   child care institutions; increase efforts to proactively identify  trafficking victims; develop standard operating procedures for  screening trafficking victims and train officials on screening for  trafficking among individuals in prostitution, migrants, refugees,  and other at-risk populations; proactively investigate all potential  trafficking offenses, even those complaints filed by victims that do  not specifically mention trafficking; train investigators,  prosecutors, and judges on victim-centered approaches to trafficking  cases, including for children, and provide advanced training on  trafficking investigations and prosecutions; allow labor inspectors  to conduct regular inspections and identify victims through  unannounced visits; establish formal procedures for repatriating  trafficking victims from abroad, including measures to cover  logistical costs; license, regulate, and educate local employment  agencies and agents so they can help prevent the forced labor of  Armenians abroad; work with Russian authorities to identify Armenian  forced labor victims and prosecute labor traffickers; work with NGOs  to find ways to identify and assist Armenian victims in Turkey; and  approve legislation to establish victim-witness protection measures.