Between strategy and reality: What the official report on combating human trafficking reveals

With the adoption of the Program for Combating Human Trafficking for the period 2024-2029 and the accompanying Action Plan for 2024-2026, the state has attempted to establish a comprehensive and coordinated response to this issue.

However, the NGO Atina's analysis of the Report on the Implementation of the Action Plan for 2025 shows that the gap between strategic commitments and their implementation remains significant.

Formal progress without substantive change

The report indicates certain formal advancements, including meeting the target for detecting organized criminal groups. However, this result (one planned and one detected group) reflects more a low level of ambition than genuine progress in combating organized crime.

At the same time, key indicators related to prosecution and victim protection did not reach their planned targets. The number of criminal complaints decreased (from 20 in 2024 to 18 in 2025), while the planned number of reported perpetrators (25 out of 37) and victims included in criminal complaints (26 out of 30) was not achieved. These figures point to the limited capacity of the system to respond to human trafficking in line with its own strategic commitments. 

Victim identification: The system continues to lag behind

It is particularly concerning that key systems still fail to identify victims of human trafficking. Despite the trainings conducted, the healthcare system did not refer a single suspicion (planned: 4), the education system referred only one (planned: 12), and the labour inspectorate only one (planned: 2).

These figures raise serious questions about the quality of trainings, as well as the functionality of early identification and referral mechanisms. At the same time, the number of reports within the migrant population has significantly exceeded expectations (255 compared to the planned 28), further indicating that identification depends on context and individual actors, rather than on a systemic approach.

The role of civil society and the structural dependency of the system

The report clearly shows that civil society continues to play a key role within the protection system. Activities implemented by NGO Atina, ranging from licensed assisted housing to psychological and legal assistance, to economic empowerment and work with migrant women, are recognized as an integral part of the Action Plan's implementation.

At the same time, the increased number of victims provided with accommodation (65 compared to the planned 35) points to growing needs and to the system’s reliance on existing, often limited, capacities.

Such a structure indicates a long-term dependency of the system on civil society organizations, without adequate and sustainable funding mechanisms.

Lack of coordination and institutional accountability

For the first time, the report acknowledges challenges in implementing the Action Plan, including procedural and staffing constraints, as well as insufficient engagement by responsible institutions.

However, concrete measures to address these issues are missing.

In this regard, the work of coordination bodies, including working groups, remains limited and insufficiently focused on addressing identified shortcomings.

Justice and victim protection: Between formal rights and reality

The planned target of 85% of victims being granted the status of particularly vulnerable witnesses was not achieved (77.8% were granted the status).

This points to limited access to protection mechanisms and inconsistent practices in their application.

At the same time, a significant portion of support to victims, including legal assistance and preparation for court proceedings, continues to be provided by civil society organizations.

Insufficient awareness-raising and media reporting

Although activities aimed at raising public awareness of human trafficking and improving professional media standards were planned, the set targets were not achieved.

Instead of the planned four media outputs on human trafficking, the state co-financed only one. Instead of the planned 45 journalists trained in ethical and professional standards for reporting on trafficking, only 12 were trained. Furthermore, the Ministry of Information and Telecommunications did not implement any activities, as no applicants responded to the calls for co-financing media projects on this topic.

This demonstrates that setting formal targets is not sufficient. What is needed is genuine engagement of responsible institutions to address these issues, mobilize the public, media associations, and journalists, and ensure the achievement of these objectives.

Conclusion

Although a strategic framework for combating human trafficking in Serbia exists and is being formally improved, practice shows that the system still does not function as a whole.

Key challenges remain:

• insufficient victim identification by key systems

• limited institutional capacity to implement measures

• lack of accountability and corrective action

• structural dependency on civil society, which continues to operate without adequate support and stable funding

Without clear institutional ownership and the establishment of a functional, coordinated, and sustainable protection system, there is a real risk that strategic documents will remain at the level of formal commitments, without tangible impact on the lives of trafficking victims.

Milan Aleksić, NGO Atina, Belgrade, 22 April 2026