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Why the system is not capable of identifying and helping victims of trafficking in Serbia

Photo: Jack Sullivan/Alamy Stock Photo

During last year, out of 57 victims of human trafficking, almost half of them, that is 24, were children. Traffickers most commonly use children for forced labour or begging, criminal activities, sexual exploitation or forced marriages, as stated by NGO “Atina”, organization that deals with combating human trafficking.  

NGO Atina gave its contribution to the International Training of Trainers in prevention and response to the challenges of human trafficking, which was organized by the Red Cross of Serbia and Centre for the Cooperation in the Mediterranean, by presenting its work and experience in the field of protecting women and children migrants and refugees, as well as recognizing victims of human trafficking and gender-based violence among this population.

Within the project “Improving the protection of unaccompanied minors in the region” which NGO Atina carries out together with the Permanent Mission of France to the UN and other international organisations in Vienna, a two-day training was held in April for the representatives of the Association for the Social Support of Youth - Arsis from Greece and the Association for action against violence and human trafficking - Open Gate: La Strada from Macedonia, which are in their own countries engaged in providing direct support to the refugee population.

Within the project “Local support for the most vulnerable refugees”, which is implemented by the Association Atina in cooperation with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), on April 14 2016 a meeting was held in Vranje with representatives of relevant institutions and organisations from Vranje and Preševo, i.e. actors who are involved in solving the problem of refugee crisis and providing assistance and support to the most vulnerable among them - those who have experienced human trafficking and gender-based violence.