U n NICEF, concern over human trafficking in Albania

Trafficking in human beings, including children, continues to be a concern in Albania, despite reducing the number of trafficked persons and increasing measures for preventing the phenomenon. According to U expert NICEFs for an anti-trafficking programme, Sonia Tree, across the country have numbered about 13 thousand trafficked persons or at risk of trafficking. This has pushed U n NICEF to establish four working groups of experts in 6 of the country's districts to identify the trafficking situation in Albania.

We have set up four mobile teams to identify potential victims or trafficking victims in Albania and, from the very beginning until the moment we are speaking, including Shkodra, have identified 144 potential victims or victims of trafficking in Albania”.

The most endangered part for trafficking are children, a part of them being trafficked to England or other EU countries by parents themselves. INSTAT data shows that, during the past year alone, 109 children were registered as potential victims of trafficking, three other children trafficked, while 67 children sought asylum in EU countries.

These people, says U expert NICEFs for an anti-trafficking programme, Sonia Tree, go into a reference process, into the national reference mechanism, whether to gain the status of the victim of trafficking, which allows them support in the process of reintegration.

There are about 300 people who have received direct support as potential victims or victims of trafficking. Not to mention their children, who have been supported by direct services. To understand that there are organisations in the country, there are state institutions, which support and provide services for their integration”.

Shkodra is one of six Albanian counties where U NICEF is working on identifying trafficking victims. Regional Committee for Combating Trafficking Director Majlinda Angoni says there are a number of structures and organisations that are co-operating on community awareness, as well as the identity of victims, or possible victims of trafficking. She adds that even in Shkodra County, cases of trafficking have been recorded.

“Since last year, we have the treatment of 9 cases of trafficking victims or possible trafficking victims, which, along with several nongovernmental organisations, is becoming the treatment and rehabilitation of these victims. Let's say the cases are down to”.

At the moment, Mrs. Angon adds, disturbing the situation remains at two border points with Montenegro, where large numbers of citizens of the Roma and Egyptian communities gather, creating a dangerous situation for trafficking. The regional community's director for the fight against trafficking says categories of trafficked persons have also been counted or at risk for trafficking.

The “comes from families with pronounced economic problems, come from early marriages, come from poor social conditions. So they're always in danger for this” phenomenon.

According to U experts NICEF, the low number of traffickers arrested and condemned by Albanian justice, continues to be disturbing. Meanwhile, U anti-trafficking software expert NICEF, Sonia Tree, says this organisation has addressed the Albanian government in demand for drafting a special law on the integration of trafficking victims, as such a law is missing so far. / VoA