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Combating trafficking in human beings in the Western Balkans and Turkey

Victim-centered approach to combating trafficking in human beings constitutes a guiding principle in all the Horizontal Facility actions tackling combating trafficking in human beings. Challenges in combating and preventing trafficking in human beings, especially in children, remain in the focus of the European Union and the Council of Europe in the Western Balkans and Turkey.

Children represent half of the officially identified victims of human trafficking in Bosnia and Herzegovina, according to the official annual situation report. The new “Study on the phenomenon of child trafficking in Bosnia and Herzegovina” prepared in the framework of Horizontal Facility II programme, analyses current risks and trends in child trafficking in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and assesses measures taken by authorities and professionals to fight against the phenomenon. It also highlights a series of shortcomings and proposes actions aimed at improving the prevention of child trafficking, the identification of potential child victims and their protection, as well as the prosecution of cases of child trafficking.

in North Macedonia, during the seminar on child-driven reintegration and re-socialisation of victims of child trafficking, it was underlined that a holistic multi-disciplinary approach that takes into primary consideration the best interest of a child must be applied for effective re-socialisation and reintegration of the child victims of trafficking.

In addition to that, more than 50 Macedonian anti-discrimination professionals discussed and improved their knowledge about gender-sensitive protection measures and re-socialisation programmes. During the seminar, the importance of proper implementation of the law on the protection from gender-based violence as a necessity for the protection of trafficking victims based on their gender needs was tackled.

Good communication as a safeguard for the child victims of trafficking is the basic principle enshrined in the new practice-oriented guidance document “Hearing child victims of exploitation and trafficking and children at risk: guidance for child-sensitive communication and interviewing to obtain accurate and reliable statements from children”, published and presented in Serbia. Child-sensitive communication and evidence-based protocols in interviewing child victims of trafficking should be applied by any person or institution in contact with children.

On the occasion of July 30 - World Day against Trafficking in Persons, the European Union and the Council of Europe, in co-operation with the Directorate General of Migration Management organised a two-day “Summit on combatting human trafficking” in Turkey. It gathered more than 200 participants, representing 25 institutions, and focused on essential subjects when it comes to the combatting of trafficking in human beings:  human trafficking crime in the legislation of Turkey, the importance of a comprehensive strategy in tackling this phenomenon, as well as a co-ordinated and multidisciplinary approach which incorporates prevention, protection of victims’ rights and prosecution of traffickers that should be pursued.

Western Balkans and Turkey July - September 2021
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