Albania Sees Little Progress in Human Trafficking
Tirana | 16 June 2009 |
Roma children
The annual report on human trafficking pinpoints Albania as a source country for men, women, and children smuggled for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labour.
The report notes that Albanian victims are trafficked primarily to Greece, Italy, Macedonia, Kosovo, Spain, France, the UK and other Western European countries, as well as within Albania.
Data presented in the report indicates that more than half the victims of trafficking are under the age of 18. Most sex trafficking victims are women and girls between the ages of 15 and 25, 90% of whom are ethnic Albanian.
Ethnic Roma children are most at risk for forced begging. There is also evidence that Albanian men have been trafficked for forced labor to Greece's agricultural sector.
Winning the fight against human trafficking remains one the main preconditions for Albania's integration with the EU.
“The Government of Albania does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so,” the report reads.
“It has demonstrated increased political will to combat human trafficking over the last year, particularly through progress made in its efforts to identify victims of trafficking, however concerns remained regarding whether the government vigorously prosecuted labor trafficking offenders and public officials who participated in or facilitated human trafficking.”
Recommendations include the investigation and prosecution of law enforcement officials complicit in trafficking, to bring to justice trafficking offenders, the continuation of work with and funding for NGOs and victim protection services to ensure victims support, and the improvement of existing prevention programs in collaboration with NGOs.
