PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS A Joint Efforts Perspective

Collection of Presentations from the Round Table Conference “Protecting Children from Trafficking in Human Beings – a Joint Efforts Perspective”, 18 October 2003, Beåej

Belgrade 2004 TABLE OF CONTENS:

© Save the Children UK Serbia Programme 2004

Publisher: Save the Children UK Serbia Programme Ljutice Bogdana 20, Belgrade

Editor: Raãa Sekuloviñ Introduction ...... 7

Illustrations: Uroã Begoviñ 1. Trafficking in Children and Human Beings in Serbia, An Inventory of the Current Situation and Responses to the English translation: Predrag Sibinoviñ Trafficking in Children and Human Beings ...... 9 Duãica Lisjak 2. Report on Trafficking in Human Beings, The Republic of Proof-reading: Marija Lazoviñ Serbia Ministry of Internal Affairs National Co-ordinator for Jasminka Milovanoviñ the Fight against Trafficking in Human Beings ...... 33

Print: Colorgrafx, Belgrade 3. Presentation of activities of the OSCE Mission to Serbia and Montenegro in the Field of Combating Print-run Trafficking in Human Beings in the Republic of Serbia ...... 43 1.000 Copies

Belgrade, 2004 4. Anti-trafficking Programmes and Activities, IOM-Mission in Serbia and Montenegro ...... 49

This publication was published within the Save the Children Child Trafficking Regional Response for South East Europe. 5. Anti-trafficking efforts and initiatives, Catholic Relief Services ...... 57

All rights reserved. Reproduction of any form, partly or entirely, including electronic, mechanic or any other form of recording is not allowed without prior permission by the publisher. 6. United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Human Rights Field Operation in Serbia and Montenegro ...... 67

7. Trafficking in Children, Victimology Society of Serbia ...... 73

8. Child trafficking and selected international documents, Child Rights Centre Belgrade ...... 77

9. Protecting Children from Trafficking in Human Beings – A joint Efforts Perspective, Roma Information Centre, Kragujevac ...... 81

10. National Report on Child Trafficking, NGO Astra ...... 85

5 PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS A Joint Efforts Perspective INTRODUCTION

Trafficking in human beings is one of the most perfidious and profitable forms of contem- porary slavery and organised crime, which has been taking toll in its various forms across the world and recently in South East Europe as well. When children get absorbed in the vicious cir- cle of human trafficking, otherwise conducive to poverty, economic hardships and lack of immi- nent development perspective, it becomes even more brutal due to their increased exposure and vulnerability. Children falling victims of trafficking in human beings become subject to physical and sexual abuse, as well as the other forms of violence and exploitation that represent gross and dramatic violations of their rights, guaranteed by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

As one of initiators to UNCRC, Save the Children UK records a long history of struggle for children’s rights, implementation and promotion of which has been incorporated in all aspects of its activities. Worldwide response to various incidents of violence, abuse and neglect against chil- dren is a long-term strategic goal for Save the Children UK, which implies a wide range of activ- ities together with responsible local community subjects aimed at addressing root-causes of these phenomena, which afflict children’s growth and development. Save the Children Alliance has therefore launched and supported in mid 2002 Regional Response to Child Trafficking, that brought together six entities of South East Europe where this perilous form of organised crime is on the rise.

In the chain of human trafficking in the Balkans, given its economic and geographic specifics Serbia has been predominantly transit country, even though certain indicators alert at the real risk of becoming source and destination country as well. Subsequently, Save the Children UK supported activities were focused primarily on prevention of child trafficking through raising awareness of child trafficking among children and all those responsible for their protection. In partnership with local organisations preventative workshops had been organised in many cities across the country, complemented with a media campaign to warn the public of risks inherent to this clandestine and ferocious criminal activity.

Gathering of representatives of local and international institutions and organisations, which joined their efforts within the National Team for Combating Human Trafficking has proven to be a natural need with useful outcomes. Exchange of experiences and information on trafficking in human beings has inevitably led to a conclusion that there is a need to focus specific efforts towards developing protection mechanisms for children, as one of the most vulnerable groups.

Information contained in this collection reflect a framework of legal, preventative and action measures at the time when the Round Table took place in October 2003 and do not necessari- ly reproduce the current state of the affairs in this area of work, which only proves vivid dynam- ics of struggle against organised human trafficking and daily changes which are being recorded in its course. We remain confident and hopeful that a joint efforts perspective in combating child trafficking, as mirrored through experience and knowledge imprinted in these pages, will be help- ful as a set of valuable guidelines towards possible forms of protecting children from this dan- gerous and severe phenomenon.

Raãa Sekuloviñ Child Rights, Protection and Participation Save the Children UK, Serbia Programme

6 7 PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS A Joint Efforts Perspective 1. TRAFFICKING IN CHILDREN AND HUMAN BEINGS IN SERBIA AN INVENTORY OF THE CURRENT SITUATION AND RESPONSES TO THE TRAFFICKING IN CHILDREN AND HUMAN BEINGS

Milica Ãibaliñ

April 2003

I - BACKGROUND OF THE PHENOMENON 1. The previous Save the Children Report on Trafficking in Children review

The last Save the Children Report on Trafficking in Children and Other Human Beings was made by Save the Children - Serbian Programme in October 2001. The con- clusions of this Report were following:

- The dramatic economic situation in ex-Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and its republics Serbia and Montenegro has certainly urged the development of the grey economy and increased the levels of the trafficking phenomenon. The reasons for the increase in trafficking were many, but in general the criminal business feeds on pover- ty, despair, war, crisis and ignorance. The globalisation of the world economy has increased the movement of the people across borders, legally and illegally, especially from poorer to wealthier countries. International organized crime has taken advantage of the greater flow of people, money, goods and services to extend its own international reach. FRY was the fertile ground especially because of afterward arrival of foreign troops and international staff to Kosovo (and near states FYR Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina). - Trafficking in human beings in ex-FRY was present and the children were involved, but the information about how many of them, and for what purposes, was impossible to get. Federal and Republic Ministry of Interior Affairs, local police, NGOs – every- body said that there was not such information because criminal acts were not official- ly registered. However, it can be understood that minors were mainly trafficked for prostitution and begging. - Serbia and Montenegro were primary transit countries for trafficked people between Eastern and Western countries, and sometimes destination and origin countries, too. Kosovo was in the especially difficult position because of its special status and pres- ence of the great number of international soldiers and staff. It was rather impossible to make the report about situation in trafficking in human beings, especially in chil- dren and for Serbia only, because it was the problem of the whole region.

8 9 PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS A Joint Efforts Perspective

- After several years of neglecting this problem and after the political changes in experience or means of intervention. In the absence of the rule of law, and in the FRY after October 2000, new authorities showed willingness to cooperate with inter- state of constant insecurity, the prevention and combating of trafficking in national community to seriously combat against this shameful business. women and girls were far from being a state priority.

From that period on, trafficking in human beings has not changed much, although The women and girls are used for prostitution for some time and then sold, mainly in many various actions have been organized and implemented. Italy, through Montenegro, Kosovo and Albania. The main parts of Serbia where women from other countries are trafficked, are identified as motels and restaurants on the roads on 2. Conditions conductive to trafficking many locations of the country. Women and girls from SCG are mainly trafficked to Italy, Greece, Cyprus, the Netherlands and Germany. There are women from SCG in Macedonia Criminal groups organize trafficking in human beings throughout the world. Often as well, but they stay there mainly in transit to Greece and Cyprus. Albanian women and trafficking of women, children and recently also men is incorporated as an increasingly prof- girls from Kosovo are massively trafficked into Italy. Roma women and children are also itable part of the illegal activities of mafia-like criminals. But, unlike typical Italian mafia, there and are used for prostitution, while male children are used for begging and stealing. mafia-like criminal groups in the Balkans are divided into networks arranged along region- al or ethnic lines. International studies consider these criminals as mafia if it is “character- The problem with trafficked people in fact escalated with the arrival of international ized by profit-oriented criminal activity, uses violence or threat of violence, expends troops and staff in the region as well as the sudden worsening of the economic situation. resources to discourage cooperation of its members with police, and corrupts legitimate gov- The prostitution business developed very quickly in FRY Macedonia when NATO soldiers ernment authority.” came. Same thing happened in Kosovo, too, and before almost identical scenario had been written in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The worsening of the economic situation of Roma peo- Trafficking in human beings, particularly women and children, is still a phenomenon ple, especially after their exodus from Kosovo, created new risks for trafficking in their of great proportions in the Balkans and neighbouring countries. The conditions conductive women and children by their own mafia. to trafficking are determined by a number of factors including: unemployment, lack of opportunities and lack of realistic information in the country of origin; civil and ethnic vio- II - THEORIES, ACTIONS, RESULTS lence, the absence of legal instruments, the existence of porous international borders, cor- ruption and non-existent or insignificant punishment for traffickers. The huge profits that 1. Introduction could be obtained in trafficking, in combination with the low risks, have resulted in the domination of this illegal activity by criminal organizations. This phenomenon affects Since the previous report mentioned a lot of facts concerning this worldwide problem, countries of origin, transit and destination of the victims. we are not going to repeat them (it is available in the Save the Children Fund-Serbia Programme and many other reports). The purpose of this new report is to provide infor- The former SFR Yugoslavia, than FR Yugoslavia (from February 2003 with a new mation on the scope and causes of the trafficking in children in Serbia and to point out name - Serbia and Montenegro -SCG), was mostly the country of transit, but also of ori- what have been done to prevent and stop this criminal activity from the October 2001 till gin and destination for trafficked people. Better living standards, opportunities to travel, nowadays. along with social and other benefits from the communist/socialist period, made the former Yugoslavia quite different from other countries in Eastern and Central Europe. These fac- From the information, it can be concluded that the problem still exists, that it is con- tors have made the country attractive enough to receive trafficked women and girls from stantly changing its face and that all the reasons why it has appeared are still present. From Eastern European countries for the past 11 years. Mostly women, but also very young girls, the other hand, local authorities, NGOs, press and other factors have done as much as they came from Ukraine, Romania, Moldova and Russia. In the text entitled “Female Slaves could to prevent trafficking and punish the actors, taking into consideration difficult polit- from the East,” it is said that prostitution and trafficking in women are the most profitable ical and economic situation in the country. illegal jobs. These jobs came following the collapse of communism, along with corruption, Since trafficking in human beings is not still a specific crime, it is rather impossible to mafia and organized crime, both within sending and receiving countries. estimate the dimensions of the problem, especially when children are concerned.

On the other hand, wars and deep political and economic crisis, as well as ten years of 2. Further actions in Serbia during 2001 and 2002 isolation and sanctions from the international community, have created a fertile ground for sending and transporting human beings to other countries. Moreover, there are no legal In close cooperation with the Anti Trafficking Task Force of the Stability Pact and the mechanisms that can be enforced for new criminal phenomena such as trafficking in women ODHIR, the OSCE Mission to the FR of Yugoslavia conducted a Round Table on and girls. The police and prosecutors for a long period of time didn’t have the knowledge, Trafficking in Human Beings in Belgrade in April 2001. The meeting aimed at a multi-

10 11 PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS A Joint Efforts Perspective

disciplinary approach to combat trafficking by bringing together governmental and ASTRA), a general framework for victims protection mechanism in the FRY has non-governmental representatives as well as representatives of relevant international been discussed and approved in the working groups to create a common ground organizations. More than sixty participants took part in the meeting, among them for implementing anti-trafficking measures. ministers and representatives of the Federal, Republican and national women and human rights’ NGOs. As part of the framework, a National Referral Mechanism and a Code of Conduct for a shelter for trafficked women have been designed which had to respond to the broad. Both During the workshops, root-causes of trafficking were identified and contents of effec- were in compliance with the definition of the UN Convention to combat transnational tive awareness raising activities were discussed. All participants agreed on the necessity and organized crime and its protocols as well as with the guidelines of the Stability Pact‘s Anti involvement in elaborating and implementing a national action plan for the FRY as sug- Trafficking Task Force. gested by the Task Force on Trafficking in human Beings of the Stability Pact, moreover The “Anti-Trafficking Activities of the Yugoslav Team to Combat Trafficking in government representatives reaffirmed their full commitment to the Palermo Ministerial Human Beings” presented a first compilation of measures to be taken in order to address Declaration. these severe human rights violation in a systematic and multi-disciplinary approach.

The governmental representatives have resumed a lead role in the process while con- 3. Anti trafficking activities of the Yugoslav Team to combat trafficking in human structively involving counterparts of the non-governmental sector. Federal Ministry of beings in 2001/2002 Interior Assistant Minister set up the Initial Board for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, which met in May 2001 for the first time. Representatives of the Federal and After various discussions, many measures were undertaken. To make the activities more Republic Ministries, Yugoslav non-governmental organizations, international organizations efficient, the Yugoslav Team was divided in several groups. Each of them had fixed tasks: and representatives of the media supported the Initiative and constituted during this meet- ing the Yugoslav Team for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings. Furthermore this a) Working group on prevention and awareness rising Initial Board began to prepare a long term, co-ordinate and multi-disciplinary approach. Awareness Raising Following the structure of the previously conducted Round Table, four groups of priorities - “Open Your Eyes” awareness raising campaign by ASTRA were identified to be followed up jointly in separate Working Groups constituted of gov- - NGO capacity building by ASTRA ernmental, nongovernmental and international actors: b) Working group on victim’s support and protection Victims Assistance and Support • Prevention/awareness raising and campaigning against trafficking - National Referral Mechanism by OSCE /YU Team • Assistance to and protection of victims - Shelter for Trafficked Women by IOM • Amendment of the legislation and strengthening of law enforcement • Collection of data, research and evaluation c) Working group on law enforcement and legislation Law Reform It was concluded that the Initial Board would meet monthly while the topic related - The model of new laws on trafficking in human beings by Victimology Association working groups would communicate more regularly and elaborate concrete and co-ordinate action which would then constitute the national plan of action. Law Enforcement - Strengthening the Co-operation of the Police and NGOs to build up mechanisms for During the following months several meetings of the working groups on assistance to Victim Protection in the FRY by OSCE Mission to the FRY and protection of victims and prevention/awareness raising and campaigning against traf- - Training in the area of Law enforcement carried out by different Ministries ficking have been taken place. d) Regional initiatives In October 2001 the Assistant Minister of the Federal Ministry of Justice called for a - Regional Clearing Point - Stability Pact Anti Trafficking Task Force/IOM first meeting of the working group on the “amendment of the legislation and strengthen- - Regional Training on Criminal Law Reform on Trafficking in Human Beings in the ing of law enforcement”. SEE by Council of Europe and Federal Ministry of Interior - Regional Awareness raising “train the trainers” for law enforcement to combat traf- While several participants of governmental and non governmental organizations came ficking in human beings by Stability Pact Anti Trafficking Task Force / Austrian up with concrete project proposals like a shelter for trafficked women (implemented by IOM Ministry of Interior and a local NGO) and an awareness raising campaign (implemented by the local NGO - Regional Cooperation project by ASTRA

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Organizations – members of the Yugoslav Team to combat trafficking These guidelines defined the target groups of the trafficked persons and 1. Federal Ministry of Interior Affairs among them: 2. Management of border police 3. Management of criminal police - Foreign children (juveniles) being trafficked to Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo for 4. Federal Ministry of Justice the purpose of sexual exploitation; 5. Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs - National children being trafficked within the FRY for the purpose of exploitation 6. Federal Secretariat for Work, Health and Social Policy (mostly begging); 7. Federal Ministry of National and Ethnic Communities - National children (juveniles) being trafficked to EU countries (Italy, Greece etc.) for 8. Republic Ministry for Social Welfare the purpose of sexual exploitation or any other form of exploitation (mostly begging) 9. CEI Group to combat organized crime and return to their country of origin. 10. Republic Ministry of Justice and Local Self-Management 11. Republic Ministry of Interior Affairs Enumerating many tasks to be done and targets to be attained, this guidelines men- 12. Republic Ministry of Education and Sport tioned the establishing of the specialized orphanage as one of the priorities, where children 13. Roma’s National Congress could find: safe accommodation, long term counselling (social, medical, psychological), 14. ASTRA legal consultation, education, preparation for further steps (returning to family, providing 15. Yugoslav Centre for Children’s Rights foster families, finding orphanages). 16. Victimology Association of Serbia 17. Counselling against family violence During the sheltering, the trafficked person would decide on following options: to 18. SOS for women and children victims of violence return in the country of origin, to seek for asylum, to witness in a criminal court. 19. Kvinna till Kvinna 20. OXFAM The intention of making shelter for children-victims of trafficking is still not accom- 21. UNICEF plished, like it has been done in Croatia, Romania and some other countries with the same 22. UNHCR problem. So, there is not any specialist help in Serbia for the children involved in trafficking. 23. UNHCHR 24. UN Liaison office b) ASTRA prevention and educational campaign 25. IOM 26. OSCE During the second part of 2001 NGO ASTRA (Anti-Sex Trafficking Action) began 27. The Office of the national co-coordinator of Stability pact in the FRY to prepare wide action with a symbolic title “OPEN YOUR EYES.” The message of the 28. Helsinki Committee campaign was “Be aware, be conscious, be prepared – open your eyes,” directed to all the public and target groups like high schools, media, institutions. It was decided that the cooperation should comprise mutual respect, precise definitions of the different tasks and good will in order to establish victims protection mechanisms The project consisted of media campaign – cooperation with journalists aiming to raise which contains referral mechanisms, sheltering, social services and the elaboration of wit- the interest for this issue in the media. Than lectures in high schools because the most ness protection programs. This cooperation between governmental agencies and NGOs was probable victims were and are high school girls, to warn young women about suspicious job a totally new experience in the FRY. offers and to raise awareness of this problem in pupils and their teachers. Last year lectures were given in 17 schools in Belgrade and other towns in Serbia, with workshops and other 4. Projects and their realization activities. For example, high school girls were educated how to inform their friends about the problem and how to avoid becoming a victim of trafficking. Many different projects started in the second part of 2001. We will mention some of them, which we consider of the great importance. We present them as found in the documents. This year (2003) ASTRA is planning to make lectures in further 30 high schools in Serbia, constantly making new teams of lecturers, mostly consisting of 2-3 women per a) Guidelines for a National referral mechanism of trafficked persons in FRY, made by team, who will be able to continue with the prevention and education in their own com- OSCE Mission to the FRY, which is the leading organization of the former Yugoslavia and munities. Second goal was to inform and to make interested school psychologists and ped- nowadays SCG Team working groups on victim’s protection in drafting and conducting the agogues to have their support and cooperation on subjects such as sex trafficking, preven- discussion on the guidelines. tion and consequences.

14 15 PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS A Joint Efforts Perspective

This project was conducted with various promotional materials, like leaflets with As we have heard from the coordinator of the Shelter, Mrs. Vesna Stanojeviñ, all necessary information, posters, stickers, flyers, buttons, t-shirts, telephones and e- during the last year several minor girls showed up in the Shelter. mail. Two anti-trafficking TV-spots were going for a period of time on several chan- nels and the third one is ready to be presented this year. d) The model of new laws on trafficking in human beings – cooperation of several gov- ernmental and non-governmental groups. ASTRA also made and is still making training project aimed to train 20 activists from various women’s groups in Serbia, who are already dealing with violence against women, to According to the Criminal Code of Serbia and Yugoslavia, there was no specific crim- teach them how to recognize when a woman has been trafficked, to pass on the knowledge inal offence related to trafficking in women and girls. The new law proposal concerning this to others, but also to enlarge the network of women who will deal with this issue. topic waited for a long period of time to be adopted, first at the federal level, and than at the republic level, because of the political crisis between Serbia and Montenegro about the ASTRA campaign includes 3 coordination centres: Belgrade, Novi Sad and Niã and Constitutional Charter and its constant delaying. In the meantime, Montenegro adopted in supports other smaller groups in the network. its Criminal Code the acts against trafficking in human beings.

Since ASTRA’s main target group is high school girls, which means mostly girls less Several NGOs and experts worked on the Serbian proposal of the new acts, like than 18 years of age, in other words children, their work is of greatest importance in pre- Victimology Society, to introduce a new criminal offence that specifically defines traf- vention of trafficking in young people. ficking in human beings. This was the draft proposal of Victimology Society, as we have heard from Miss. Sanja Ñopiñ, who is running the research about trafficking in human ASTRA is running an SOS hotline for trafficked women and girls, and has assisted beings for the Project about the difficult forms of criminal activities and influence of those who did not qualify for IOM assistance. transition on it:

In the meanwhile, ASTRA became a member of the Children’s anti-trafficking net- 1. Any person who, with the aim of acquiring material gains, solicits, transfers, sells, work, which is coordinated by the Save the Children Romania. The network is preparing buys, acts as an intermediary, or in any other manner participates in the purchase of the regional report on trafficking in children. one person by another, or facilitates the legal or illegal entry, transit, residence in, or departure from the territory of any state or any person for the purpose of sexual c) Project for the Establishment of a Shelter for Trafficked women in Belgrade, under exploitation, pornography, prostitution, begging, taking human organs, criminal the supervision of IOM (International Organization for Migration) acts, or creates a relationship of debt dependency, adoption, use in arm conflicts exploitation, through labour, or subjects a person in any other illegal manner, shall Utilizing funds provided by the Government of Austria, this project had to establish a be punished by 1 to 10 years imprisonment. shelter for victims of trafficking in Belgrade. The shelter had to be organized in direct coop- 2. If the acts described in the above paragraphs 1 and 2 result in serious adverse con- eration with local authorities, OSCE and both international and local NGOs. The purpose sequences for a victim, or if an organized group performs these acts, the punishment of this structure was to provide secure shelter for victims of trafficking that were returning, shall be at least 3 years imprisonment. transiting or departing the Republic of Serbia. During the time necessary to enhance con- 3. Any person who performs the above acts against a juvenile or a group of persons by fidence with the victims, shelter must facilitate the psychological and physical recover and the use of force, threat, deception, abuse of authority, or abuse of dependency sta- eventually organize the return and reintegration to their places of origin. Victims hosted in tus, shall be punished by at least 5 years imprisonment. the shelter have to get social support, counselling and basic medical and psychological assis- 4. If the criminal act from the paragraph 1 is performed against a person under 14 years tance. The shelter must also offer a protected and secure environment where victims of traf- of age, any person who performs it will be punished even if the force, treat or else ficking get the opportunity to start reorganizing their lives and consider their future social above mentioned is not used. reintegration. Current Criminal Code of the FRY (SCG and Serbia) protects victims of trafficking After various activities, consulting, trainings, organization of the services of the shelter, and forced prostitution and prosecutes pimping and prostitution. But “trafficking” is used operational services, making the Code of conduct of the shelter for trafficked women in more as a generic term for all kinds of slavery. Belgrade in November 2001 and many other very important preparations, Shelter in Belgrade was opened in February 2002, as the first institution of that kind in Serbia. From Article 251 from the Federal Criminal Code says: than on, Shelter hosted an average of six women and girls in every moment, and is prepared Whoever recruits, induces, incites or lures female persons into prostitution, or whoever to give temporary home for 14 persons. takes part in any way in turning a female over to another for the exercise of prostitution,

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shall be punished by imprisonment for a term exceeding three months but not exceed- 5. Sexual exploitation of children (definitions and attitudes) ing five years. If the offence described in paragraph 1 of this article has been committed against At the Palermo Convention, kept in December 2000 all the countries in a female under age or by force, threat or ruse, the offender shall be punished by impris- South Eastern Europe signed the Protocols against trafficking in human beings, and the onment for a term exceeding one year but not exceeding 10 years. definition, which describes that trafficking in human beings, includes two major elements, respectively the link of: This article remained, but during the preparation of this report (April 2003), acts against trafficking in human beings are adopted (like the draft proposal mentioned before) Recruitment/transport and forced labour or slavery-like practices. in Federal (Act 154a) and Serbian Criminal Code (Act 111a). Trafficking in persons shall mean the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring e) Regional cooperation project; or receipt of persons, by means of threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or This project included exchange of information and experience with women’s groups that of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having are dealing with the issue of trafficking in women and children, short expertise training control over another person for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a exchange courses, networking and cooperation in mutual cases of trafficking. The idea of minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploita- this project was to establish regional cooperation with groups in former Yugoslavia, which tion, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or removal of are dealing with the issue of violence against women and children in Slovenia, Croatia, organs… Bosnia, Macedonia and Kosovo. The recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of a child for the pur- These meetings are held from time to time. The last exchange of information and expe- pose of exploitation shall be considered “trafficking in persons” even if this does not involve riences happened at the beginning of April 2003 in Slovenia, where the main subjects were any of the means set forth in previous paragraph. children. “Child” shall mean any person under 18 years of age.

f) Project aimed to strength the cooperation of police and NGOs to build up mecha- Trafficking business is also connected with other related criminal activities such as nisms for victim’s protection in the FRY, made by OSCE extortion, racketeering, money laundering, bribery, drug use and gambling. Trafficking may also involve conspiracy, document forgery, visa, mail and wire fraud. g) Program for Training, exchange and cooperation to address trafficking in human beings in South Eastern Europe in collaboration with IOM Efforts to promote victim protection, and later reintegration into their communities must start by recognizing trafficked men, women and children as victims of crime and h) Regional training program on criminal law reform potential witnesses, rather than as criminals. The needs of trafficking victims do not end when they are freed in a police raid. Authorities have the responsibility for the safety and i) Creation of regional clearing point for national networks on victim protection and basic needs of victims, including food, clothing, medical attention, shelter and safe repatri- assistance…And so on. ation.

Representatives from the Federal Ministry of the Interior participated in the regional The term sexual exploitation of children is used to describe the various activities that training programs and initiatives organized within the framework of the Stability Pact exploit children for their commercial value including child sex tourism, child prostitution, Trafficking Task Force: child pornography and the trafficking in children for sexual purposes. The term implies that the child is not only sexually abused but that there is a profit arising from the transaction, - Regional training on law reform for experts and parliamentarians from Balkan coun- where the child is considered to be a sexual and commercial object. tries organized in Belgrade in November 2001 by the Council of Europe; - Regional training on Trafficking and Smuggling of Human Beings organized in Commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) is enshrined in Articles 34 and 35 Hungary in November 2001; of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. - Cooperation with the SECI Centre in Bucharest, to which liaisons officers were nom- inated; CSEC describes an age-old practice that exists to some degree in every society. In the - Cooperation with Interpol on the cases of trafficking. last decade, however, there has been a rapid expansion of this phenomenon, beginning to

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be a problem of global proportions. Although it is impossible to verify how many chil- 8. Child pornography dren are involved in commercial sexual exploitation, researches and anecdotal infor- mation show that the number continue to increase. It is estimated that millions of Legal definitions of the terms “child” and “pornography” differ globally and children are involved. Large well-organized child sex industries have emerged in the vary even within the same country, so there is not uniform national or international defi- poorer nations of Asia, Africa, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Pacific region and Indo- nition. One can say that child pornography are sexually explicit photographs, negatives, China. This trend includes several aspects: slides, magazines, movies, videotapes and computer discs and its distribution that use chil- dren as the sexual objects. It is impossible to produce child pornography without sexually - More offenders are seeking out new destinations for child sex tourism. abusing a child. Lately, child pornography is becoming increasingly linked to the Internet - More offenders are sexually exploiting children through the Internet, exposing chil- as a new mean to distribute images secretly and globally. dren photographs, exchanging information and distributing child pornography. 9. Trafficking in children - More children and young people in developed countries are exchanging sex for sur- vival. A child can be trafficked for the purposes of domestic employment, work in the com- - More children are being trafficked across new routes, borders and between continents mercial sex industry, manual labour, arranged marriage, begging, stealing, adoption or trad- not only for sex business, but also for stealing, begging and other indecent jobs. ing with human organs etc. The word “trafficking” implies a profit that comes from the transportation of the child, which can occur across borders or within countries, across state The children and young people sexually exploited are both girls and boys, but primarily lines, from city to city and from rural to urban areas. girls aged from 10 to 18. The causes of children’s sex exploitation are complex and involve many factors. Many children engaged in the child sex industries come from poor rural fam- There are many causes that produce trafficking in children. Some of them are: pover- ilies or are homeless children. They are usually sold by someone they know to a procurer, ty, globalisation, changes in family, family breakdown and abuse, criminal networks, lack arrive in a city with great expectations and than forced into the sex industry. Children and of law enforcement, tradition and culture, lack of employment or other opportunities, young people who get into this trap often want to support their families, to find income increasing materialism, consumerism and commercialisation, lack of home, discrimination sources, find a way of daily survival or don’t have any protection or shelter. It can be also the against ethnic minorities, the demand of sex tourists and paedophiles, the demand on inter- consequence of drug use, difficult family background, lack of any other choices and so on. national level for trade in girls and women, demand from the migrant labour force and mil- itary presence creating demand for child prostitutes. There is great diversity in the circumstances and levels of exploitation locally, regional- ly and globally. There is also great diversity amongst child sexual offenders. The majority of United Nations estimate that every year 700 000 women and children are trafficked in offenders are men, but women can also abuse children. the world, and Sweden NGO “Kvinna till Kvinna” says that 500 000 people from all over the world are sold into the Western Europe. 6. Child sex tourism 10. Trafficking in human beings in Balkan area Very popular part of this obscure phenomenon is the sexual exploitation of children by the foreigners: persons who travel from their own country to another to engage in sexual One of the latest reports of IOM (January 2002) shows that 120 000 women and chil- acts with children. It often involves a third party who procures a child from local commu- dren are sold and resold through Balkan area. This trade has also some special, local char- nities. acteristics: to lure the victim, to transport or transfer the victim and to expose the victim to various ways of exploitation. 7. Child prostitution Luring means offering legal jobs, kidnapping, false arrangements for travelling abroad, For children and young people this term is not much appropriate, because it does not recruiting for local prostitution, selling by the members of victim’s own family, especially correspond with their experiences of paid sexual activity. Researches say that young people among Roma and Albanian people who have many children, false marriage offers, false job don’t really see themselves as sex workers or prostitutes. They invented other words for their offers for modelling, luring by ex prostitutes etc. activities like “sex for survival”, “sex for favours” and others which describe how young peo- ple use their bodies for basic needs such as accommodation, food, cloths, shelter. However, Transport or transfer goes through previously established channels, controlled by the child prostitution often involves a third party, offering the sexual services of a child for traffickers in people – members of the well-organized international network. Mostly, these money or other remuneration. channels go from Russia, Romania, Ukraine, Moldova, Bulgaria to Serbia and

20 21 PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS A Joint Efforts Perspective

Montenegro. Than the routes spread to Kosovo, Albania, Italy, Greece, Cyprus or 11. Efforts and results in combating trafficking in former FRY (2001) through Bosnia to Western Europe. The borders in this region are very porous, with many mountains, lakes and rivers and they are still not technically equipped to fulfil During this year, and after The Task Force on trafficking in human beings all their tasks. From the other hand, visa regimes toward Eastern Europeans and Afro- in former FRY has begun its mission, 1,250 women – victims of trafficking were discov- Asian countries favoured the territory of former FRY as a transit area for transporting ered. Explicit information about minors was scarce. Traffickers avoid children and young this unhappy people all over Europe. A number of women, and among them children and people because, if caught, the penalties are higher. From the other side, they risk taking young people, were forced to stay and work in FRY. young 15-16 years old girls eager to earn more and more money, and to transfer them quickly in other parts of the world. Recent research made by 41 NGOs from all over the world, 21 NGOs from Europe and stories taken from the victims from 28 countries shows that victims suffer from vari- In Kosovo region during 2001 164 brothels were closed and 237 women expunged ous types of violence: psychological, physical, sexual, fear of isolation, raping and arrest- from the country. Among them 10 percent were of the age of 14-17. As the owners of ment, illegal deprivation of liberty, irregular or poor payment or total non-payment, work- bars and other places where the prostitution takes place earn about 100,000 Euros keep- ing more than 12 hours a day, debt bondage, deprivation of personal documents, sex with- ing only ten girls, soon after the raid other bars are going to be open in Kosovo and else- out protection (illness, pregnancy), inducing on drugs and alcohol, bad room and board as where. well as hygiene, false documents or no documents at all, total isolation, real slavery, fear of police and deportation because of the future receiving in local environment. IOM research, concerning the period of time from February 2000 to April 2002, However, there are no clear human right standards for the treatment of trafficked shows very interesting facts about the age of trafficked people. The victims aged 18 to 25 women and children, no referral mechanisms to ensure that all trafficked persons are iden- were present with the percentage of 58,2 %, 25 to 30 years old with 21,8%, minors between tified and assisted. There are no standard protocols for the behaviour of the law enforce- 14 and 17 years with 12,5% and over 30 years 7,2%. ment agencies, international organizations and NGOs whose task is to provide identifica- tion and assistance. During 2001 “Beosupport”, NGO from Belgrade, in the similar research shows that Lack of special procedures and special protections for children resulted in treating girls there are 89% of the victims between 18 and 26, and 11% over 26 years. under 18 as adults. So many trafficked women and children are falling back into the traf- ficking gangs thanks to the gaps in service and support in the destination country as well as If we compare this numbers with the results obtained by the Albanian NGO “VATRA” in the country of origin. (14-18 years old victims –70%, 20–25 – few, 25–30 – irrelevant) and Bulgarian NGO “Animus Association” (15-21 years old victims – 50%, 21–30 years – 20%) and connect The collecting of facts and numbers of victims in the region is also very chaotic, espe- these facts with the problem of the whole region, the imposing conclusion must be that cially when children are concerned. It is necessary to make a distinction between the traf- there are many children involved. ficking of young children under 12 for begging, organs, adoption, prostitution, pornogra- phy and the trafficking of adolescent girls for prostitution. The socio-economic causes of Many other factors influenced on the fact that the combat against trafficking in migration and factors that increase vulnerability to trafficking are same for teenage girls and human beings couldn’t be victorious. Police action in this sector should not be undertak- for older young women: teenage girls are trafficked not because they are children, but en parallel with actions against illegal migration, because counterproductive. Very often because they are female, and that is the reason why in all the attainable documents women rather than being identified and assisted, trafficked victims were deported as illegal and children are put in the same category. migrants or treated as offenders. When identified, victims were offered the only option to Although all the countries in SEE signed and ratified the Convention on the Rights of return to their home countries. Priorities for the police action should be investigation and the Child (CRC), there is no any special program in any field protecting specifically traf- prosecution of traffickers, not victims. Protection of the witnesses who could testify ficked children. Children under 12 in some countries of destination (FYR, Macedonia, against their traffickers is still the weakest point of the anti-trafficking programs in all the Greece and Italy) are placed in orphanages while they wait for organized return. Older chil- region, and so on. dren are treated as illegal migrants and criminals and faced with prosecution, imprisonment and deportation. CRC requires state parties to combat trafficking in children. The In 2001 in the whole Balkan region it was estimated that 35 percent of all victims of International Labour organization (ILO) Convetion on the Worst Forms of Child Labour trafficking were identified and assisted in countries of destination, with only an estimated requires the elimination of “all forms of slavery or practices similar to slavery, such as the 7% receiving long-term reintegration assistance. It is impossible, even nowadays, to find sale and trafficking of children, debt bondage and forced and compulsory labour, including any relevant data concerning the number of trafficked or assisted children victims in for- forced and compulsory recruitment of children for use in armed conflict.” mer FRY during 2001. There are some reports that Roma girls and children from FRY are Trafficking in human beings is also a serious violation of human rights. sold to Italy for the sex industry and for begging

22 23 PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS A Joint Efforts Perspective

12. Further efforts and results (2002) In Kosovo, while using the same operational procedures as before, like exten- sive bar raids combined with document checks and interviews with the women and The conclusion about trafficking in Balkans, made by relevant institutions for bar owners – police did not have the same results and brought to the shelter just 2002, was that there were no major changes in the situation of trafficking compared few women each month. to the previous period of time. It means that: about 90 percent of foreign women work- ing in prostitution in the Balkan countries are victims of trafficking according to the The explanation of the mentioned report suggests that traffickers are constantly chang- Palermo Definition, and that 10-15 percent of them are children under 18. The number ing their ways of operating this indecent business. For example, trafficked women are con- of trafficked children was higher in Albania – up to 30 percent. stantly kept in rented apartments and hotels, where police has no access. Further on, more women and girls have valid documents and they are earning more than before. So, small Distinctions between different countries of origin, transit and destination are becoming number of them is willing to accept very limited help that is offered to them, because this blurred and are no more relevant. Women and girls from Kosovo are found in Montenegro, means the loss of their only source of income and immediate return home. from Montenegro in Serbia, from Serbia in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Hence, founding children among them is becoming more and more difficult job. In February 2002 the proper shelter for the trafficked victims, named “Safe House”, was opened. At the beginning it was meant to protect women and girls for a period of one Trafficking in children in the region does not go only from Albania to Greece and Italy, month, but towards the end of the year authorities approved that this period could be three but also from Moldova and Romania (for begging and child prostitution) towards the months, to give girls enough time to rehabilitate. Russian Federation, Former Soviet Republics, Poland, Czech Republic and the European Union. The special needs and rights of child victims of trafficking and the children of traf- In the meantime, in April, the new Department to Combat Organized Crime was ficked women are not fully recognized. There are a big number of children of women founded as the part of the Serbian Ministry of Interior Affairs. At the head of the migrants or victims of trafficking rose without parents in the region, or placed into insti- Department is colonel Mr. Duãan Zlokas, national coordinator in combating trafficking in tutions while their mothers work abroad. The children who are especially vulnerable are human beings and the head officer of the Police Border Control Department for Foreigners those from poor and destroyed families. and Administrative Duties.

And in Serbia, thirty brothels and “dancing” bars were closed in a massive police raid From the very beginning colonel Zlokaã team had to combat against the serious and during the night 21 on 22 of January 2002 in Belgrade and its surroundings. Narcotics, persistent problem. After several years of neglecting this phenomenon, and than having to arms, false documents and 50 women and girls without documents were found, and 135 act promptly to fulfil all the obligations towards international organizations and towards the people involved in trafficking were put into police procedure. In the other regions of Serbia, safety of Yugoslav people, they came to the conclusion that FRY is mostly the country of in small cities and villages near borders and elsewhere, the same thing has been done and transit, but has became also the country of destination with the greater number of trafficked trafficking mafia seemed to loose its ground. But, mafia is constantly changing its meth- people. Rumours were confirmed that the territory of FRY was used to prepare women and ods of work. They began to use international fairs, big firms, sport societies, Internet and girls, “to repack them as trade goods,” for the further destinations. other possibilities to connect, get false inviting documents for various events and obtain visas for future victims. Good news, as Mr. Zlokaã told us, were that FRY in June 2002 jumped from the third into the second group on the scale which grades the country by what is done to exterminate Contrary to the logic conclusion that the phenomenon of trafficking in human beings trafficking in human beings. According to the State Department report, countries are should decrease with all the measures prepared and put into practice, the decrease in the divided in three categories: first category means that the country has made all the neces- region during 2002 didn’t happen. From the other hand, certain decrease in the estimated sary efforts to combat trafficking and has positive results; second category is assigned to the number of victims identified and assisted was noticed, as said in the report made by Barbara country which makes serious efforts and have good program and efficiency to resolve the Limanowska “Trafficking in Human beings in South Eastern Europe”. problem; third category is for those who are not very much engaged nor eager to resolve traf- ficking in human beings. Mr. Zlokaã also underlined that, during his official conversations This report also said that in the second part of the same year the figures concerning with the colleagues’ abroad, he got to the impression that Serbian police has very good rep- trafficking have decreased. During Operation Mirage, organized by the SECI Centre and utation and credibility. conducted simultaneously in ten countries of the region in September 2002 only 237 potential victims were identified as such (14%). Only 63 victims were assisted (4% of 1738 The Serbian Mobile Team, as a main part of the Republican Team to Combat women re-interviewed by the police). In total, 13 000 women and girls were interviewed Trafficking in Human Beings, is made by the representatives of the Republic Ministry for during raids in more than 20 000 locations throughout SEE. Social Affairs, NGO “ASTRA” and Counselling Service against Family Violence. Serbian

24 25 PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS A Joint Efforts Perspective

Ministry of Internal Affairs has special police teams and the policemen trained for The frightening fact is that the great number of “worn out”, “used” women these purposes. and girls never again fell what the life in liberty looks like. They disappear or live somewhere in the darkness. It is hardly to believe, but anecdotal resources say that Annual report on this subject said that during the police raids in 2002 onto the the bosses, people from the shadows in the world, earn on trafficking in human beings the object known to engage foreign women and girls, 423 of them didn’t have all the nec- incredible sum of eight billion euro per year. essary documents for legal stay in Serbia, 60 of them were victims of trafficking. More than a half of them (32) were from Romania, and the others were form Moldova, Ukraine and 13. Stories of the child-victims Russia. Twenty-one of them were under aged (35%), and 5 of minor girls spent some time in the shelter. During this year three men were accused and punished for trafficking, which Life stories of the international and local child-victims are terrible and connected with represented a success considering all the difficulties in the country, but also compared to the problematic family background, ignorance, naiveté, poverty and willingness to live bet- the fact that many Western countries do not admit they have this problem at all, so they ter. The worst story we have heard about tells about mother who sold her daughter for pros- do not have the law acts against trafficking in human beings. titution when she was 12 years old.

Bad news is that the number of Yugoslav girls engaged in trafficking business is dan- At the beginning of 2002 in the village Staråevo near the town Panåevo, in the police gerously increasing. Wishing better life, they very often end up in the trafficking networks. raid made by the Department that combat against organized criminal activities, twenty-six According to the NGO “ASTRA’s” data, last year they received 425 telephone calls from girls “employed” in the sex industry were found in one bar. The majority was from foreign the girls who wanted to check the credibility of the agencies offering a job, but also from countries and three of them were under aged. The owner of the bar was arrested, and two the real victims of trafficking and parents asking for help to find their children. local girls accused him for keeping them against their will.

International Organization for Migration in Former FRY and nowadays SCG is work- In the raid made by regional police in the southern Serbian city Leskovac, five girls were ing on three programs concerning the protection of the victims: their return to the coun- arrested at the beginning of 2003. They were “working” in the club “Mozart” in the centre try of origin, their reintegration into community and the proper work of the shelter in of the town. One was Ukrainian and four Romanian. Two of them had only 16 years of Belgrade. The IOM program assistant for reintegration Miss Sandra Slijepåeviñ and pro- age. They were used for prostitution in the mentioned club or in the basement of the hotel gram assistant for the shelter Miss Aida Kuriñ informed us that from August 2001 till the “Beograd” and in private houses. end of 2002 their programs assisted 100 women and girls. Among them 17 were from 14 to 17 years of age. Eight of them were from Serbia, and six of them used the shelter pro- The border police at the “Belgrade” Airport have cut one of the chains of illegal traf- tection. Some of them asked for help when they have just reached the 18th birthday, which ficking from Serbia and Montenegro to Western countries in February 2003. Prosecutor means that they had been trafficked before official maturity. judge concluded that Seidi Gos from Belgrade and Elizabeta Gos, with the Poland pass- port, with false documents, were going to transfer to London the 16-year-old girl from The recruiters are mostly acquaintances or friends of the possible victims, and lately the Zemun (Belgrade). They also tried to transfer two minor girls (15 and 17 years), citizens greatest number of them is a women. of Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to his agreement with a cousin in London, Seidi Gos should get 6,000 euro for his transfer services. IOM statistical data say that among trafficked women and girls between August 2001 and the end of the year 2002 were: The anecdotal information say that the main boss in trafficking industry for sex pur- poses was certain Puja, living in Belgrade, who was, after many attempts, arrested in March 2003 with several men of his gang. Rumours say that “through his hands” passed about 80 percent of all trafficked foreign women and girls. He had a motel with double walls to hide Nationality Age Breakdown Referred By Possession of documents prostitutes and clients during police raids. He had also the connections with the illegal net- work in the region and abroad. The police knocked down the motel, named “Saint Belarus 2% 14-17 17% NGO 13% Nothing 58% Nichols”, and cut his channels. He is now waiting for trial. Moldavian 46% 18-24 50% Law enforcement 75% Only ID 15% The story of the young, under aged Romanian girl, who afterwards got the protection Romanian 28% 25-30 27% Embassy 8% Valid passport 27% in Belgrade, has begun when a friend of victim’s sister offered her a job in Italy. Since she didn’t have passport, the recruiter Larissa promised her that everything would be arranged, Ukrainian 14% Over 30 6% Other 4% and the girl agreed to go. In Jasi, where they arrived by taxi, she was sold to some man,

26 27 PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS A Joint Efforts Perspective

stayed there for several days and than brought to Temisoara by train. The border In the same period of time (December 2002) ministers for interior from the towards Serbia was crossed by foot and illegally. After the stop in some village, she South Eastern Europe, FRY among them, had the meeting in Tirana about the was transferred to Belgrade, to the house of the trafficker. Than she was resold to the problems in the protection of the victims of trafficking. According to the decla- owner of a motel in south Serbia, where she was locked for a month. When she refused ration signed by all the present police representatives, they recognized the obligation to work to prostitute, she was beaten and raped. After that, she began to work as a dancer and harder on the problem of trafficking in human beings and to work in cooperation. Many prostitute, without any payment and freedom in movement. She was rescued by the police aspects of the problem were discussed and measures proposed. and sent to the shelter for trafficked women. 15. Anti-trafficking activities and projects for 2003 Some men at the beginning of her unhappy story followed her compatriot and girl of the same age during 2001. One evening she was kidnapped by the same persons and than Mr. Duãan Zlokas, coordinator of the Serbian Anti-Trafficking Team, informed us forced to sex in some parking lot. She was sold to some other man, where she stayed for a that from the beginning of the year till April 2003, 81 foreign women and girls have been couple of months. She was forced to work as a house cleaner. The further buyer of the found working in prostitution, and 5 of them were minors. Among them, 21 are victims of young girl was one Moldavian women who kept her for three months. It was impossible for trafficking and 2 girls are near the 18th birthday. her to escape, while she had to do cleaning and babysitting and was raped several times by As we can read in the latest documents from the regional meeting about Victim and the previous owners. The next owner was a man from Jasi, who transfered her and the other Witness Protection in South-Eastern Europe, held on 28th March 2003 in Slovenia, next girl to Timisoara, where they were resold to the other three Romanian men. The border was steps in this matter will be following; crossed illegally and after the stay in some village, they were sold again in the town of Stara Pazova in Serbia, to the bar “Pop Fun Club”. Her further destination was South Serbia a) Mapping out of situation, risks and assessment of available services for children, vic- where, after several months, the police rescued her. tims of trafficking and analysis of victim assistance and child protection mechanisms from human rights perspective. It will be implemented by UNICEF, in cooperation Nina (invented name) is also Romanian and very young, but her recruiter was Moldavian, with government, international organizations and NGOs and, depending on avail- friend who told her that he could find her waitress job in Romania. She was introduced to a ability of funding, put into effect during 2003. woman who brought her to Timisoara. But, instead of job, victim was sold to two men of b) Development of the life skills and HIV/AIDS prevention among especially vulnera- Serbian origin. Again the border was crossed illegally and by foot, and than she was given to ble young people. That means developing communication approaches based on the the other two men in the village Prigrevica. She was forced to work as a prostitute in the bar participatory action research among young people in order to equip them with infor- and constantly beaten by the owner and his wife. She was not paid, the food was scarce and mation and skills to live healthy and protect from HIV and other related harms the movement was totally denied. She was at the end rescued by the police, and after being through Right-to-know project. Various health institutions and organizations till in female prison, she was brought to the Padinska Skela reception centre. 2004 will implement it.

Three girls, one under aged, left Moldova by bus on 28th of March 2002. They were Professionals in the field expect that there will be changes in migration trends, which headed to Timisoara, where they were promised to find a man who would provide them a job imply same or increased illegal migration and trafficking in the future. They predict that in FRY or Italy. Passing the border by the river Danube in the boat and illegally, they were increasing number of people will seek to migrate, and among them increasing number of met at the other side by somebody who closed them in a house and than abused one of the female migrants (in the countries in transition 80% of the unemployed people are women). girls. Next day they were brought to Belgrade, and after three days to Podgorica, Montenegro. There will be also the increasing number of unaccompanied children. Only the youngest, minor girl, realized what was going on. She decided to escape together with another Romanian girl. After travelling by train to Sutomore, they found the female III - CONCLUSIONS police officer and reported everything. Finally the shelter looked like home compared to the terror they survived. Still, when asked, the young girl denied that she was abused. - Since our previous report, there has been a big change in the attitude and in the level of governmental involvement in counter trafficking activities. From the denial of the 14. The latest initiatives existence of trafficking in the beginning, state officers in Serbia from 2001 work on the problem with great responsibility and in cooperation among members of the At the meeting in Brussels at the end of 2002, ministers of the internal affairs from EU national Anti-Trafficking Task Force. adopted the common policy about the jail punishment for the persons sentenced for traffick- - From the founding of the Republic Department to combat criminal activities (traf- ing in human beings. According to this agreement, the countries of UN will have the maxi- ficking included) the Federal Task Force reduced its activities (because of the changes mum penalty of eight years of imprisonment for the persons who trafficked people for money. in Federal Union between Serbia and Montenegro).

28 29 PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS A Joint Efforts Perspective

- Meetings of the working groups are held from time to time, but not monthly, as said References before. They coordinate, but more efficiently, when the problem shows up. - Economic and political situation in SCG is still very difficult and unsteady and there are many problems to be resolved besides trafficking. Barbara Limanowska, “Trafficking in Human Beings in South Eastern Europe. Current situation and respons- - There is no enough money to urge all the actions against trafficking in human beings. es to trafficking in human beings in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the FYR of Macedonia, Moldova and Romania”. UNICEF, UNOHCHR, OSCE/ODHIR, - The Ministry of Interior very cooperative (conclusion of IOM) and it really works on Belgrade 2002 improving the sensibility of their officers. The result is a very efficient anti-trafficking combat team in Belgrade, but also elsewhere in Serbia, which improve referral mech- Conclusions from the conference of South Eastern Europe Regional Initiative against Human Trafficking: anism and protection of the victims, connecting them with the social institutions. “Victim and Witness Protection in South-eastern Europe”, Slovenia, March 2003 - Several main channels for trafficking in human beings have been cut (from the direc- UN Convention Against Trans-national Organized Crime, Protocol on Trafficking and Protocol on smug- tions of Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine and Moldova), many women and children res- gling, 2000 cued, traffickers brought to the prosecutor judges and bars and motels closed. - Contrary to the logic conclusion that the phenomenon of trafficking in human beings IOM Counter Trafficking Strategy for the Balkans and Neighbouring Countries, 2001 should decrease with all the measures prepared and put into practice, the decrease in IOM Counter Trafficking current program in Serbia, 2002/2003 the region during the considered period of time did not happen. - More children are being trafficked across new routes, borders and between countries IOM information campaign to raise awareness on irregular migration and trafficking of migrants to the EU for not only for sex business, but also for stealing, begging and other indecent activities. Republic of Serbia The children and young people sexually exploited are mostly girls aged from 10 to 18. The causes of children exploitation are complex and involve many factors. IHF-HR report: “A Form of Slavery: Trafficking in Women in OSCE Member States”, Country report – Serbia, 2000 - There are more Serbian young girls involved in sex trafficking. - The situation with begging, mostly of Roma children, is same as in previous report. Child Wise Organization: Report on the “Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children”, 2002 - Although there is no precise information about the real number of trafficked children, an estimation of 10-20 percent of them among all the trafficked people is becoming Conclusions from the South Eastern Europe Regional Conference on Trafficking in Human Beings, 2001 to be obvious. Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe Report in Trafficking in Women in Montenegro, 2000 - These percentages are present in the reports we have found and in the information we have collected, and they are finally becoming to be obvious thanks to the activities of Report on Anti-Trafficking Activities of the Yugoslav Team to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings in the Republic police and its coordination with other members of the Special Task 2001/2002: Activities and Projects Force. Annual Report on trafficking in Human Beings, Serbian Ministry for Internal Affairs, 2002 - Lack of special procedures and special protections for children has resulted in the authorities and assisting organizations treating girls under 18 as adults. Many traf- Interviews with the representatives of Ministry for Internal Affairs, IOM, Victimology Society, ASTRA, ficked women and children are falling back into the trafficking cycle due to the miss- Shelter for trafficked women ing connections in support both in the destination country and the country of origin. Press clipping, Internet sites about trafficking in human beings

30 31 PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS A Joint Efforts Perspective 2. R E P O R T on Trafficking in Human Beings

The Republic of Serbia Ministry of Internal Affairs National Co-ordinator for the Fight against Trafficking in Human Beings 3 November 2003 B E L G R A D E

Trafficking in human beings is a constantly growing and increasingly profitable seg- ment of the global trans-national crime, which brings back slavery in the 21st century and represents a grave breach of elementary human rights.

The term “trafficking in human beings” is usually taken to mean trade in women and chil- dren for the purpose of sexual exploitation - the most widespread form of trafficking in human beings - but the meaning of the phenomenon is much broader as it also encompasses abuse and exploitation of people for the purpose of taking away body parts for transplant, using chil- dren in armed conflicts, for theft, for begging or in the pornographic industry, and all forms of exploiting people's work by placing them in a position of servitude, similar to slavery.

Estimates of the number of enslaved people world-wide are horrifying - the figures men- tioned vary between 27 million and 200 million; according to UNICEF, in the Ivory Coast alone, some 20,000 children are working as slaves on cocoa plantations.

The global economy is constantly seeking increased profits, a process boosted by reduc- ing labour costs. The biggest profits are achieved in a situation where women, children and men are forced to work in degrading conditions, deprived of personal freedom and the enjoyment of elementary human rights.

The problem is therefore at the focus of the interest of all relevant international organ- isations, from the UN and its specialised agencies (UNICEF, UNHCR, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights etc.), the OSCE, IOM, Council of Europe, Pact for Stability, numerous non-governmental organisations (NGOs) involved in human rights protection, all the way to international organisations tasked with suppressing international organised crime (INTERPOL, EUROPOL, the SECI CENTRE and others).

The governments of some countries, including ours, are investing much effort in com- bating this menace, on the domestic as well as international plans.

It needs to be stressed that in its annual report the United States administration deals extensively with the activities undertaken by other countries in fighting against trafficking in human beings, placing them in three categories according to their performance and sug- gesting imposition of certain sanctions against countries which are ignoring the problem.

32 33 PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS A Joint Efforts Perspective

John Miller, Director of the Bureau for Fighting Human Trafficking, has been Representatives of NGOs: quoted as saying that activities against trafficking in human beings, a segment of the overall organised crime picture, would be one of the key aspects of the global struggle 1. ASTRA for the protection of human rights in the 21st century. 2. The Victimology Society of Serbia 3. The Advisory Centre against Violence in the Family The US has set aside over 100 million dollars this year for the fight against trafficking 4. BEOSUPPORT – the Belgrade Support for Exploited Children and Young People in human beings. Representatives of international organisations: There are a number of international legal instruments regulating the area - conven- tions, protocols and decisions - the most important being the following: 1. International Organisation for Migrations (IOM) 2. OSCE • The Convention against Slavery of 1926; • The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the UN General Assembly; The Team has held several meetings at which its members were informed about the • The UN Convention against International Organised Crime (so-called Palermo work of the national co-ordinator and its constituent bodies and organisations. Convention) and the Protocol thereto for the Prevention, Suppression and Prosecution of Trafficking in Human Beings, especially Women and Children; The activities of the members can be summed up as follows: • The Brussels Declaration on the Prevention and Fight against Trafficking in Human Beings; - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs monitors the problem of trafficking in human beings • EU recommendations etc. through daily activities in the Directorate for the OSCE attached to the Council of Europe. In bilateral contacts and through participation in international conferences, Signatory to most UN conventions dealing with the problem and determined to stamp it exchanges views and data about human trafficking. In consultation with the out all forms of organised crime, Serbia formed in May 2002 a National Team for the Ministry of Interior, a tougher visa regime has been introduced for citizens of Moldova Fight against Trafficking in Human Beings. as part of efforts to curb trafficking in women, given that most of the victims come from that country. Being a country of origin, transit and destination, through the activities of the said National Team Serbia is striving to carry out an efficient drive against trafficking in human - The Ministry for Social Affairs has undertaken activities on the formation of a Centre beings, especially women and children, which encompasses measures of prevention, prose- for Co-ordination and Consultation – a Mobile Team tasked with establishment of cution of those responsible for the trafficking and protection of the victims. the status of victim and urgent diagnosis of the victims' needs, as well as co-ordina- tion of all activities in connection with looking after victims and protecting them. Two The composition of the Team attests to the seriousness of the approach taken in Serbia; seminars were organised to inform social care professionals on the fight against traf- it is made up of representatives of the state administration, NGOs and international organ- ficking in human beings; some of the lecturers were representatives of the members of isations: the Republican Team.

Representatives of the state authorities: - The Ministry of Justice took part in the drafting and adoption of a law on the fight against organised crime, as well as securing technical and material resources needed 1. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia and Montenegro for the work of special organisational units of the state authorities tasked with detect- 2. Interpol’s national bureau in Belgrade ing, pursuing and prosecuting persons suspected of perpetrating criminal offences 3. The Supreme Court of the Republic of Serbia which have the characteristics of organised crime, including trafficking in human 4. The Republican Public Prosecutor's Office beings. It needs to be emphasised that the latest alterations of and amendments to the 5. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Serbia Criminal Code (adopted in late April 2003) define trafficking in human beings as a 6. The Ministry of Finance and the Economy – the Anti-Corruption Initiative specific criminal offence; apart from the criminal offence of “trafficking in human 7. The Ministry for Social Affairs beings”, two others also criminalised are forcible removal of bodily organs or body 8. The Ministry of Justice parts and exploiting juveniles for pornographic purposes. Work is also in progress on 9. The Ministry for Health and Protection of the Environment drafting a methodology for monitoring and reporting on criminal offences connected 10. The Ministry for Labour and Employment with trafficking in human beings.

34 35 PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS A Joint Efforts Perspective

- The Supreme Court of the Republic of Serbia also plays an important role, particu- haven for women and children, has been invaluable with its experiences in larly on account of the fact that it is the only second-instance organ in criminal cases the management of a Safe House for victims of trafficking in human with elements of organised crime conducted before a special court and with a special- beings. Representatives of the Centre are also participating in seminars, ly appointed prosecutor. Special training of ministry officials in combating trafficking debates and other events linked with trafficking in human beings. in human beings has also been organised. - The International Organisation for Migrations (IOM) has been financially, techni- - The Ministry of Labour initiated work on a new Law on Employment featuring harsh- cally and personally aiding a number of programmes linked with protecting victims, er penalties for working without a permit and tasked a large number of inspectors with assisting them to obtain travel documents and organising their return to their home control of its enforcement. Transfer of responsibilities from the Federal Ministry of countries or transfer to a third country. The IOM organised an informative and edu- Labour will also establish control of the employment of workers from this country in cational visit to Austria for civil servants and representatives of NGOs, as well as foreign countries, also serving preventively to curb trafficking in human beings. It also training for police officers in a number of precincts. needs to be stressed that a law regulating the employment of foreign nationals is also under preparation. - The OSCE provided professional assistance in the organisation of the National Team and proposed a model national mechanism for the protection of victims and a draft Activities by NGOs in the struggle against trafficking in human beings include the fol- Memorandum of Understanding. The OSCE also organised a number of seminars and lowing: a trip by Team members to Italy to be informed about local experiences in the cam- paign against trafficking in human beings. With the help of the OSCE, a representa- - ASTRA has been engaged on prevention and education, in particular through a media tive of the Serbian Interior Ministry attended in Vienna a meeting of police experts campaign entitled ”Open Your Eyes” whose objective is to offer basic information of the member-countries devoted to the struggle against trafficking in human beings. about ”white slavery” to as many potential victims as possible. Numerous TV ads have been aired, and posters and other printed materials distributed. An SOS phone line The role of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Serbia needs to be sin- has been set up for notification about cases of trafficking in human beings. gled out for special praise; the police play the most important role in the campaign against trafficking in human beings, in the form of a “mailed fist”. - The Victimology Society of Serbia drafted the proposal for defining the criminal offence of ”trafficking in human beings” - now included in the Criminal Code. The The geographical location of this country and the fact that it is surrounded by police and Society also organised a number of public debates and seminars and published a spe- military units stationed in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia and the Autonomous cial issue of the periodical Temida devoted wholly to the issue. A service tasked with Province of Kosovo, and the countries of origin of the majority of all victims of trafficking in helping the victims of violence has been set up, a study of trafficking in human beings human beings (Romania, Moldova, the Ukraine) have led to the establishment through our in Serbia has been done, with the active co-operation of the police, and its results are country of one of the major ”Balkan routes” for the westward flow of women from the Eastern expected to be published later this year. European countries; Serbia and Montenegro is now one of the white slavery transit countries.

- BEOSUPPORT collected over 30,000 signatures in favour of the adoption of a This, as well as the fact that in most cases the victims are foreign nationals, demands national plan for protecting children from sexual exploitation, which will be submit- in particular the engagement of the Directorate for the Border Police, for Foreign Citizens ted, to the Serbian Parliament for adoption. ”Beosupport” has also organised a media and Administrative Affairs of the Serbian Interior Ministry, which has marked the strug- campaign and a number of professional gatherings and public debates, especially in gle against trafficking in human beings as one of its priorities. Enhanced control measures educational institutions, at which young people were informed about the problem of on the borders and also inland, in restaurants and other catering facilities known to be trafficking in human beings. Police officers taking part in the events offered advice to assembly points for potential victims of trafficking in human beings, have achieved results schoolchildren through their own experiences how they can avoid being recruited and which have been presented to international organisations and bodies and have added a con- controlled by white slavers. siderable contribution to the improvement of the image of this country as regards the efforts it is investing in the struggle against trafficking in human beings. BEOSUPPORT has also issued a brochure and commissioned a documentary film about trafficking in human beings. The complex nature of the problem demanded increased involvement by other departments of the Serbian Interior Ministry; a special Police squad has been formed made up of repre- - The Advisory Centre against Violence in the Family, an organisation involved for a sentatives of all relevant organisational units in the ministry and tasked with upgrading the number of years in work with victims of violence in the family, which provides a safe efficiency of detecting and prosecuting persons responsible for trafficking in human beings.

36 37 PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS A Joint Efforts Perspective

In 2002, during inspection of catering facilities employing citizens of Eastern One of those arrested was Milivoje ”Puja” Zarubica, who headed a human European countries as waitresses, strippers or hostesses, a total of 423 foreign nation- trafficking chain with established branches in the countries of origin of most of als (245 from Romania, 84 from Moldova, 67 from the Ukraine, 10 from Bulgaria, the victims as well as their countries of destination in Western Europe. A crimi- nine from Russia, three from Belarus, three from Macedonia and two from Bosnia and nal complaint filed against Zarubica covers a total of 16 persons suspected of committing Herzegovina) were taken in on misdemeanour charges and had their residence status various criminal offences in connection with trafficking in human beings. revoked. Questioning the women and subsequent investigation revealed the fact that 60 of them were the victims of trafficking in human beings - sexual exploitation, including 32 The Serbian police took an active part in an action code-named ”Mirage” implement- Romanians, 13 Moldavians, 10 Ukrainian women, four Russians and one Bulgarian woman. ed by the SECI centre, and a EUROPOL-led action named ”LEDA”; the objective of both was international co-ordination of police activities in the struggle against trafficking in The activities listed above led in 2002 to a total of 31 criminal complaints against 47 human beings. persons (owners of the facilities and other persons), in connection with a total of 62 crim- inal offences relating to trafficking in women. The following results were achieved in “Mirage” on the territory of Serbia:

In the first nine months of 2003, controls of catering facilities employing citizens of • controls were carried out in a total of 450 catering facilities; Eastern European countries as waitresses, strippers or hostesses led to prosecution and rev- • identity checks were carried out on a total of 220 persons found in them; ocation of residence status for a total of 174 foreign citizens (103 Romanians, 43 • a total of 59 persons were taken into custody, including 25 citizens of Serbia and Ukrainians, 21 Moldavians, four Bulgarians, two citizens of Belarus and one of Bosnia and Montenegro and 34 foreigners; Herzegovina). Detailed questioning of the women and subsequent investigation revealed the • a total of 23 misdemeanour complaints were filed against the foreign nationals for fact that 39 of them were the victims of trafficking in human beings - sexual exploitation, violating provisions of the Law on the Movement and Residence of Foreign including 17 Moldavians, 15 Romanian women, six from the Ukraine and one from Russia. Nationals, i.e., working without necessary permits or illegal entry (11 Romanian women, five each from the Ukraine and Moldova, and three Iraqi citizens); The activities listed above led in the first nine months of 2003 to the filing of a total of • a total of 11 misdemeanour complaints were filed against citizens of Serbia and 11 criminal complaints against 33 persons (owners of the facilities and other persons), in Montenegro for violating provisions of the Law on Public Order (for prostitution); connection with a total of 74 criminal offences relating to trafficking in women, including: • two criminal complaints were filed for the criminal offence of illegal border crossing as defined by Article 249 of the Criminal Code of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, • 25 for solicitation in the performance of prostitution, defined by Article 251 of the against three persons, (two locals and one Romanian citizen) and two criminal complaints Criminal Code of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, for solicitation for the purpose of prostitution as defined by Article 251 of the federal code • 18 for forging documents, Article 233 of the Serbian Criminal Code, against two citizens of Serbia and Montenegro. Criminal complaints were also filed • 13 for illegal crossing of the national frontier, Article 249 of the federal code, against two citizens of Serbia and Montenegro on charges of illegal border crossing and • nine for unlawful deprivation of liberty, Article 63 of the Serbian code, solicitation for prostitution involving two Romanian women who are victims and witness- • seven for establishing a relationship of servitude and transport of persons with servi- es and are currently sheltered in the safe house for the victims of trafficking in women; tude status, Article 155 of the federal code, • six Romanian women were denied entry into Serbia and Montenegro as they were • one for the criminal offence of engaging in unnatural acts, Article 110 of the Serbian code, found to be subject to an entry ban. • one for the criminal offence of rape, Article 103 of the Serbian Criminal Code. In September 2003, the following results were achieved on Serbian territory in an A wide-ranging operation code-named ”Sablja” (Sabre), whose primary objective was action code-named “Mirage-2”: the arrest of persons directly or indirectly involved in the assassination of Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Œinœiñ and a drive against all forms of organised crime and within it traf- • a total of 1,868 catering facilities were inspected; ficking in human beings, led to a number of resolute measures against trafficking. A num- • a total of 784 women found in them were subjected to identity checks; ber of channels through which foreign nationals were transported into this country for • police stopped at the Batrovci border crossing point a citizen of Serbia and onward travel to the West were severed, a number of safe houses used for them were locat- Montenegro carrying a forged Croatian ID, a victim of trafficking in human beings, ed and numerous controls undertaken of catering facilities were foreigners are employed as and moved her into a shelter for victims. waitresses, strippers or hostesses. During the drive, 22 of 106 such foreign women located • a total of eight misdemeanour complaints were filed against foreign nationals (five were found to have been victims of trafficking in human beings for the purpose of sexual Romanian women and three from the Ukraine) found to have violated the Law on exploitation. the Movement and Residence of Foreigners (working without permits);

38 39 PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS A Joint Efforts Perspective

• a total of 40 misdemeanour complaints were filed against locals violating provisions Part of the success has also been the result of training received by Interior of the Law on Temporary and Permanent Residence and the Law on the Personal ID Ministry personnel and organised by international organisations and NGOs, (failing to register changes of residence or to carry a personal ID); while late in 2002 ministry personnel underwent training organised by the Pact • a total of 2,682 motor vehicles were inspected; for Stability and the ICMPD in coaching policemen in connection with the detection and • information obtained during the action about persons involved in trafficking in prevention of those involved in trafficking in human beings. After the training was com- human beings was forwarded to Interpol's national bureau in Belgrade. pleted, courses were held for border police personnel and students of the High School of Internal Affairs, whose methodology and manner of presentation were rated highly by an The “LEDA” action achieved the following results: attending ICMPD representative.

• a total of 1,012 catering facilities were inspected; Besides the above, the National Bureau of INTERPOL in Belgrade mediated in an • a total of 2,548 persons were subjected identity checks, including 2,229 citizens of international police exchange of operational information about persons involved in traf- Serbia and Montenegro and 319 foreigners; ficking in human beings on the basis of which criminal complaints were filed. • a total of 1,234 motor vehicles were inspected; • a total of 68 persons were taken into custody (40 citizens of Serbia and Montenegro A high level of co-operation with NGOs has been achieved in the struggle against traf- and 28 foreigners); ficking in human beings through participation in debates and the provision of data needed for their research projects. • a total of 113 misdemeanour complaints were filed against 79 citizens of Serbia and Montenegro and 34 foreigners, involving mainly violations of the Law on the In March 2002, a Safe house for women victims of trafficking in human beings was Personal ID, the Law on Permanent and Temporary Residence and, in the case of opened in co-operation with the domestic NGO Shelter for Women and Children Victims the foreigners, the Law on the Movement and Residence of Foreigners. of Violence in the Family and the IOM. The facility has so far provided shelter for 96 for- • a total of 63 women (44 citizens of Serbia and Montenegro and 19 foreigners) eign and 11 citizens of Serbia and Montenegro and is protected by Serbian police personnel. believed to be victims of trafficking in human beings were questioned in detail; those fears were confirmed in the case of one local woman and two foreigners; One example of successful co-operation between international organisations and the • two criminal complaints were filed against three persons on suspicion of committing Serbian Interior Ministry is the transport of Moldavian citizens from Chishinau and their criminal offences of trafficking in human beings defined in Article 111b and Article protection for the purpose of giving evidence in the case against Milivoje Zarubica and other 251 (solicitation for the purpose of prostitution) of the Criminal Code. These com- members of his criminal gang, realised by the joint efforts of the SECI Centre in plaints were the result of investigative activities connected to the three women men- Bucharest, the IOM and the Serbian Interior Ministry. tioned above; • data collected in the course of “LEDA” led to six requests for information from for- Serbian Interior Ministry personnel participated actively in international conferences eign countries via Interpol in connection with persons suspected of being part of and seminars devoted to the problem of trafficking in human beings. chains of trafficking in human beings. It was established via Interpol in Kiev that a Ukrainian-registered car impounded by police, which had been used by a citizen of Under the auspices of the Working Group for the Struggle against Trafficking in Serbia and Montenegro known to be a link in the chain of trafficking in human Human Beings within the Pact for Stability in Tirana, at a regional ministerial forum held beings had forged papers. Efforts are under way to locate the vehicle's rightful owner in Tirana on 11 December 2002, representatives of the Serbian Interior Ministry and del- and return the car. egates from the other participating countries signed a “declaration of intent” in reference to the treatment and status of victims of trafficking in human beings. At the concluding meeting held in Athens at which the member states presented the results achieved during the operation “LEDA”, the Serbian and Portuguese interior min- More praise for the efforts of the Serbian Interior Ministry was voiced at the Regional istries were specially praised by the organisers. ministerial conference held in Belgrade early in March 2003, whose theme was liberalisa- tion of the visa regime and the struggle against trafficking in human beings. We would also like to note that the Italian report stated that in the preceding year's time the transit of the victims of trafficking in human beings no longer took place through the National Co-ordinator for the Fight territory of Serbia and Montenegro but instead went through Hungary and Austria into against Trafficking in Human Beings northern Italy as the final destination, a situation to which the upgraded efforts of the Duãan Zlokas Serbian police in combating the menace have contributed.

40 41 PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS A Joint Efforts Perspective 3. Presentation of activities of the OSCE Mission to Serbia and Montenegro in the field of combating Trafficking in Human Beings, in the Republic of Serbia.

Presentation given at the Round-table "Protecting Children from Trafficking in Human Beings - a possibility for joining efforts” Organized by Save the Children UK Belgrade office, on 18 October 2003

I Introduction

Pursuant to the priorities laid down by the OSCE Ministerial Council in Oporto in December 2002, the OSCE Mission to Serbia and Montenegro (the Mission) made com- bating Trafficking in Human Beings (THB) one of its main priorities for 2003.

The Mission's approach thereof is based on the principle of primacy of human rights. Multi-disciplinary, it focuses on the issues of:

(i) Prevention of THB, (ii) Protection of victims of THB, and (iii) Prosecution of THB offenders and their accomplices.

The Mission first launched its anti-trafficking initiatives in co-operation with govern- mental institutions and NGOs in 2001, in the new legal context created by the UN 2000 Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime (and its two additional protocols), that was ratified by the then Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Since then, the Mission has played a major advising and co-ordination role in the field of combating THB in Serbia and Montenegro.

Within the framework of the Stability Pact (Task Force on THB), the Mission sup- ported the establishment of the Federal and two Republic-level (Serbian and Montenegrin) teams to combat THB, consisting of representatives from relevant Ministries and anti-traf- ficking NGOs as well as international organizations.

The Mission initiated co-operation between law enforcement agents and NGOs as the key to the effective National Referral Mechanism. For that purpose, the Referral and Counselling Centre (RCC), including a Mobile Team, was established in partnership with the Ministry of Social Affairs and two of the main anti-trafficking NGOs in Serbia - ASTRA and Counselling against family violence.

42 43 PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS A Joint Efforts Perspective

II The Mission's current and activities planned for 2004 in Republic of Serbia The Mission initiated a NRM in Serbia, identified the actors who may get in contact with potential victims of THB, and linked these actors in a co-operative The Mission's anti-THB activity plan focuses on two main areas in the Republic of framework. These are the Ministry of Social Affairs, Ministry of Interior, and the Serbia: two main NGOs with expertise and practice in victim assistance and protection (ASTRA and Counselling Against Family Violence). (i) Setting up and supporting an effective National Referral Mechanism, and (ii) Supporting the Republican Team to Combat THB. The Mission has initiated and is currently furthering negotiations between these key actors over a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). That MoU is intended to crystallize A. National Referral Mechanism the practice and co-operation developed between the key actors so far, and means to stipu- late in as much detail as practicable the roles of each of these in the process of THB vic- A National Referral Mechanism (NRM) is intended to create a co-operative framework tim identification and assistance. through which state actors identify and assist victims of THB and fulfil their obligations to protect the human rights of trafficked persons, in co-ordination and strategic partnership The central point of this co-operation scheme would be a body called the Referral and with civil society and other actors dealing with victims of THB. Such co-operative frame- Counselling Centre (RCC). It would function within the Ministry for Social Affairs and would works should be established in the countries of destination, as well as transit and origin in have two employees - a Co-ordinator and an Assistant. Within the RCC, a Mobile Team will order to ensure that a support system is in place and that it is comprehensive and accessi- be created, consisting of the representatives of specialist NGOs and the RCC Co-ordinator. ble to all victims of THB. The Mobile Team will function as an advisory body to the RCC working with individual cases - identifying victims of THB and determining the best mode of assistance to them. An effective NRM is a guarantee for quality victim identification, referral and assistance. The RCC is intended to be the main co-ordinating and linking body of the partnership The need for quality identification of victims of THB is stressed in the figure promoted between the public and NGO actors with the goal of securing quality identification and recently by the Regional Clearing Point in their First Annual Report (October 2003). assistance to victims of THB. The partnership itself is meant to be open to any new organ- Namely, according to that source, Serbia is a key transit country for THB. Shockingly the ization that has the relevant capacity and can contribute to victim assistance. In that case number of identified and assisted victims is claimed to be 10 times smaller than the num- such organizations will be invited to join the co-operation partnership and by accepting this ber of persons who actually transited and were temporarily trafficked in Serbia. invitation, would be taking on significant responsibilities.

The main objective of the NRM is to ensure protection and promotion of human rights The Mission plans to provide the following support to the RCC: of victims of THB, while respecting the autonomy and views of the victims. Some of the issues include adequate shelter and security, access to health care and counselling, access to • Professional development and capacity building seminars on presentation skills and their consular or diplomatic representatives, legal assistance, non-prosecution for illegal acts data protection issues, including expert advice in developing relevant databases, and committed as a result of having been trafficked, respected privacy and non-disclosure of handling information exchanges between the various partners within the NRM; identity, avoiding re-victimization, voluntary repatriation, residence and access to services • Expertise and technical assistance in developing and producing training modules and in the country of destination, comprehensive reintegration program (upon repatriation), fact sheets on the NRM, targeting: special level of care in case of children. - potential victims of trafficking, - embassy staff, - relevant governmental officials and, The key characteristic of the NRM must be that it is open to all victims of THB, inde- - NGOs in selected municipalities. pendently from the victims' willingness to co-operate with the law enforcement agencies. • Regional seminars targeting governmental and non-governmental social service providers, the police, and representatives of the judiciary with an aim to create and to A well functioning NRM is also the starting point for effective prosecution of offend- raise the capacity of municipal focal points network. The seminars would cover: ers of THB. However, the NRM requires additional tools to support its and the prosecu- - raising awareness on THB, tion's work. Guaranteed safety of the victims, accommodation at shelters, access to inde- - international and national instruments to combat THB, pendent advice and counselling, opportunity for a reflection delay as well as effective wit- - information about the NRM, ness protection are key prerequisites to enable the victims of THB to report the crime and - role and responsibilities of different governmental and NGO actors in identify- to consider co-operation with the authorities. Practice shows that only when a victim is safe ing, assisting, and referring potential victims, and "stabilized", she will be able to contribute to a successful prosecution. - standard operating procedures of NRM.

44 45 PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS A Joint Efforts Perspective

The Mission has raised the necessary funds to sustain the RCC's operations until • Facilitating the process of developing roles, responsibilities, priorities, and the end of 2004. Successful negotiations with the Ministry for Social Affairs have working routines for the Team's Working Groups, resulted in the initial agreement by the Ministry to take over the funding responsibil- • Assessing the needs and acquiring the necessary legislative tools to the ity from the beginning of 2005. stakeholders of the judiciary. For that purpose the Mission has launched a case mon- itoring initiative whereby selected THB-related cases will be monitored, starting from In addition to the financial commitment from the Government, and the professional the pre-trial investigation phase through the trial phase. commitment from both the Government and the NGO sector, it is crucial for a change of attitude to take place. Namely, the focus must be on victim, and the system of victim assis- As immediate priorities to be tackled by the Republican Team, the Mission identified tance must be victim-centred. the following issues: • Completing the set-up of the Working Groups, The Mission does not expect that the RCC-run victim assistance system shall start • Setting the agendas for the Working Groups to start working, functioning perfectly from the very beginning. Testing the system in practice is vital so the • Assisting the National Co-ordinator in steering the Republican Team, and chan- shortcomings can be revealed and the Mission can shape its further assistance in making nelling its initiatives through to higher political levels, the RCC more effective. • Initiating a legislative framework to ensure a victim-centred approach in residence permit policy, B. The Republican Team to Combat THB • Lobbying for policy change to avoid the prosecution of victims of THB for illegal acts they have committed due to the fact of having been trafficked. Within the framework of the Stability Pact Task Force on THB, the Mission sup- ported the establishment of the two national - Serbian and Montenegrin - Republican Teams and the Federal Team, consisting of representatives from relevant Ministries and NGOs as well as international organizations.

Following the Serbia constitutional reshuffle in Serbia, the Republican Team is the only one functioning in Serbia, having taken over the agenda from the ex-Federal Team.

The Republican Team is intended to function as a collective brain. Composed of rele- vant actors from the public and NGO spheres it should be the initiator and channel for pol- icy directions and legislative changes, and should be setting the country's agenda for com- bating THB.

In order to enable the Republican Team to become more effective, the Mission sup- ported the breakdown of the Team into three separate Working Groups, focusing respec- tively on the issues of: - Prevention of THB, - Protection of victims of THB, and - Prosecution of THB offenders and their accomplices.

These Working Groups have not yet become operational. Meanwhile, the Stability Pact Task Force on THB is suggesting the creation of another body (either a Working Group or sub-Working Group), which would exclusively focus on the issue of child trafficking.

The Mission plans to assist the Republican Team in: • Designing a multi-year National Plan of Action, • Assisting in the professional development of law enforcement agents, the judiciary and social service providers,

46 47 PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS A Joint Efforts Perspective 4. ANTI-TRAFFICKING PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES

IOM-Mission in Serbia and Montenegro

IOM’s Expertise in Counter-Trafficking

IOM’s involvement and approach to trafficking is based on its migration mandate, whereby ”IOM is committed to the principle that humane and orderly migration benefits migrants and society and acts to: assist in meeting the operational challenges of migration; advance understanding of migration issues; encourage social and economic development through migration; and work towards effective respect of the human dignity and well being of the migrants.”1 IOM is particularly concerned about those migrants who are, or have been, deceived or coerced into situations of economic exploitation, which occur through forced labour, forced servitude, coercion, debt bondage, or other violations of their funda- mental human rights. Furthermore trafficking poses a migration management problem for governments of sending, transit and receiving countries.

IOM considers trafficking in human beings as a priority area for international atten- tion. IOM is currently implementing over 70 anti-trafficking projects world-wide, targeting more than 50 countries in Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe and Latin America in the areas of research, mass information, technical cooperation, and return and reintegra- tion assistance. IOM has already successfully implemented several counter-trafficking pro- grams in the Balkan region focusing on research, information campaigns, technical coop- eration, and return and reintegration assistance for victims in cooperation with key partners including government authorities, NGOs and international agencies. As a result, the pres- ent project builds on previous and current activities undertaken by the organization, thus promoting continuity and sustainability.

In addressing the challenges posed by the trafficking of migrants, IOM supports approaches to assist and protect migrants who fall victim to traffickers. In terms of preven- tion, IOM organizes campaigns, seminars and fora in order to raise general awareness on trafficking, shares experience with various stakeholders, disseminates results obtained from research, coordinates/harmonizes policies and measures, and creates formal and informal networks to deal with the issue. IOM promotes and provides training to increase the capac- ity of governmental bodies and other institutions to combat the trafficking of migrants. In regard to assistance for VOT, IOM, in coordination with NGOs, other international organizations and government agencies, carries out projects which provide legal and med- ical counselling and other direct assistance to trafficked migrants. IOM also provides sup-

1 IOM Resolution No. 923 (LXXI) of 27. November 1995.

48 49 PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS A Joint Efforts Perspective

port for safe shelters and accommodation for VOT, as well as opportunities for vol- ing of the information. The follow-up survey, carried out immediately after the untary return and reintegration packages. information campaign, allowed for the verification of findings and also measures the effectiveness of the conveyed messages. As for the information campaign, it Under the guidance of the Stability Pact, IOM, in collaboration with ICMC, has appears that it was effective in: established a Regional Clearing Point that ensures standardized regional data on the effectiveness and continuity of victim assistance and protection; supports the development - Disseminating correct information and improving general awareness with respect to of a network of high-quality shelters in the Balkans region; ensures quality standards for the phenomenon and particularly the victims, and victim protection and assistance projects and assists in developing national referral mecha- - Enhancing local institutional as well as operational capacity to address the issue. nisms. The Regional Clearing Point contributes to appropriate and coordinated victim assistance and protection programs throughout the Balkan region. The campaign was designed by IOM in coordination with the Victim’s Protection Program (Montenegro equivalent of the National Team against trafficking) and was imple- Programs and activities mented in collaboration with seven local NGOs.

By building upon and complementing IOM’s past and present activities in Serbia and IOM intends to adopt a similar approach in Serbia, relying on the outreach capacity Montenegro to counteract trafficking in women, the IOM programmatic approach focuses and experience of local NGOs to disseminate information. on three integrated and interrelated aspects of this phenomenon and therefore contributes to the efforts of the Serbia and Montenegro authorities to combat trafficking in women and Protection and reintegration children from and within Serbia and Montenegro: IOM implements a standardized protection and reintegration program in Serbia and 1. Prevention through the dissemination of information to further increase public throughout the Balkan region, to facilitate the development of further cooperation and awareness. coordination between government and NGO structures. Three projects are currently being 2. Protection and reintegration assistance and support to victims of trafficking return- carried out to address victim’s needs: ing to their home communities. 3. Prosecution and criminalization by supporting law enforcement and judiciary struc- Assisted return from countries of destination / to countries of origin, includes pre- tures to more effectively act against crimes of trafficking in women and children. departure assistance (Information dissemination, Counselling, Medical Screening, Travel), transport assistance (Movement Coordination, Transit assistance, Escort assistance, Prevention Document and Formalities) and post-arrival assistance (Reception on arrival, Reinstallation grants). IOM carries out its activities in collaboration with local and international partners IOM in co-operation with its implementation partners will continue during 2003/2004 in order to make the return process more efficient, less traumatic and safer for the victims. supporting information campaigns in Serbia and Montenegro. IOM has directly implement From July 2001, when the implementation of this project started, IOM Belgrade has such campaigns in Montenegro in 2002/2003 and aims to work through NGOs in Serbia returned some 120 victims to their countries of origin. As most victims are deprived of their to reach out to victims and potential victims, the general public, would-be clients and gov- documents, IOM collaborates with the appropriate Embassies to issue temporary docu- ernmental institutions. ments to return to countries of origin, sometimes relying on other IOM missions, as is the case for Moldova who has no representative office in Serbia. Once temporary documents Media campaign are secured, IOM, counting on its network of offices in the region, makes the appropriate arrangements to return victims to their communities or origin. As a basis for a general analysis of the Trafficking phenomenon in Serbia and Monte- negro, a recent IOM Awareness Campaign, conducted in Montenegro and complemented Reintegration assistance attempts to address some of the root causes of trafficking as a by a preliminary survey and a tracer study clearly showed a lack of understanding and gen- means to avoid potential re-trafficking of victims. Reintegration elements include, inter eral awareness. alia, medical and psychological assistance, security protection, vocational training, job refer- ral, subsidized employment and self-employment. Additionally, present reintegration assis- The preliminary survey, carried out in the first phase of the information campaign tance packages include the following services provided directly to the beneficiary to assure a showed that the population was lacking in substantial information about the issue of traf- dignified reinsertion into society: airport reception, escort and travel assistance to final des- ficking and provided channels for dissemination of information for the campaign. It also tinations, overnight accommodations, social and legal assistance and distribution of rein- helped in adjusting the scope of the information campaign itself, allowing for better target- stallation grants.

50 51 PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS A Joint Efforts Perspective

Reintegration assistance is also provided by IOM to national victims of traf- Prosecution and Criminalization ficking in Serbia and Montenegro. Initially, IOM monitored national victims directly, but as the number of national victims has increased over the past months, Having gone quite a considerable distance in building effective mechanisms IOM has approached some local NGOs to provide this support. Regular contact is of victim protection and reintegration, the problem of trafficking in women and children maintained by the NGOs to monitor the reintegration process of victims and to in Serbia and Montenegro still remains acute. Unfortunately, the combination of harsh determine whether they or their families have been threatened and/or harassed. Having socio-economic conditions in the country, extremely high profits that trafficking generat- put these initial mechanisms in place, IOM will pursue further development and ed by criminal elements, and in light of the relatively low risk factor, creates more than improvement of the victim reintegration process by additional provision of augmented favourable conditions for the entrapment of women, drawing them into modern day slav- quality and sustainable medical treatment and development of present and introduction ery. Following the break-up of Yugoslavia and the establishment of new states, the porous of new options of social services. nature of borders and the social environment, the country was left without adequate struc- tures in border control or specific legislation to deal effectively and at once with such new Shelter for Women and Children victims of Trafficking offers safe accommodation and complex issues. while pre-departure procedure or reintegration program is being arranged. During the vic- tim’s stay in the shelter, a local NGO supported by IOM provides assistance in the form Legislation of shelter, food, clothes, basic medical and psychological assistance and other necessary assistance. In addition, victims receive legal counselling to better understand their rights. Until April 2003, according the Criminal Code of Serbia and of FRY, trafficking was Interpretation allows for victims to easily communicate with their interlocutors. IOM not a specific criminal offence. Trafficking was covered by the section on slavery, under presently supports the only shelter in Belgrade. As some of the victims provide testimony Article 155, which pertains to the slavery and transportation of human beings. This crime for investigative judges, their stay in the shelter can last two to three months. Current IOM belongs to the group of crimes against humanity, covered under international law within the programs have no funds for additional travel and board and lodging costs in case victims chapter on “Criminal Acts Against Humanity and other objects Protected by International decides to come back for the final court procedure. It is hoped that this situation will be Law.” The punishment for engaging in such acts, which correspond to promoting slavery, remedied through a new project associated to the issuance of Temporary Residence Permits or inducing someone to sell themselves or others into slavery, and/or be involved in the for Victims and Witnesses. movement of people for the purpose of slavery is punishable from 1 to 10 years of impris- onment. In the spring of 2003, the Assembly of Serbia passed amendments to the Criminal TRAINING: Code introducing, as a precedent, trafficking in human beings as a specific criminal offence. By amending article 111b of the Penal Code of the Republic, of Serbia, published in the Training of Shelter Staff was provided by the LEFO Austrian NGO to staff manag- Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia,No.39/2003, trafficking in human beings ing the shelter in Belgrade in order to improve the quality services to victims. This NGO became a specific criminal offence. This milestone came as a result of sustained lobby by relies on experts to improve skills in awareness raising, sensitivity issues, confidentiality NGOs, organizations and the National Team in Serbia, and stands as a step toward the measures, medical evidence, practices and overall coordination between key players. adoption of a comprehensive anti-trafficking legislation in the Republic of Serbia. Training seminars were held in 2002 and 2003 and more are planned in the future to fur- ther strengthen links between NGOs, authorities and relevant organizations. With this provision under the Criminal Code to prosecute trafficking for the purposes of forced prostitution and labour, it remains that the interpretation and implementation of this Furthermore, IOM is continuing collaborating with its Serbia and Montenegro nation- provision is may still be weak within the judicial system. The legislation has yet to be fully wide NGO network as well as law enforcement to facilitate the reintegration process of vic- tested in court. Nonetheless, it must be recognized that progress is being made in Serbia and tims of trafficking. It has been demonstrated that this approach enhances the prospects of in South East Europe and actions must be sustained to guarantee long-term results. successful prosecution of traffickers by bridging the gap of trust and confidence of the vic- tims with law enforcement that makes it more likely victims will cooperate in the identifi- Law enforcement cation of traffickers and testify in criminal proceedings against them. Although reliable data on the proportions of the problem is scarce, and it is difficult to In collaboration with UK Immigration Officials and OSCE, IOM is providing train- clearly verify actual trends, an estimated 90 percent of foreign migrant sex workers in the ing for Border Guards on the question of trafficking during 2003. In the framework of a Balkans countries are presumed to be victims of trafficking.2 According to police data, a program to improve migration management procedures and to disrupt trafficking activities total of 1,260 women from Eastern European countries (Romania, Ukraine, Moldova and at the point of entry, IOM will deliver training in 11 border stations in Serbia and

Montenegro, reaching over 250 border officials and front line officers. 2 Trafficking in Human Beings in South-eastern Europe - Current Situation and Responses, UNICEF, 2002

52 53 PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS A Joint Efforts Perspective

Russia) tried to enter FRY illegally in 2000 and were stopped at the border. Police traffickers, as well as provide the necessary means to directly assist victims-turned- had undertaken 2,000 measures against women offenders and brought 41 criminal witnesses on a case-by-case basis. Moreover, this initiative will build on previous charges against traffickers. During 2001 police had undertaken 1,018 measures efforts made by regional initiatives such as the Lara Project,3 the training princi- against women offenders and brought 72 criminal charges against criminals. In the ples for persons responsible for combating trafficking in the Region,4 as well as ongoing year 2002 the number of measures undertaken was 343, of which 48 offenders were IOM counter-trafficking programs. judged to have been victims of sex trafficking. The number of criminals prosecuted for In collaboration with the IOM missions in the Western Balkans (Tirana, Zagreb, Skopje, offences closely associated with trafficking is very limited. and Sarajevo), as well as with local government counterparts, NGOs and relevant interlocu- tors, IOM Belgrade will coordinate, implement and supervise this initiative which will cover At present, in the absence of a structured referral system, women come to the attention the five Balkan countries: Albania, Croatia, FYR Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, as of the police mainly through police raids on brothels and clubs. The police practice to detain well as Serbia and Montenegro. This project consists of four main activities: only women without valid documents, while those with document and having committed no apparent crime are disregarded. If deemed to having participated in an illegal activity, such • Government Structures: Implementation of Temporary Residence Permits; as prostitution, they may be held for time and later deported. Foreign women without valid • Exchange of Information via Study Tours/Expert Visits/ Regional Conference; documents and may be incarcerated for a time (illegal entry into FRY) and then sent to the • Skills-Oriented Seminars geared at building the capacity of government and NGOs Federal Reception Centre for Foreign Citizens, where some are referred to IOM for sup- to provide services for witnesses; port to be transferred to the Shelter. • Emergency Fund on a case-by-case basis for victims of trafficking who choose to testify.

What is striking from the numbers provided above is that only a small percentage of vic- Regional Clearing Point for National Networks on Victim Protection and Assistance tims eventually access assistance. With the establishment of a Mobile Team on the territo- in Belgrade (RCP) Geographical Coverage: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, ry of Serbia, working under the guidance of OSCE, it is expected that the referral of vic- Croatia, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (including Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo), tims will become more systematic, through unified and harmonious screening methods. FYR of Macedonia, Moldova and Romania With such a system in place, it can be expected that the number of rescued victims will increase, as they will be more clearly identified. IOM with the assistance of ICMC, and in collaboration with national authorities, NGOs and other international organizations established and organized an anti-trafficking In July 2002, 33 specialized anti-trafficking units were established across the districts Regional Clearing Point in Belgrade. The Regional Clearing Point works under the umbrel- of Serbia, with over 150 members. A six-member team, working out of Belgrade heads this la of the Stability Pact Task Force on Trafficking in Human Beings. Guided by the TF’s specialized service. It is generally felt that these units need training, workshops and specif- Executive Board, the main tasks of the Regional Clearing Point are to ensure standardized ic support, to deal more effectively with counter-trafficking. In absence of the formal refer- regional data on the effectiveness and continuity of victim assistance and protection; sup- ral system being functional as of yet, IOM works directly with anti-trafficking units out of port the development of a network of high-quality shelters in the Balkan region; ensure its sub-office in Southern Serbia. Once the Mobile team is operational, IOM will rely on quality standards of victim protection and assistance projects and assist in developing it to coordinate with authorities and properly identify victims of trafficking. national referral mechanisms. The Regional Clearing Point constitutes a link between the various actors implementing anti-trafficking activities in the countries of SEE. Temporary Residence Permits

On 11 December 2002, representatives of the SEE states signed the “Statement on Commitments on Legalisation of the Status of Trafficked Persons,” affirming that a tem- porary residence permit for victims of trafficking encourages cooperation with law enforce- ment and facilitates the victim’s recovery and reintegration. In this context, IOM, in coop- eration with the Stability Pact Task Force (SPTF), proposes to implement a series of activ- ities, whose objective is to strengthen the capacity of relevant players in the Balkan region to fulfil their obligations within the framework of protection and assistance to Victims of Trafficking (VOT). Overall, this initiative will contribute to a “de facto” institutionalisa- tion for “Temporary Residence Permits” aimed at enhancing protection and assistance for

VOT based on a Human Rights based approach and humanitarian grounds. The initiative 3 Implemented by the Council of Europe. will also lay the groundwork for services to protect and assist VOT who opt to testify against 4 Implemented by ICMPD, in collaboration with IMP, SECI and IOM.

54 55 PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS A Joint Efforts Perspective 5. ANTI-TRAFFICKING EFFORTS AND INITIATIVES

Catholic Relief Services

Introduction

The world that we work in today is vastly different from the one that saw the inception of this agency. Founded to assist European refugees during World War II, we have, in the past five decades, served millions of the world’s poor through emergency relief efforts and development programs.

We are committed to being a dynamic organization – a commitment that requires an examination of the past as well as focused foresight. Relief and development work that will improve lives for the long term, requires a focus on the social, economic, cultural and polit- ical structures that either create or perpetrate the very conditions of need we address. It is not enough to engage in commendable service if there is no challenge to the social struc- tures that continue to oppress and impoverish people.

Our Goal in Serbia & Montenegro

One of the main objectives we in Catholic Relief Services are achieving and wish to strengthen in the years ahead of us are:

• promoting effective participation of citizens in the processes affecting their lives and their efforts to create a more authentic and accountable relationship with govern- ments at all levels, • supporting partners as they assist their constituents to foster tolerance, inclusion, jus- tice, peace and reconciliation.

While fulfilling our vision and programs focused on alleviation of problems transition- al societies are facing, such as poverty reduction, anti-trafficking initiatives, facilitation of a people-centred and depoliticised approach in support of voluntary return of refugees and IDPs, inter-ethnic and inter-generational activities, education and peace building we rely on the involvement of more than 70 partners throughout the country.

Anti-trafficking efforts and initiatives

Our strategic interest in addressing the issue of trafficking in humans relates directly to the agency’s mandates to protect the dignity and equality of the human person, and to sup- port gender equality and equity. To this end CRS, through its Policy and Strategic Issue

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Division in Baltimore, has been networking with a variety of US and European • Research Agency “Strategic Marketing” was in charge of conducting pub- organizations addressing trafficking, while supporting or participating in meetings lic opinion survey on trafficking in human beings. and fora concerning the issue in the US and Europe. Trafficking in persons is an • Prof of Sociology Dragan Raduloviñ was in charge of providing social con- issue of concern that CRS is seeking to engage systematically in countries the world text of trafficking in human beings and determining social control mechanisms. over, not just in our Serbia and Montenegro offices. • CRS was in charge of providing inventory of actors, actions and references.

Study: “Trafficking of Roma women and children from Serbia - Risk and Resiliency factors” The research team conducted their analysis in three ways: a) a survey of public famil- iarity with the phenomenon and its perception in public opinion; b) qualitative research of CRS Serbia and Montenegro engaged in anti-trafficking initiatives in November 2002 everyday life and direct experiences of Roma, who are potentially the most vulnerable in when it received USAID support for a study entitled “Trafficking of Roma women and chil- Serbia and c) familiarization with existing practices of social reaction to the phenomenon, dren from Serbia – Risk and Resiliency Factors”. Main goal of this research was to facilitate including a review of anti-trafficking programs and structural limits and shortcomings. The the development of a more comprehensive and multi-disciplinary approach to combating research team conducted 30 interviews with representatives of the key organizations in trafficking of Roma through recommendations generated by means of collecting and Serbia that are working to combat trafficking. The team also interviewed the representa- analysing all relevant accessible data on the multiple facets on the trafficking issue – its social tives of Federal and Republic counter-trafficking teams. context, social control mechanisms and public awareness of it. Specific objectives were: Key Findings • identification of risk and resiliency factors for trafficking in human beings within the Roma population (central to the study); • Actors in Serbia are mainly engaged in curbing so-called sex trafficking. • identification of existing gaps in activities aimed at curbing and prevention of traf- ficking in human beings, especially in: Most anti-trafficking activities are oriented to prevention of trafficking in human beings, especially trafficking in women for sexual abuse (so-called sex-trafficking). A small- - the field of legislative solutions; er number of organizations are active in the prevention of trafficking in children. The most - education and prevention programs; frequent activities are lectures, forums, trainings, seminars, as well as preparation, publica- - public opinion attitudes; perception and knowledge regarding the phenomenon; tion and distribution of various educational and informative materials connected to traf- and the feeling of fear and threat. ficking in human beings. In the largest number of cases, the activities target a youth audi- ence (more frequently girls than boys), the general public and NGOs who are included or • Identification of elements in a comprehensive approach and designing the recom- want to be included in efforts to resolve the issue. mendations regarding projecting a strategy for preventing and curbing trafficking in human beings. • Activities devoted to the issue of criminal prosecution of traffickers are generally lim- ited to analyses of laws dealing with the issue and training for judges and prosecutors. The study builds on the existing activities of international and local organizations, gov- ernment ministries and task forces, current legal frameworks, and various social actors in Regarding protection of victims, there are currently only two activities intended to pro- Serbia. tect victims – an SOS telephone hot line and a shelter for women victims of trafficking in human beings. Research Team and Methodology • Child victims are not sufficiently included in the existing institutional mechanisms. A highly experienced research team, consisting of CRS and partner staff, designed and conducted the study: There is not a single shelter for children – victims of trafficking and no data on the • Belgrade Centre for Human Rights was in charge for comparative analysis of inter- number of children on streets. national standards and local regulations referring to traffickers and victims of traf- • Roma are invisible, both in statistical and qualitative data of the participants in the ficking in human beings (with particular consideration of the position of Roma from fight against trafficking in human beings and as a target group in preventive activities. the aspect of international documents, current solutions in the countries of Central • So far, no organization has systematically addressed monitoring and evaluation of and Eastern Europe and positive legislature in Serbia and Montenegro). activities aimed at combating trafficking in human beings. There is both a lack of • Research Agency “Argument” was in charge of determining the risk and resiliency evaluation of successes so far, and a lack of standardized indicators for measuring the factors among Roma population. success or failure of individual activities.

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• Data collected in this research indicate a growing commitment in Serbia to under- motherhood present special risk factors for Roma women. A large number of stand and combat trafficking in persons. Such efforts encourage optimism that this Roma children leave school early. They are faced with the need to start earning trend will result in stronger efforts to map protagonists and activities in the service of while young, even before the age of 10, and they are not protected from various coordinated action, and to cover fields that have not been included to date. forms of discrimination within the school system. A large number of them leave school before completing elementary education. Shockingly, almost 80% of Roma children attend Risk Factors schools for the mentally disabled, which points to the scope of discrimination Roma are exposed to in the education system. Roma children are sent to such schools because many The central task of this research was the identification of risk and resiliency factors of do not speak Serbian well when they start attending school, have not been in nursery trafficking in human beings within the Roma population. From the discussions with rep- school, have not been prepared for school by their parents, or do not have the knowledge resentatives of state institutions, international organizations and NGOs, we learned that usually expected at that age. Even if they manage to attend regular schools, teachers, school there was general consent among the collocutors regarding the major risk factors con- administration and peers often expose them to a range of discriminatory acts. tributing to and promoting trafficking in human beings. Those were: Their families, who strictly monitor their behaviour and movements, expose Roma girls 1. Poverty: the major factor contributing to trafficking in human beings; to additional pressures. Many are tasked with a range of household chores at the age of 7- 2. Vulnerability (for example: the trauma/stigma of incest; refugee/displaced status; 8, so that they have to invest great effort to meet both school and family demands. objectification of women, especially as sex objects; gender inequality and its connec- Additionally, a large number of Roma girls get married at the age of 12-14. These mar- tion to economic opportunity); riages are arranged by parents, and they are accompanied by a variety of other customs, such 3. Biases of others towards Roma, or self-biases under the guise of tradition; as “selling the bride,” whereby parents of the girl are entitled to a payment from the fami- 4. Poor border controls and concentration of military personnel in the region; ly of the groom. Such traditional customs – including the high value of virginity before 5. Rigid and inflexible immigration policy in main countries of destination. marriage – may function as risk factors, but as resiliency factors as well, provided they are within a stable family structure. It should be born in mind that risk factors rarely have separate and isolated effects. They are combined with a number of other factors, which mutually increase one another in order Factors increasing risk for Roma children to become victims of trafficking in human to lead to trafficking in human beings. Furthermore, certain factors have increased effects beings are primarily child labour and the absence of parental care. Roma children start in certain parts of the population (miserable accommodation and children at work, for working early, contributing significantly to the family budget. They most frequently partic- instance, in the case of Roma population), while they do not ravage the general population ipate work in the informal economy, collecting secondary raw materials or begging. These in the same way. Such simplifications can lead to defining the problem in stereotypical kinds of jobs entail many risks to health and safety. In addition, any disturbances in their terms, and from stereotyping follows bureaucratisation and the relegation of the issue to the family (abandonment, domestic abuse, alcoholism) often result in a loss of parental super- status of an unsolvable problem, or worse, a cliché that will remain with us forever. Our vision. When that occurs, the children frequently end up homeless and living on the street interviews show that this is the approach favoured by state institutions at present, especial- and exposed to a completely new array of social pathologies – with human trafficking a ly as they are under increased pressure to eliminate the problem before it is even understood leader among them. by the public or themselves. Resiliency Factors Apparently, poverty, along with all the mechanisms of social exclusion, marginalisation and vulnerability, which appear before poverty or as its consequence, is at the root of the issue. The identification of risk factors also points the way to identifying strategies for foster- And there are other factors that increase risk. One’s position in the labour market inevitably ing resiliency to human trafficking. Risk factors are not isolated, but rather come in clus- goes hand in hand with poverty. Unemployment, work in deplorable conditions or in a low ters that increase each other, and as such are best attacked as a package. Palliative meas- accumulative branch of the economy, and lack of possession of the means of production all ures aimed at one risk factor will likely fail. For example, even if the laudable goal of contribute to intensifying poverty. The feminisation of poverty is another significant dimen- decreasing domestic violence in the Roma community succeeds, many risk factors remain. sion. Women make up most of the unemployed. Moreover, a large number of women who work in the home are not recorded in labour market, and are not included in unemployment Trafficking in human beings within the Roma population is the consequence of a com- statistics and are not eligible for the limited protections afforded the unemployment. plex mixture of unfavourable circumstances, and a failure to address all the links in the chain may undermine effectiveness. The patriarchal pattern of sacrificing mothers for the sake of children is deeply rooted in the Roma community, and increases feminisation of poverty, making mothers and chil- Three basic resiliency factors emerged in this study: a stable family structure, knowledge dren alike additionally vulnerable. Leaving school early, marriage in puberty and early of trafficking and its effects, and material opportunity for Roma. The findings also indicate

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that it is important to support the development of individual children at home and in is not sufficient for the design of a comprehensive and fully appropriate school, and to strengthen the Roma identity. strategy to combat this problem in Serbia. The same may be said for the classification of factors into ‘push’– the ones which force people into vul- Interesting Public Opinion Survey results nerability to human trafficking (poverty, sexual violence, marginalisation, concentra- tion of military troops) and ‘pull’ – the ones which draw victims in (mythologization • According to Serbian citizens, most frequent victims of trafficking in human beings of the West, effects of globalisation, development of the sex industry) factors. In order are between 15 and 25 years of age, 16% of the population believes that children up to create a successful strategy to fight against trafficking, it is necessary to uncoil the to 10 years of age are among the most vulnerable persons, while 13% believe that dimensions of the factors increasing risk into detail, and establish where resiliency these are children from 10 to 15 years of age; factors may be found and strengthened. • The respondents were unanimous in the opinion that victims of trafficking in human • Strengthen mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating the public responsibility of beings are usually women. Among the Roma, more than a half of the respondents those involved in counter-trafficking activities. Such monitoring and evaluation, to believes that females (girls and women), and then Roma boys are severely exposed to be effective, must be performed by an impartial, expert and educated team that is dangers of crime. The majority of respondents agreed that Roma girls are the group independent of the main protagonists of other actions, and thus without conflicts of of greatest risk; interest. • Although the majority of Serbian citizens believe children become victims having • Support a permanent, professional specialization of counter-trafficking personnel. been stolen or kidnapped, every third citizen (and more) still believe that parents and Curbing trafficking in human beings is not a hobby or work that may be successful- relatives sell their children themselves; ly completed along with other social objectives. Key anti-trafficking actors should be • According to opinion of the majority of Roma, Roma girls are most frequently forced provided all the necessary conditions for professional excellence, implying financial to engage in begging and prostitution, while Roma boys are forced to begging and support in salaries and adequate provision for training and knowledge transfer. black labour. Every fifth respondent stated trafficking in children as a danger, which • Ensure adequate training for key professions. It is imperative to train the profes- threatens boys and girls equally. Roma from Belgrade, most frequently stated traf- sionals whose work bears on the current state of risk and resiliency of human traf- ficking as a danger in a larger percentage for girls (33%) than boys (25%), while Roma ficking in Serbia and Montenegro. Our study indicates that there is no significant from Central Serbia stated it in the least percentage (17% for boys, 16% for girls); obstacle to increasing and enhancing the capacity of professionals in the police, cen- • A little less than a half of the respondents among the local Roma stated that Roma tres for social work, media, prosecutor’s offices, courts, prisons, schools, university children are more vulnerable than children of other nationalities in Serbia. However, faculties, border controls, or diplomatic offices. Furthermore, the education of future more than 80% of displaced Roma believed that Roma children are most vulnerable. professionals is most effectively done when they are still engaged in their studies or The majority of Roma from Belgrade estimate Roma children as more vulnerable early professional development. than children of other nationalities; • Support the Ministry of Finance as a key entity in coordinating and prioritising the • 44 (8%) respondents among the local Roma and 31 (31%) among the displaced fight against human trafficking. The Ministry engages all the major public institu- Roma who stated that they knew about cases of selling children cited a total of 87 tions that are central to the efforts to fight trafficking, and to related campaigns (for cases: 39 boys and 49 girls aged 2-18. According to respondents’ statements, the example, anti-corruption operations) that have not historically been included in the number of cases of selling boys and girls is similar until the age of 10, while over 10 regular operations of the Ministry. Ministry representatives expressed to the research years of age girls are considerably more frequent victims than boys. team a strong willingness to become creatively involved in the struggle against human trafficking. Recommendations • Enhance the knowledge and action of Parliamentarians. The role of members of both Republican and Federal Parliaments has been underestimated. Without the active The research team highlights the following recommendations, based on the findings of interest of MPs, efforts to engage their constituents will be less effective. this study: • Sponsor specific research efforts on certain neglected areas, especially on the issue of street children and on the issue of trafficking in human organs. Neither of these has • Develop local operative standards to complement those existing at regional or global been explored sufficiently, and both bear significantly on the larger issue of human levels in order to combat trafficking in human beings in Serbia and Montenegro. trafficking. Children, who live on the street, and especially boys, young men and the • No systematic research of risk factors has been conducted for Serbia, and therefore disabled, are especially vulnerable to trafficking, but few organizations either public it must be concluded that organizations involved in efforts to combat trafficking in or private are actively engaged with this population. Likewise, little is known about human beings rely on international and regional studies to guide their programming. trafficking in human organs, and therefore it is difficult to estimate how common While this may be sufficient to design an initial, emergency framework for action, it this phenomenon is.

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• Support coordination between state and civil society to reduce the central risk factor in to participate in the development of a regional anti-trafficking project to be man- human trafficking: poverty. Throughout this study, poverty is identified as a central fac- aged by several of our offices in the region. tor undermining people’s resiliency and increasing their vulnerability to trafficking. Roma, of course, are among the poorest in Serbia. Bringing special, coordinated meas- One of our goals yet to be accomplished is to combine forces with faith based organi- ures to bear to reduce poverty among Roma while including special social protection meas- zations in anti-trafficking projects and activities. ures for the Roma would vastly strengthen the community’s resiliency to trafficking. Conclusion Comments on TIP report At the end we would like to acknowledge that we move into the future knowing that our Several employees of CRS had a pleasure to participate at the National Migration reach exceeds our grasp, but confident that we can make a difference and build a more just Conference 2003, held in Washington D.C. from July 06-10, 2003. During that time, world. Our investment is in people and is for as long as it takes. they met with representatives of the Office for Monitoring and Combating Trafficking in Persons within the State Department, having a chance to discuss Trafficking in Persons report and the very process of its creation. Based on the results and conclusions from the study and following the meeting with the Trafficking Office, CRS has decided to devote its regional support to a modest anti-trafficking project. Our previous experience in the field of civil society inclusion in the Poverty Reduction Strategy Process has showed that con- sultative meetings are a useful tool for collecting feedbacks and thoughts from the civil soci- ety representatives, information dissemination of specific issues, as well as for citizen’s mobilization and their inclusion into decision-making processes. CRS’ idea was to use a similar approach in the anti-trafficking project, organizing several consultative meetings with representatives of: human rights organizations, women organizations, university pro- fessors and Roma organizations in order to collect comments on TIP report, comments on the extent of trafficking in Serbia, possible ways for civil society inclusion into the process of TIP creation, etc. Results from the consultative meetings will be sent, as an official report, to the Serbian Government and to the Trafficking Office.

Representatives of 3 local NGOs – EVA, HUR and Victimology Society of Serbia and University organized 4 thematic workshops in order to collect recommendations for experts who are writing the TIP, that refer to trafficking data and anti-trafficking activities. The par- ticipants of the workshops were members of NGOs experienced in anti-trafficking activities.

Recommendations

• Report is too vague – there is a lack of statistic data and resources used. • Report is general and it does not reflect the regional specifics of trafficking in human beings. • Report should address Serbia and Montenegro separately as to be able to reflect dif- ferent characteristics in terms of trafficking and anti-trafficking actors (following their number, activities, orientation and results).

Future?

CRS plans to develop the trafficking proposal at the country level related to creation of the effective system for the monitoring and evaluation of the anti-trafficking activities and

64 65 PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS A Joint Efforts Perspective 6. UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS Human Rights Field Operation in Serbia and Montenegro

UN OHCHR in Serbia and Montenegro

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has prime respon- sibility for the overall monitoring, promotion and protection of all human rights and is the only United Nations agency based in Serbia and Montenegro with an explicit human rights mandate. OHCHR takes a leading role on human rights issues and stimulates and coordi- nates human rights activities and programmes. The Mission is one of thirty OHCHR field presences around the world.

Acting as a catalyst, the Mission collaborates with local and national NGOs and with other international organizations, particularly the OSCE and Council of Europe, on a range of human rights-related programmes. It supports the UN human rights treaty bod- ies, other UN thematic mechanisms and the UN Country Team in Serbia and Montenegro. The Mission also deals with issues that have cross-boundary impact, working with OHCHR offices in the region, particularly in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia and Croatia.

Overall Objectives and Activities

The scope of the OHCHR Mission is the entire territory of Serbia and Montenegro, with its main Office in Belgrade and sub-offices in Podgorica and Pristina. Its main objec- tives are to:

• Monitor, analyse and make recommendations on key human rights developments that can be incorporated into broader reform processes, particularly reform of the judiciary, police and the armed forces; • Support the work of the UN’s thematic mechanisms on human rights; • Provide advice and technical support to the Serbian and Montenegrin Governments, UNMIK and the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government in Kosovo to ensure that legislation and governing norms and practices conform to international human rights standards; • Support the development of national human rights institutions (such as the offices of Protectors of Human Rights and Freedoms) in line with the Paris Principles; • Provide technical advice and training on reporting obligations under the main UN human rights treaties;

66 67 PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS A Joint Efforts Perspective

• Promote a culture of human rights by promoting human rights education and train- Human trafficking ing activities in the public and private sectors, and mainstreaming human rights into the school curricula; Laurie Wiseberg, Acting Chief of Mission: • Support the UN Country Team and relevant Government counterparts with expert The trafficking and exploitation of children is a worldwide phenomenon but one that analysis and advice in the field of human rights and promote the integration of has not yet come to light in the Balkans. The trafficking and sexual exploitation of chil- human rights into poverty reduction strategies; dren is a measure of the depth to which civilization has sunk. Consider, for example, that • Support a human rights framework for addressing the problems of refugees and inter- since 1990 – for more than 10 years – the Commission on Human Rights has had Special nally displaced persons (IDPs) from Kosovo, and help develop strategies for Roma Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography (Resolution integration in Serbia and Montenegro; and 1990/68 of 7 March 1990). One must thinks about what that implies – that children are • Monitor the human rights situation in regions of concern, particular where there is trafficked for sexual exploitation; they are trafficked so that they can be engaged in begging a significant presence of national minorities, including Southern Serbia, Vojvodina, and theft; they are trafficked to become child soldiers; they are trafficked for child marriage; and the region of Serbian and Montenegrin Sandæak. they are trafficked for slavery; and there are stories that they are trafficked in order to sell their organs, although we have not had hard evidence about that allegation. But this tells Partners you about the darkest side of human nature. In the Balkans, child trafficking and exploita- tion seems a problem that is very much a hidden one. Someone spoke earlier about chil- • Relevant Ministries of the State and Republics in Serbia and Montenegro, UNMIK dren in the schools who have experienced trauma, suicide, death in family and other authorities and the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government in Kosovo; tragedies for which they need support, but we seldom hear about sexual abuse of children in • UN Country Team, OSCE, Council of Europe and other international agencies, families – or incest – although we know that such things occur in the region. Because this and key national NGOs working on the issues described above. is a taboo subject. And therefore children who suffer from such abuse get no help. When we talk about something like the trafficking of children, often, though not The UN OHCHR approach to sub-regional human rights issues always, the trafficking of the children takes place with some form of complicity by parents or other family members. Of course, in these cases, it is very difficult to actually get any With the end of the decade of armed conflict (1991-2001), the region has begun to sta- information, to get the data. bilize and economic, political and security reforms have been initiated. However, improve- Our offices in the Balkans have not done a great deal of work on this problem. ments and the overall pace of institutional reform are slow and uneven, varying according Nevertheless, it is an area that we are very concerned about. The UN Recommended to the conditions in each state. In Serbia and Montenegro, there was a major setback cre- Principles and Guidelines on Human Rights and Human Trafficking do touch on the issue ated by the state of emergency, which followed the tragic assassination of Serbian Prime of child trafficking and there are at least a number of provisions, particularly with respect Minister Œinœiñ. The crisis brought into sharp focus the urgent need for reform with respect to prevention and special mechanisms for protection and support of child victims that bear to the rule of law, the judiciary, the police and the armed forces – areas where change has on this issue. I think we have a lot of lessons to learn and one of them is that unfortu- not kept pace with economic reconstruction, where change has been more rapid and more nately trafficking is not simply a criminal activity. If it was just a criminal activity, it might positive. Moreover, the challenge of achieving sustainable improvements in the situation of be easier to deal with. But often it gets involved with political issues, it is intertwined with human rights in the region – both in institutions and in society – remain. issues pertained to corruption, and that makes it much more difficult to handle.”

This shift from the management of conflicts to democratic institution building and UN OHCHR activities on human trafficking development has led OHCHR to refocus its activities from a predominantly country-spe- cific perspective toward five programmes of concern throughout the region. The five areas Since 1998, OHCHR has globally concentrated its efforts on the combat of human are the following: trafficking. In Serbia and Montenegro the involvement of the office was initially limited to • Identifying and addressing key impediments to rule of law reforms; monitoring but the role was expanded in 2002 beginning with Montenegro and later, in • Integrating human rights in development, including poverty reduction programs; 2003, in Serbia. The OHCHR offices in SaM and BiH recently chose a sub-regional • Institutionalising human rights education and promotion and strengthening civil approach to projects, and in 2002 the first sub-regional project was drafted for 2003 activ- society; ities. There were five main areas of activities among them human trafficking. • Developing a human rights framework to combat human trafficking and to address OHCHR’s expert on human trafficking Ms. Madeleine Rees, also the chief of mission of migration issues; and our office in BiH, has been involved in the work to combat human trafficking for several • Advocating for durable solutions for displaced populations and vulnerable migrants years. Through her, OHCHR is represented in the Stability Pact Task Force on Trafficking within a human rights framework in Human Beings. In this framework OHCHR is particularly active in the following areas:

68 69 PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS A Joint Efforts Perspective

Data and Research In addition to what has been presented above the intention for 2004 is to • Up-dated Report/Inventory on Trafficking in Human Beings in SEE and responses include the monitoring of high profile human trafficking cases that are linked to to human trafficking (UNICEF, UNOHCHR, OSCE-ODIHR). organized crime within the part of the sub-region project document that focuses • Prevention of Trafficking (implementing agencies: UNOHCHR, UNICEF, on impunity. Furthermore, the intention is to ensure that prevention, education and OSCE) three pilot projects focusing on: awareness is appropriately addressed in the national framework, this includes: • High Risk Groups - to provide analysis, and allow the development of commu- • Continue support to the developed and strengthened national plans of action in the nity based projects in the affected region. areas of prevention, education and awareness. • Social Causes - specifically addresses the issues of discrimination, gender based • Assist the implementation of revised national plans of actions by all actors and sup- violence and how to develop prevention mechanisms. port NGOs in developing a sustainable mechanism of monitoring. • Economic Situation - assessing the economic situation from a human rights per- • Continue analysis of trends and changes in human trafficking in the region. Possibly spective, focusing on discrimination, both direct and indirect, with the aim of set up bi-annual consultation meetings with international and local partners providing information to donors and investors. Lastly, OHCHR will work on strengthening legal frameworks for prosecution of those OHCHR in SaM - 2003 engaged in human trafficking and witness protection: Strengthening victim and witness assistance programmes in the region based on the • Analyse effects of the implementation of existing new legislation. UN Recommended Principles and Guidelines on Human Rights and Human Trafficking: • Establish temporary working groups that will address the legislative and practical • Examining victim-witness protection mechanisms (assisting the drafting of a witness shortcomings in witness/victim protection and assistance in the respective countries includ- protection law in Montenegro). ing re-drafting and drafting relevant legislation. • Training on legal services for victim-witnesses/trial monitoring of trafficking cases. • Support work increasing information to victims and potential victims. Clearly, OHCHR will be involved in the addressing the specific area of child traffick- ing in collaboration with our sister organisation UNICEF. In this regard, OHCHR will Establish, develop and implement comprehensive National Plans of Action (NPAs) support the setting up of separate working group under the Serbian Anti-Trafficking Team based on the UN Recommended Principles and Guidelines on Human Rights and Human mechanism that will specifically deal with child trafficking and develop an action plan in Trafficking: this regard. • Assess the drafting/re-drafting of NPAs. • Active support and advice to the working groups established under the national anti- trafficking teams. For more information about the UN OHCHR Mission in Serbia and Montenegro please call: 011 3185 828 or send an email to: [email protected]. Analysis of trends and changes in human trafficking in the region: • Assist the preparation of the SEE report together with OSCE-ODIHR and UNICEF. • General monitoring of the situation.

Supporting NGO and Government activities in general: • Translation and wide dissemination of the UN Recommended Principles and Guidelines on Human Rights and Human Trafficking. • Monitoring and targeted interventions in the Montenegrin high profile trafficking case. • Ensured with partners that lessons learned exercise was undertaken in relation to the Montenegrin high profile trafficking case. • Maintain attention on the issue with government, supporting NGO activities and through media. • Support to trainings organized by the Ministry of Social Welfare (giving the per- spective of OHCHR and sharing useful frameworks for their work) • Treaty body reporting (CEDAW and CRC).

70 71 PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS A Joint Efforts Perspective 7. TRAFFICKING IN CHILDREN

Biljana Mihiñ Victimology Society of Serbia

Trafficking in children is a very dangerous form of criminality that, as compared to other forms of trafficking in human beings, bears a whole range of specific characteristics, including: • trafficking in children for the purpose of sexual exploitation, child pornography and paedophilia; • trafficking in children for the purpose of labour exploitation; • trafficking in children for the purpose of begging; • trafficking in children for the purpose of committing criminal offences; • trafficking in children for the purpose of adoption; • trafficking in children for the purpose of marriage; • trafficking in children for the purpose of using them in armed conflicts. Besides, this is a serious form of criminality whose victims are children5 as the most vul- nerable part of population, but also the most innocent victims who find themselves in an even more desperate situation when it comes to reporting to and asking for assistance from the com- petent institutions and organizations extending support and assistance to victims of trafficking. Estimates of the international organizations on the scope of trafficking in children are appalling. The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that: • 8.4 million children are trafficked and forced to various forms of labour, to partici- pate in armed conflicts, prostitution, pornography and other illegal activities; • around 30,000 children soldiers are taking part in over 30 areas of conflict through- out the world. Some of them are under 10. Boys usually directly participate in war- fare, while young girls are forced into prostitution or become “soldiers’ wives”.6 According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Report, approxi- mately 12% of the total number of trafficked persons are children. Trafficking in children for the purpose of sexual exploitation has for a long time been “reserved” for the region of South East Asia: Thailand, Singapore, and Indonesia where girls used to be sold already as babies and then used for the purpose of sexual exploitation. It is estimated that around 30% of all “sex workers” in Indonesia are young girls under 18 who can be seen in public parks, streets, beaches, disco clubs but also in brothels, hotels etc.7 In Asia children recruited for the purpose of sexual exploitation are usually sold by their parents. In India, for example, parents sell their young daughters to Arab buyers for less than 300 dollars, while in Thailand even the newborns are sold and when they reach cer- tain age they are resold for the purpose of prostitution.8 Selling of children by the members of their families is also typical for poor families in Nepal that, owing to difficult living con-

5 According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Child (1990), The International treaty No. 15, any human being under 18 years of age is considered a child 6 http://www.antislavery.org/homepage/antislavery/childlabour.htm#how 7 Farid, M. Sexual Abuse, Sexual Exploitation and the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSECV) in Indonesia, p. 4, down- loaded from http://www.treda.org/research/r00010101.html 8 ibid. p. 11

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ditions decide to sell their daughters to wealthy families. These families promise to involved in trafficking of Bulgarian children. Investigation revealed that a child is take care of them as if they were their own children but the child’s family knows that sold at the black market for the amount of 1,500–15,000 Euros.13 their daughters are handed over to the temples without being ever able to marry. The As regards trafficking in children, a comprehensive research was conducted in sold young girls are used for prostitution only, and this phenomenon in Nepal is a kind Europe in 2000 by End Prostitution, Pornography and Trafficking (ECPAT). Eight coun- of the so-called ”ritual slavery”.9 tries of the world (Belgium, France, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway and Trafficking in children for labour has so far been a special characteristic of the region of Great Britain) took part in this research. This was a research about trafficking in children Africa. Young girls are usually forced to perform household chores while young boys are forced from East Europe to the mentioned destination countries. to work in the fields, at factories and small shops. Their afternoons are “reserved” for baby-sit- As far as our country is concerned, there are no official data about child trafficking in ting, food-preparation or household chores. It is very often the case that newborn children are Serbia nor has any international or local NGO given any data about this phenomenon. This taken care of by small who are 3-4 years of age who, like all other trafficked children, if they serious problem was considered only within the study of trafficking in women for the purpose refuse to perform their duties properly, are severely punished both physically and mentally. of sexual exploitation, although the Report of the International Organization for Migration In recent years, however, as is the case with other forms of trafficking in human beings, (IOM) for the period of 1st January, 2002 to 31st March, 2003 registered that IOM’s Office the focus of child trafficking is shifting more and more towards East European countries in Belgrade included in their IOM’s Reintegration Program 15 minor girls – victims of traf- that are becoming major “exporters” of children to West European countries, especially ficking (mostly victims of child trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation). Italy, Greece, Cyprus, etc. Albania has in recent years emerged as the biggest “exporter” of Trafficking in children as well as trafficking in women has three main phases: a phase trafficked children.10 According to a research conducted in 2002 by an Albanian NGO of recruitment, a phase of transport, that is transfer of children-victims and different forms ”Vatra,” dealing with extending support and assistance to victims of trafficking, 1,202 vic- of exploitation/victimization. tims of trafficking were deported from Italy between 1999 and 2002, at one of the transit According to available (though very scarce) data about trafficking in children, the most points, Vlora, which was crossed by both women and children victims of trafficking. The frequent form of recruiting children-victims of trafficking are: sale by their parents or rela- Albanian Ministry of the Interior has stated that approximately 6,000 Albanian girls are tives, kidnapping, false promises about financing their education, professional training and trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation to the European Union countries, especially employment (which is very easy thing to do since most of the trafficked children originate to Italy, France, Belgium and England. In addition to trafficking in children for the pur- from poor, rural strata), false promises about travelling abroad and recruitment for domes- pose of sexual exploitation, begging and criminal activities, another phenomenon present in tic prostitution. Albania is trafficking in children for the purpose of trade in organs11 and there are testi- A seventeen-year-old Moldavian girl was lured by her acquaintance by false promises monies of children-victims who were assisted by the mentioned NGO: about a well-paid job of a waitress in Bosnia. She crossed Moldava-Romanian border legal- “I was brought into the house by three young men. There were a lot of children, a lot ly, but she crossed Serbian border illegally, blindfolded, at some of the illegal border cross- of younger and older girls. That house looked like a tower with a lot of slaves, a lot of small ings. She was deprived of her identity documents in Serbia and was later resold in Kosovo rooms with some small refrigerators in which traffickers kept organs of the children who along with three other girls.14 had been slaughtered like animals…” When it comes to transfer, i.e. transport of children-victims of trafficking the available The Balkan area is very often transit area, when it comes to trafficking in children, data have shown that these were mainly unaccompanied children with false passports (false although due to the mentioned changes that occurred in recent years (wars and military name, surname and date of birth), who arrive at the airports where they are met by the traf- presence in the region) certain countries have emerged as countries of destination (Kosovo, fickers. In certain cases, especially those involving younger children they travel accompa- Bosnia and Herzegovina).12 nied by false parents or relatives. Certain number of children is transported across the bor- A special form of child trafficking is trafficking in babies. Every year tens of Bulgarian der as stowaways in ships, trains and trucks.15 This transfer is carried out along the previ- (mostly Roma) and Albanian women are giving birth to babies in order to sell them. ously established channels, as is the case with women, and often together with a group of Namely, women in advanced pregnancies with the help of “an intermediary” give birth in women and other migrants. Greece where the newborn is handed over to its future parents from Western Europe, most- Children are severely exploited in the country of destination. They suffer the same ly from Germany, while the mother receives a payment agreed upon in advance. A particu- forms of victimization as women, especially children trafficked for the purpose of sexual larly cynical thing about this is that this type of child trafficking is mostly carried out with exploitation. The victimization of children often implies sexual abuse and severe physical the help of doctors and lawyers. In June 2002 the Greek police discovered a criminal group

13 9 See: “The Children of the Balkans”, Periodical of “Search for Common Ground”, p. 8 – 10. This issue is a part of the regional project Wiers, M, Lap-Chew, L. (1997) Trafficking in Women: Forced Labour and Slavery-like Practices in Marriage, Domestic Labour and “Bridges for the New Balkans”. The issue for Serbia is prepared and distributed in cooperation with the daily “Danas”, March 2003 Prostitution, Utrecht: Foundation Against Trafficking in Women, p. 58 14 10 IOM Kosovo (2003), Trauma Suffered by Victims of Trafficking and Psychological Assistance provided within the IOM Kosovo Counter Lesko, V., Avdulaj, E. (2002) “The Girls and the trafficking” – Research on the trafficking in human beings for the year 2002, p.7 -trafficking Program 11 Lesko, V., Avdulaj, E. (2002), op. cit. p. 7 15 Somerset, C (2001) What the Professional Know: The Trafficking of Children into, and through, the UK for Sexual Purposes, End Child 12 Lesko, V., Avdulaj, E. (2002), op. cit. p. 6 Prostitution Pornography Trafficking (ECPAT), p. 11

74 75 PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS A Joint Efforts Perspective punishments, more than twelve hours of work (the stated example of Africa), addic- 8. tion to psycho-active substances, isolation, deprivation of documents, blackmail, threats and so on.16 There are registered cases of children infected by HIV owing to CHILD TRAFFICKING AND SELECTED sexual abuse that the trafficked children are also exposed to. We were locked up all the time. We were allowed to go out, accompanied of course, INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTS only when shopping for sexy clothes ‘for the job’.17 Child Rights Centre Belgrade Conclusion

Trafficking in children is a very serious and a very complex form of criminality that has Separating the problem of child trafficking from the overall trafficking in human beings always existed and will probably never be completely eradicated. Data about this form of crim- is mandated by those same reasons, which led to the definition of the rights of the child as a inality are very scarce, while in the Balkan region there are almost no researches about this specific category within the general area of human rights. The specificities of children - their specific phenomenon as compared to overall human trafficking. However, on the basis of the mental and physical characteristics and level of maturity - demand the undertaking of specif- available data (which are mostly a part of general assessments of the scope and extent of traf- ic and additional measures: appropriate preventive activities, physical and mental recuperation, ficking in human beings) one can conclude that, as with other forms of organized criminali- and the social integration of victims and possibly also their repatriation. This is certainly an ty the focus is shifted towards East European countries, especially the Balkan countries which acute problem in the Balkans - many organisations, both governmental and non-governmen- appear as transit countries when it comes to trafficking in children, but also as countries of tal and local and international, are seeking to contribute to its resolution, in accordance with origin (Albania) and destination countries (Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina). What is available resources. By defining trafficking in human beings as a criminal offence (Article especially worrying about children is that they represent the most innocent, but also the most 111b of the Serbian Criminal Code), legislators have taken a major step in the drive to stamp vulnerable part of population, where any voluntary aspect of engaging in “high risk activities” out this social bane. The law also specifically provides for the protection of child victims by should be completely ruled out. Owing to insufficient and fragmentary studying of this dan- prescribing harsher penalties for offenders (Article 111b § 3), as well as prosecution of those gerous form of criminality, it is necessary to address it thoroughly and comprehensively as who target children under the age of 14 even without resorting to the use of force, threats or well as to engage in prevention aimed at improving living conditions of children as well as other coercive methods (Article 111b § 4). Through the formation of a special group or sub- their education, particularly regarding children exposed to risk. group tasked with combating child trafficking within the existing republican team in charge of fighting against trafficking in human beings, this issue is gradually acquiring the significance it deserves, and the co-operation of the governmental, non-governmental and international References sectors should result in the adoption of a national plan of action for combating child traffick- ing. This sequence of activities is warranted not just by the very nature of the problem, but also by numerous international obligations undertaken by this country when it ratified inter- UN Convention on the Rights of Child, International Treaty No. 15, 1990. national treaties and protocols. The aim of the following text is that those documents serve us http://www.antislavery.org/homepage/antislavery/childlabour.htm#how both as a source of rights and directives in our future activities. http://www.treda.org/research/r00010101.html The Convention on the Rights of the Child, adopted by the General Assembly of the IOM Kosovo (2002) Return and Reintegration Project, Situation report – February 2000 – December 2002 United Nations on 20 November 1989, is the highest authority in the area of the inter- IOM Kosovo (2003), Trauma Suffered by Victims of Trafficking and Psychological Assistance provided with- national protection of the rights of children. The document covers all human rights recog- in the IOM Kosovo Counter-Trafficking Program nised of a specific group - children - thanks to which the Convention has become the most Lesko, V., Avdulaj, E. (2002) “The Girls and the trafficking” – Research on the trafficking in human beings important international document dealing with the rights of the child, all other interna- for the year 2002. tional human rights conventions being subsidiary thereto. This country ratified the Somerset, C (2001) What the Professionals Know: The Trafficking of Children into, and through, the UK for Convention in December 1990, thereby undertaking an obligation to do everything in its Sexual Purposes, End Child Prostitution Pornography Trafficking (ECPAT) might to ensure full enjoyment of those rights by all children living on its territory. Wijers, M., Lap-Chew, L. (1997) Trafficking in Women: Forced Labour and Slavery-Like Practices in Marriage, Domestic Labour and Prostitution, Utrecht: Foundation Against Trafficking in Women The Convention, which defines children as persons under the age of 18, is a catalogue of child-specific human rights, and guarantees to all children the recognition of those 16 A message received via STOP - [email protected]. list March 14th, 2003 rights. Besides the inherent rights to life, survival and development, protection from all 17 A testimony of a 16 year old girl from Romania, victim of trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation, IOM Kosovo (2002) Return and Reintegration Project, Situation Report – February 2000 – December 2002, p. 10 forms of discrimination, active participation in the community, education, health care are

76 77 PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS A Joint Efforts Perspective

social services, rest and leisure, play and recreational activities, it guarantees the rights as: recruitment, transport and transfer, concealment and harbouring people, all of the children to protection from various forms of exploitation and abuse, for exam- with the aim of exploitation (which is defined as: prostitution and other forms of ple protection from sexual abuse, exploitation of labour, and protection from abduc- sexual exploitation, forced labour or service, slavery or similar relationships, as tion or the sale or traffic in children. Article 35 of the Convention states: ”States well as removal of bodily organs) and abuse of victims. The key element of the nature of Parties shall take all appropriate national, bilateral and multilateral measures to prevent this criminal offence are the means employed: the use of threats or force or other forms of the abduction of, the sale of or traffic in children for any purpose or in any form.” coercion, abduction, deception and deceit, abuse of authority or difficult position or offer- The right to life, survival and development (Article 6), protection from all forms of dis- ing and receiving money or other benefits to gain the acceptance of persons who are in con- crimination (Article 2), the right to full participation in society (Article 12) and the right to trol of other persons and give this act the characteristics of trade. Aiming to ensure pro- full observance of the best interest of the child (Article 3) are the fundamental principles of tection of children - an especially vulnerable category - the Protocol calls for the prosecu- the Convention on the Rights of the Child without whose observance no other right of the tion of those responsible for child trafficking even if there had been no use of any method child can be enjoyed in full. In the case of child trafficking, all four above principles are either of coercion or force... This means that even when the consent of the child has been received, threatened or violated in their entirety, which makes quite redundant discussion of any other it shall nevertheless be regarded as a victim of trafficking in human beings and be subject right enshrined in the Convention, especially the right to protection from abduction and sale. to special protection.

Besides the Convention itself, this country also signed in 2002 and ratified the This country is also a party to the ILO's Convention 182 on a Prohibition and Direct Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Activity for the Purpose of Abolishing the Hardest Forms of Child Labour from 1999. The Child Prostitution and Child Pornography, thereby assuming an additional obligation to ILO decided at its regular conference in June 1996 to initiate work on drafting a conven- undertake on the level of its domestic legislation and practice all necessary measures to pre- tion dealing exclusively with child labour. It was proposed to place the emphasis in the new vent and prosecute child trafficking (attempted, complicity in, incitement, aiding and abet- convention on that type of child labour, which can no longer be tolerated, with the aim of ting, organising and ordering). The protocol was adopted to further realisation of the aims banning the most harmful, dangerous and exploitative forms of child labour. The ILO of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its enforcement, especially Articles 1 (def- Convention No.182 was adopted on 17 June 1999 at the 87th ILO Session in Geneva, inition of a child), 11 (illicit transfer and non-return of children abroad), 21 (adoption), 32 together with Recommendation No.190. This international document covers all persons (child labour), 33 (illicit use of narcotic and psychotropic substances), 34 (sexual abuse), 35 aged under 18 and places on the signatories an obligation to implement urgent and effi- (abduction and sale of children) and 36 (other forms of exploitation and abuse). All states cient measures to secure abolition of the hardest types of child labour. Apart from defining parties to the Convention pledged to take additional steps to guarantee the protection of the hardest forms of child labour, the document orders states to ban all forms of labour by children from being sold and abused for the purposes of prostitution and pornography. The children, which would by their nature, and circumstances in which they are performed prob- adoption of the document came about as a response to growing international trafficking in ably harm their health, safety and morals. The adoption of the ILO's convention represents children: their sale and use for prostitution and pornography; the widespread and continu- a major event in the area of international legal protection of children. It is of importance ous practice of sex tourism, which directly enhances child trafficking; the increasing access to us because the forms of hardest labour, which the Convention defines, include the fol- to child pornography on the Internet, and other problems. The following factors were list- lowing: ed as contributing to the above: underdevelopment, poverty, economic disparities, inequitable socio-economic structure, dysfunctional families, lack of education, urban-rural • all types of slavery or customs similar to slavery such as the sale of and trafficking in migration, gender discrimination, irresponsible adult sexual behaviour, harmful traditional children, debtor slavery and servitude, and forced or compulsory labour..., as well as practices, armed conflicts and trafficking in children. • exploitation, obtaining or offering children for the purpose of prostitution, produc- tion of pornography or pornographic performances (Article 3 §§ 1 and 2 of the The 2000 UN Convention Against Trans-National Organised Crime and the Protocol Convention). on the Prevention, Elimination and Prosecution of Trafficking in Human Beings, Particularly Women and Children are the first international documents in which consen- Directives for future activities sus was reached on the level of international law in regard to the definition of trafficking in human beings. The significance of the Protocol needs to be stressed in particular, as it In keeping with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Optional Protocol to offers a legal framework to national legislations and standards for the criminalisation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and such conduct, its prosecution and prevention, and the protection of its victims. Child Pornography, and the UN Convention Against Trans-National Organised Crime and the Protocol on the Prevention, Elimination and Prosecution of Trafficking in Human The importance of the Protocol for the question of child trafficking is two-fold. It pro- Beings, Particularly Women and Children, ILO's Convention No. 182 on the Hardest vides a definition of trafficking in human beings which includes a series of activities such Forms of Child Labour, as well as other relevant international documents such as the:

78 79 PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS A Joint Efforts Perspective Declaration and Agenda for Action adopted at the World Congress against 9. Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children, held in Stockholm in 1996, the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and the European Convention on the PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM Realisation of the Rights of the Child, states shall: TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS - A JOINT • adopt and enhance, enforce and expand laws, administrative measures, social policies EFFORTS PERSPECTIVE and programmes aimed at preventing child trafficking; Roma Information Centre, Kragujevac • promote public consciousness, including that of children, through information, edu- cation and training, on the prevention of child trafficking and the harm such traf- ficking does to society; Roma Information Centre (RIC) from Kragujevac is entering the fifth year of its active existence. From its early days, it has been emphasising child and youth focused activities and • encourage the participation of the community, especially children and children vic- problems faced by them while they are growing up. Bearing in mind all these problems, we tims, in prevention-oriented educational and training programmes, including the have always been trying to offer solutions thus gaining professional experience continually. national level; Roma Information Centre team comprises experts with different experiences, back- • undertake all necessary steps to ensure full re-integration of children who are the vic- grounds and skills (psychologists, pedagogues, professors teaching various subjects, lawyers, tims of trafficking and their full physical and mental recovery; medical doctors, activists trained in a number of fields). Additionally, all of us have been undergoing different types of training in workshops, seminars, education courses, active • implement all appropriate measures whose aim is efficient prohibition of the manu- participation in many conferences… These seminars addressed, among the others, issues on facture and distribution of materials which promote child trafficking; assistance to victims of violence, war disasters, sexual and domestic abuse… Some of these activities had been organised by our organisation, whereas the others were facilitated by the The states, which are party to the conventions, shall undertake all necessary steps to activists of other organisations. The commonplace of all these activities is focus on vulner- enhance international co-operation in the area of protecting children from being the object able groups of children and young people. of trafficking in human beings. Everything possible will be done through regional and bilat- eral agreements to prevent, detect, investigate, prosecute and punish persons responsible for We are also participating as active members in the work of different teams dealing with child trafficking. children and youth, underlining human rights of children and young people, among them:

The states will upgrade international co-operation and co-ordination among their state - Stability Pact Working Group on Youth and Human Rights; authorities, national and international NGOs and international organisations with the aim - Security Council of the City of Kragujevac. of preventing and protecting children victims of trafficking in human beings. They will do everything possible to ensure the physical and mental recuperation, social re-integration and We have been developing cooperation with primary schools through our programme repatriation of children victims. ”Children without Frontiers.” Our work has been highly praised by the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in their report ”Assessing the needs of Roma community in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (excluding Kosovo)”. As for the programmes designed to combat trafficking in human beings, we are active- ly involved in dissemination of information and prevention. The first programme that we had implemented was titled “World of Women,” which was dedicated to prevention of traf- ficking in women and was supported by Caritas Austria. During that programme, a network of teams addressing the problem of trafficking has been created. Experience gained during the ”World of Women” programme helped us to design our next programme. This is how we started working on our programme to prevent trafficking in children ”Children and Dangers that Surround Them – Child Trafficking,” supported by Save the Children UK, Belgrade Office.

80 81 PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS A Joint Efforts Perspective

The aims of this programme were the following: Marija Bursañ and Beæanijska kosa, whereas the other team operated in Roma - Informing children on perils imminent to child trafficking; settlement Baåki Ilovik. - Building confidence and trust of children in their mutual protection and assistance. Resulting from our work, two workshop models had been developed. Workshop model Target groups covered children aged between 12 and 18 years, divided into two sub- is universal and easily adaptable to different age groups. groups: - children aged 12-15 and As an outcome of the workshops that we have facilitated, a manual has been published - children aged 15-18. to offer two models of working with children around child trafficking related issues, sug- gesting that all facilitators who would like to organise workshops on this subject should We have facilitated 30 workshops with the assistance of 15 facilitator couples. undergo training workshops previously. A facilitator must be highly skilful in recognising Facilitators were NGO activists, psychologists and teachers. group dynamics and children’s insights in order to be able to utilise these contents at a later stage, supporting children to become facilitators of similar workshops involving other chil- Our workshops involved 551 children, among them 322 girls and 229 boys. dren through peer support.

All facilitators contributed with their high spirit towards creating workshops that were In this manner, children will receive relevant information appropriately and will get not in use so far in working with children, the workshops to prevent child trafficking. involved side by side with the adults. They will continue raising awareness of other children The guiding principle for all facilitators working with children was primarily love for and will alert them from different perils. children and dedication to work, in order to have an operational workshop reflecting its original concept. This is just one possibility to involve children in facing the problem alongside with adults in order to overcome it with their knowledge and prevention. The workshop took place at primary and secondary school classrooms, in addition to different neighbourhoods in the following cities: Kragujevac, Kraljevo, Kruãevac, Niã, In the name of future times of love, which will be free of perils endangering children. Leskovac and Belgrade. Roma Information Centre Activists, Kragujevac In these cities, the following activities had been pursued:

In Kragujevac, workshops were held at primary schools by psychologists, pedagogues, teachers and Roma Information Centre activists facilitated the workshops in the commu- nity settlements.

In Kraljevo, ”Women Autonomous Centre (Æegrin)” activists facilitated the workshops at high schools.

In Niã, two teams facilitated the workshops in Roma settlements. The activists of NGO ”Women’s Space” and activists of ”Roma Humanitarian Association (HUR)” facilitated the workshops in Roma settlements ”Stoåni trg” and ”Beogradska mahala”.

In Kruãevac, primary school teachers and NGO »Romski dukat« facilitated the work- shops with primary school children.

In Leskovac, activists of NGO »Resource Centre« facilitated the workshops for children at their premises.

In Belgrade, two teams of NGO ”Roma Women’s Centre Bibija” were involved in the project implementation. One team of facilitators has been active in the Roma settlements

82 83 PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS A Joint Efforts Perspective 10. National Report on Child Trafficking

ASTRA, Belgrade

1. General overview of the situation in the country related to child trafficking

- Overview of the social, economical and political context Problem of trafficking in human beings became an issue for a general public in our coun- try in the beginning of the nineties. Of course we should not have illusions that some forms of the trafficking of human beings existed before eighties and nineties, but it was not recognized. SFRY became very attractive for women from East-European countries. The main rea- sons for the high position of Yugoslavia in sex trafficking is that former Yugoslavia had bet- ter living standard comparing to other East-European countries. War conflicts and criminalization of the society created conditions for strengthening of the organized crime, and among others, groups that organized trafficking in human beings. According to the researches that were conducted by the women’s NGOs in Serbia, eco- nomic crises caused even harder position of the women: ”…women, pregnant women and chil- dren are according to the Serbia legislation, category of population that require special care and preventive social and medical protection. However, with the destruction of the economy, eco- nomical power of the state, and fall of the living standards, institutions of social welfare got destroyed (for years social welfare was not paid for the most endangered population, children’s allowance was late for months and years, and maternity leave was not regularly paid, and no one was held responsible for this). Fall of the living standard and poverty of the state made health and social welfare institutions became so poor that medical treatments became inaccessible…”18 After the assassination of the Prime Minister Zoran Œinœiñ on March 12th 2003, a state of emergency has been declared. Since then, hundreds of members of several criminal networks have been arrested. Milivoje Zarubica, one of the well-known organizers of the trafficking in women in the Serbia and region, and his associates were among the arrested. Besides members of the criminal groups, a considerable number of people from special police units, military, judiciary and prosecution office were arrested. For example, public prosecutor’s deputy of Republic of Serbia has been arrested and his name has been men- tioned in the case of missing babies from the maternity hospital. Also, a special prosecu- tor’s office has been established, as well as a special prosecutor’s investigative unit that will investigate cases of organized crime. On the April 11th, 2003, National Assembly of Republic of Serbia passed article 111b on Trafficking in Human Beings. Today, according to the US State Department Trafficking in Persons report for the year 2003, Serbia and Montenegro is a transit country and, to a lesser extent, a source and destination country, for women and girls trafficked for sexual exploitation. Victims, most- ly from Moldova, Romania, Ukraine, and Bulgaria, end up in Kosovo, Bosnia, Albania, and Western Europe. Roma children are trafficked through Serbia and Montenegro for begging and theft in Western Europe. We should stress that, until now, trafficking in children was not evident and trafficking in children was viewed in context of trafficking in women, which of course was another fac- tor that made writing of this report more difficult.

18 Source: www.ravnopravno.org

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- Mapping the extent of the child trafficking problem in the country; Problem of “running away” of unaccompanied juvenile foreign citizens who were found wandering and begging on the territory of Belgrade, and who are tem- In 1986, movie about trafficking of Roma children to Italy was made, but this porarily accommodated at the institution for children without parental care is evi- problem did not become a public issue. During 1998, when women’s groups started to dent. This institution is open type facility, so children soon after accommodation, work on this problem, trafficking in human beings in general become a public issue. leave the institution. During 2002, case on babies that disappeared from maternity hospitals in many cities Although, juvenile foreign citizens are legally liable, in the majority of cases, criminal in Serbia became public, and the parents whose babies disappeared organized themselves charges are not brought because it is not suitable. For older juveniles, when there are legal and requested liability from doctors, nurses and hospital officials. Charges against some conditions (understanding of the language, process capability etc.) stay in our country is can- doctors have been brought, and although parents requested for the cases to be united in one celled with the ban for entering the country for specific period of time. Ministry of Internal charge, prosecutor’s office decided that all cases should be investigated individually. Affairs has data about running away or disappearance of the children domestic citizens from Although, trafficking in children and street children are rarely talked about in public, the institutions. Since there is no unique data collecting system, for the time being, we do the real picture is different. On the streets of Belgrade and other cities in Serbia large num- not have any knowledge about cases of trafficking of domestic children from the institutions ber of children begging and working can be seen. for children without parental care, foster families and other institutions of social welfare. Ministry of Internal Affairs has no data about juvenile domestic citizens who were arrested in Ministry oh Internal Affaires begging, picking of pockets or committing other criminal acts or misdemeanours. According to the Law on Moving and Staying of Foreign Citizens, there is no special According to the data from the Ministry of Internal Affairs19, it is impossible to pre- data collecting about juvenile foreign citizens who stayed in Serbia illegally and who were cisely state number of the children who are victims of trafficking on the territory of found during control of the moving and staying of foreign citizens. There is only data for Republic of Serbia due to the current system of evidence and due to the fact that until the territory of the Belgrade Police Department: recently criminal act on trafficking in human beings did not exist. During 2002, on the territory of Belgrade 33 juvenile foreign citizens were found with- Of all the forms of trafficking in human beings on the territory of Serbia, only traf- out papers, who were either found begging or committing petty thefts (most often in pick- ficking in women for the purpose of sexual exploitation was recorded. ing of pockets) - 17 from Romania, 6 from Bulgaria, 1 from Macedonia, 3 from Moldavia, According to the estimates of the Ministry of Internal Affaires of the Republic of 4 from Bangladesh and 2 from Turkey. During 2003, there were 6 juvenile foreign citizens Serbia, around 10% of noted foreign citizens victims of trafficking in women for the pur- found – 1 from Romania, 1 from Bulgaria, 1 from Macedonia, 1 from Croatia, 1 from pose of sexual exploitation are under eighteen, that is children according to the article 3 of Bosnia and Herzegovina and 1 from Turkey. the Protocol for Prevention, Eradication and Punishing Trafficking in Human Beings, and In case juvenile foreign citizens were found in committing criminal act, and if they are Especially Trafficking in Women and Children. legally liable, that is if they are older then 14, they are taken to investigative judge. After According to the available data of the Belgrade Police Department, during the year consultation with the investigative judge, and mostly because criminal proceedings are not 2002, and beginning the year 2003, many criminal charges were brought against the per- suitable and because of small danger of the act for the society (they were arrested while petrators of different criminal acts committed against juveniles, and since act on traffick- committing the act, objects are returned to the plaintiff etc.), criminal proceedings are not ing in human beings did not exist, these were qualified as an establishing of slave relation started, and juveniles are given to the Department for Foreigners according to the order of and transport of persons in slave position, article 155 of the Criminal Code, illegal enter- the investigative judge. If parents of the juvenile foreign citizens cannot be found, they are ing the country, article 249 of the Criminal Code, mediating in prostitution, article 251 presented to the Embassy of the origin country (most often Embassy of Romania), which of the Criminal Code, and forging the papers – article 233 of the Criminal Code. is again letting them on the street after some time, where they can again engage in com- Taking into consideration that there is no unique evidence system in Ministry of Internal mitting petty crimes. In several cases children were put into the Institution for children Affairs, there are no recorded cases of trafficking in children who are citizens of Serbia abroad. without parental care, and then Embassy of the origin country was informed, but in major- There are some information about the cases of trafficking of domestic children for the ity of cases, children would run away before arrival of the Embassy representative. Ministry purpose of begging and petty thefts abroad, but these cases require time for investigation of Foreign Affairs has no knowledge that in above stated cases juvenile foreign citizens were and they have to be confirmed with the international police and judicial cooperation, which victims of trafficking in human beings. is confirmed by following case: During 2002, 6 juvenal Romanian citizens were accommodated at the State Detention On October 17th, 2002, at the border point at the Belgrade Airport attempted child Centre for foreigners until their identity was established and they were taken to the border. trafficking was discovered when two persons tried to take juvenile girl, citizen of Serbia and At the Police Departments in the border areas there were some cases when unaccom- Montenegro from the country, with the forged Bulgarian passport. Charge was brought panied juvenile foreign citizens, which were found wandering and begging on the territory against mother of the juvenile girl according to the article 155, paragraph 3 of the Criminal of Serbia, were taken directly to the border point and turned over to the border officials of Code. Juvenile domestic citizen was accommodated at the state shelter for children and their origin country. youth in Belgrade, and afterwards she was handed over to the social worker from the Centre In majority of cases, a juvenile foreign citizen legally enter our country with their parents, for Social Work in Kovaåica. and their personal data is in parent's passports. When they are separated from the parents, they 19 Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs, coordinator of the National Team for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings do not have papers for establishing their identity and their stay in our country is illegal.

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Since majority of the juveniles enter the country legally with their parents, they we have gathered some data, which unfortunately refers only to this few institu- use all border points. tions, but they are good illustration of this problem. Ministry of Internal Affairs has no data in what extent, juvenile foreign citizens According to the data of one of the institutions for children without parental with their parents escort transit through Republic of Serbia, or who could be potential care in Belgrade, in this institution there is one registered case of a girl who hav- victims of child trafficking for the purpose of prostitution, begging or committing petty ing ran from the state facilities, have become victim of trafficking in human beings. She crimes in the West European countries. was found in Italy, rescued from the trafficking chain and at the moment she is at shelter Border crossing on the territory of Republic of Serbia is not technically equipped so that in Italy. At the same time this is the case in which ASTRA have participated and manage crossing of the every individual could be automatically recorded. to find the girl in Italy. Ministry of Internal Affairs has no knowledge that child trafficking is organized by the Staff from the institution for children and youth from the small city in the north of organized criminal groups. Reported cases of begging and committing petty crimes are in Serbia, informed us about two fifteen year old girls who run away with boys that offered most cases committed without prior preparation and specific plan, and often without spe- them a job in a bar in south of Serbia. Institution's staff with the help of the police man- cific coordination of the adult persons. ages to return the girls. After a short time, girls disappeared again and since then, we do not know anything about their whereabouts. Procedure for the juvenile persons found in escort agencies or in bars/night clubs: As we already mentioned, Ministry of Social Affairs has no official data about any form of child trafficking in Serbia. Some professionals from Centres for Social Work in If juvenile persons are found during raids and eradicating prostitution in so called escort Serbia that work with children which are growing up in risky families, without adequate agencies, it is investigated is there any elements that point to the fact that juvenile citizens parental care and in incomplete families with low social-economic status, have data about are victims of trafficking in human beings for the purpose of sexual exploitation or they are children that are victims of exploitation for the purpose of begging and petty thefts even engaging in prostitution in their own free will. by their parents. Unfortunately, these are only individual cases of professionals who If juvenile persons are victims of trafficking in human beings, criminal charges are brought tracked phenomenon of trafficking in children in their work, while there is no official sta- against the perpetrators, and juvenile persons give statements as a plaintiff's witnesses. tistics and data. If juvenile female persons are foreign citizens and they are victims of trafficking in Also, some Centres for Social Work have data that the cases when children run away human beings, they can be accommodated at the Shelter for women victims of trafficking. from the Institutions for neglected children and children without parental care, and also If a juvenile persons are engaging in prostitution voluntarily, against them misdemeanour from their families. In cooperation with corresponding police department, they try to return charges are brought, for example, in the territory of the Belgrade Police Department, during children back to the institution or it’s family. While on the run, the children who run away 2002, 22 misdemeanour charges was brought against two juvenile female persons, and 4 mis- are on the streets without any supervision. These are mostly children who are domestic cit- demeanour charges against one juvenile boy according to the article 14 of the Law on Public izens. If a child is a foreign citizen, corresponding Ministries and the Embassy of the ori- Peace and Order of the Republic of Serbia. gin country try to establish contact with the authorized service. In the meantime child is Mechanism of protection, assistance and rehabilitation of domestic juvenile victims of taken care of in some of the social welfare institutions or reception points in our country trafficking for purpose of sexual exploitation have not been established. until the origin country takes the child. Children under fourteen found wandering, begging, or committing petty thefts, are taken Problems that Ministry of Internal Affairs has in work with juvenile victims of any form by the police officers to reception point, which is a part of social welfare institutions, and then of trafficking in children Centre for Social Work and parents, if they are known, get notified. Older children, 14 to 18 years old, who committed criminal act, are taken to police station for interrogation, and after The most important problem in working with children foreign citizens, who might be that they are referred to parents or Centre for Social Work. If a child from this age group, 14 victims of trafficking, is non-existence of adequate institutions for accommodation of this to 18, is found wandering or begging, it is referred to reception point until the data about its category of children. In this way, complete protection, rehabilitation and repatriation to ori- family is gathered. They do not get punished for wandering or begging, but if they have com- gin country cannot be provided. mitted a more serious misdemeanour or a criminal act, this age group is legally liable. When comes to children foreign citizens victims of trafficking, there are also no precise Social welfare institutions data and systematized statistics. In principle, children foreign citizens who are found on Belgrade territory, and they are Ministry of Social Affairs has no official data about children that ended up in traffick- in situation that they need social welfare system's help, can be accommodated depending on ing circle. Reason for this is that until now problem of trafficking in children was not treat- their age in: Dispensary for Mother and Child (younger than three years), Reception Point ed as a separate category, and as we already said, trafficking in human beings is legally reg- for Children and Youth (3-7 years old), and Shelter for Children and Youth with ulated as a separate criminal act since April 2003. Having the data would require retroac- Behavioural Disorders. tive analysis of the institutions' archives and specific cases, but most of the institutions are According to this institution's data mentioned above, during the year 2000, 10 chil- not capable to do that because of insufficient funds, but also because of insufficient staff dren who were Romanian citizens (7 girls and 3 boys) were accommodated at the state shel- who could do this kind of analysis. Nevertheless, with kindness of some institutions' staff ter (some of the children had criminal record). According to the staff estimate there were a

88 89 PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS A Joint Efforts Perspective

lot more children during the nineties, but they do not have precise data about this, Bujanovac, Presevo, Vranje and Medvedja are high-risk municipalities. These and besides Romanian children there were also Bulgarian children. Institution's staff municipalities are near the border with Kosovo and population in this area has has no knowledge if these children were victims of trafficking. During last two years the lowest social-economic position in Serbia. Border regulations between Serbia there were no cases of accommodation children foreign citizens in this institution. As and Kosovo are not fully defined, and there is still some unclearness about the it is stated in the data from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, children foreign citizens mandates of UNMIK and Government of Republic of Serbia. are now accommodated at the State Detention Centre for foreign citizens. Situation in institutions for children is very difficult (financially, organizationally...). On 2. Introduction of the NGO compiling the report the other hand, according to data from NGOs that work with children victims of violence state that there are some cases of children who experienced sexual, physical and emotional abuse in - Main activities, relevant experiences in child trafficking those facilities from their peers, older children, since children are not divided by gender or age, but also from their teachers and other staff members. NGOs experience in Serbia show that ASTRA (Anti Sex Trafficking Action) is a non-governmental organization whose mis- also children who live in foster families are abused and forced to work in field or in stables... sion is eradicating trafficking in human beings as a specific form of violence. ASTRA’s According to the provinces’ Centres for Social Work, juvenile prostitution is registered work is based on feminist principles of support, trust and believing to women, against all but they do not have any data that this is an organized form of exploitation of children. forms of exploitation, violence against women, and for a society without gender based dis- crimination, economical and social inequalities. Nongovernmental organizations ASTRA goals are prevention and education, sensitising of relevant state institutions and public opinion and direct help to the victims of trafficking. At the moment, the only acknowledged victims of trafficking in human beings by the ASTRA ‘s activities: state institutions, first of all police, are victims of trafficking who were forced into prosti- Media campaign with the message “Open Your Eyes” has started in January 2002. It is tution. Consequently, the victims of trafficking who have access to NGO shelter for women a prevention and educational campaign with the goal of raising public awareness and aware- victims of trafficking (run by NGO Counselling Against Domestic Violence) are women ness of institutions about the problem of trafficking in human beings. Campaign “Open Your who were rescued from bars, night-clubs or escort agencies in the police raids or women who Eyes” was addressing to 14-25 years old girls. It was showed in all over Serbia: it was broad- in some other way managed to escape from the traffickers. Girls under eighteen who are res- casted on most popular TV stations, in all big cities in Serbia, and over 15,000 posters were cued go through the same procedure as the adult women and they go to the same shelter. distributed at the border crossings. Also, the same amount of leaflets, which were printed in Since the shelter for women victims of trafficking started working, in February 2002, Roma, Hungarian and Albanian language, has been distributed. there were 91 girls in total and three of them were under eighteen, and three more were Regional networking project includes exchange of information and experience with eighteen at the time they arrived to the shelter, which of course means that they were juve- women's groups that are dealing with the issue of trafficking in women, short expertise nile at the time they became victims of trafficking and were forced into prostitution. training exchange courses, networking and cooperation in mutual cases of trafficking. During 2002, ASTRA assisted in seven cases of juvenile girls victims of trafficking. All Assistance to victims of trafficking is developed through the cooperation with the state seven girls were citizens of Republic of Serbia. Five of them were internally trafficked; one institutions, international organizations and local NGOs. was trafficked to Italy and one on Kosovo. SOS Info Hotline offers information about trafficking, legal possibilities for migrating for When it comes to procedure towards girls rescued from the trafficking chain, it mostly women and girls, as well as support and help for the families and friends of victims of traffick- comes to returning domestic girls to their families, and girls foreign citizens are sent to their ing. Through the SOS Info Hotline ASTRA, provides psycho-social and legal counselling, country of origin (ASTRA have assisted in case of fifteen year old girl who wanted to tes- contact with the shelter, police and Centres for Social Work for the victims of trafficking. tify against the traffickers and who did not get any support from the state institutions dur- Research includes data collecting, analysis of different aspects of this problem in our ing or after the trial). society, publications about this and other forms of exploitation of women. Since there is no shelter for children victims of trafficking, juvenile girls foreign citi- Workshops/Lectures are one of the ASTRA’s activities in prevention and education zens are accommodated in the shelter for women victims of trafficking. Until now, two juve- programme, which are organized for NGO activists, institutions, and school population. nile girls from the shelter participated at the court procedure as wittneses. They are based on interactive workshop methods, role plays, through which we are aiming Experience of national NGOs show that most common way of recruiting is advertise- to make causes of trafficking in women and other forms of violence such as structural vio- ments. Young women and girls who give in to temptation of the newspaper's advertisements, lence, domestic violence, stereotypes and prejudices understandable. which offer them easy money while working as waitresses, photo models, stripteases, or Training Seminars/Capacity Building Trainings: ASTRA have organized training for domestic servants, are recruited to work abroad. Marriage agencies, employment agencies groups from different towns in Serbia, for groups that are already dealing with the problem and different visa agencies offer their assistance in provision of employment. of violence against women. Main topics are prevention, education, and victim’s assistance. According to the Save the Children UK, Belgrade office, there are two high-risk areas Our goal training programmes is also to increase network of women’s groups in Serbia, in Serbia when it comes to child trafficking. Belgrade is a main transit area for traffickers, which is dealing with this problem. and its population is from different social-economic status. For example, many poor fami- ASTRA’s Network: ASTRA coordinates a large network of women's groups from the lies from rural areas recently moved to Belgrade. Municipalities in South of Serbia: following towns: Subotica, Sombor, Kikinda, Vrbas, Zrenjanin, Novi Sad, Vrsac, Ruma,

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Sremska Mitrovica, Sabac, Velika Plana, Valjevo, Bajina Basta, Cacak, Kragujevac, (1) Person who with force or threat, by misleading, by abuse of authority, Bor, Poæega, Uæice, Kraljevo, Niã, Novi Pazar, Vlasotince, Bujanovac, Vranje. Most trust, relation of dependence or difficult circumstances of other person, recruits, of the women's groups from the Network have considerable experience in dealing with transports, delivers, sells, buys, mediates in delivery and selling, hides or detains violence against women. Some of the groups from the Network participated in the other person, for a purpose of acquiring profit, exploitation of his/her work, com- ASTRA’s training on the issue of trafficking in women, but they need more training mitting criminal activity, prostitution or begging, use in pornographic purpose, taking away on this issue. For that reason, ASTRA is facilitating three days trainings and workshops in body parts for transplant or for using him/her in armed conflicts, will be sentenced to prison their communities, and fundraising for their projects on trafficking. ASTRA has assisted sentence of up to ten years. several groups to write their own projects on prevention of trafficking, and with ASTRA’s (2) If the act from the paragraph 1 of this article is committed against more then one recommendation they submitted these projects to the donors. The strengthening and person, or by kidnapping, or during performance of one’s official duties, or in a framework extending off the Network is the most important thing in the awareness raising campaign of criminal organization, or on especially cruel or especially humiliating way, or if the act because the coordination in Belgrade cannot cover the whole region. resulted in severe physical injury, the perpetrator will be sentenced to prison sentence of In May 2001, ASTRA became a member of the Yugoslav Team for Combating minimum three years. Trafficking in Human Beings and in April 2002, member of the Republic Team for (3) If the act from the paragraph 1 of this article is committed against juvenile person, Combating Trafficking in Human Beings. or the act resulted in death of the plaintiff, perpetrator will be sentenced to a prison sen- tence of minimum five years. 3. Methodology of the research (4) If the act from the paragraph 1 of this article is committed against person under four- teen, the perpetrator will be sentenced with the sentence according to regulations even if force, - Objectives, methods of collecting data threat or any other of above mentioned ways of carrying out the act have not been used. There are almost no researches on the issue of trafficking in children in Serbia. This Paragraph 3 and 4 mention juveniles, but there is no special act that regulates traf- issue is rarely mentioned, and very rarely as outside some other context (trafficking in ficking in children. women, violence against children etc.). Therefore our objective in this research is to build a foundation for long-term combat against child trafficking in Serbia. Also, our objective 4.2. National legislation concerning child trafficking is to find out extent of child trafficking in Serbia today and what is an existing state mech- anism for dealing with children who might be victims of trafficking. Before introducing the criminal act of trafficking in human beings into the Republic Some of the methods we used: analysis of the very few existing writings on this issue Criminal Code, other articles of Federal and Republic laws have been used, and we assume that (contents analysis), interviews with professionals in institutions, and analysis of the current they will be also used in the future, until prosecutors and judges get trained on phenomenon of legislation in this field. trafficking in human beings, and until this new article becomes a part of the judicial practice. Also, in the chapter “Profile of the high-risk groups”, we have shortly presented research All this laws recognize misdemeanours and crimes made against juvenile only through that ASTRA conducted among secondary school population, for which we have created sentencing. Usually, act against juvenile is a qualified form of the act, which means that the questionnaire for establishing level of knowledge and attitudes of secondary school students sentence is more severe. on the issue of trafficking in women. Law on public peace and order of Republic of Serbia in it’s article 14 regulates misde- meanour punishment for a person who: ”Works as a prostitute or gives premises for pros- - Difficulties in elaborating the research, report's limits titution” and as a qualified form of the act: ”Gives premises for prostitution of a minor.” Sanction for both forms of this misdemeanour is a prison sentence up to 30 days or up to Trafficking in human beings in general, and trafficking in children is not registered as 60 days for qualified form of the act. a separate category in records, and there was no specific law until now, so there isn't any Citizens of the Serbia and Montenegro who are victims of trafficking, are not recog- statistics of the governmental organizations that work with children. nized as such – in most cases they are charged for misdemeanour of disturbing public peace As a result of this, we had to use unofficial data or estimates and opinions of the pro- and order that is for practicing prostitution. fessionals employed in the institutions (first of all social welfare institutions for children). Criminal Code of Republic of Serbia acknowledges 3 criminal acts that can be or are in direct connection to trafficking in human beings. 4. National legislation and international treaties on child trafficking Article 62 regulates punishment for the person who: ”With force or with serious threat coerce other person to do or not to do something, or to endure something,” and under qual- 4.1. Definitions of child trafficking in national legislation (description and comments ified form of the act when: ”The act was done with a threat to kill or inflict serious physi- on the differences between national definitions regarding child trafficking and cal injury.” Sanction is a fine or a prison sentence. international definitions) Article 63 regulates punishment for a person who: ”Illegally detains or keeps impris- oned other person, or in any other way deprives the other person of free movement.” Changes and amendments of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Serbia (April 2003) Attempt is also punishable act. Paragraphs 3, 4 and 5 are qualified acts, and each of them introduced new criminal act in article 111b on Trafficking in Human Beings: predict prison sentence.

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Article 64 regulates punishment for a person who: ”by force, threat, deceit or in day now we expect for the National Assembly to pass the changes of Criminal any other way takes away or retains other person with an intention not to release that Code of Serbia that will introduce act on trafficking in human beings. Since the person until he/she extort money or some other property benefit from that person or state of emergency is still on, laws are passed faster than usual. an other person, or in order to force that or an other person to do or not do some- thing or to endure something.” Sentence for this act is a prison sentence. 4.3. Bilateral agreements between countries regarding child trafficking Criminal Law still does not recognize trafficking in human beings, but still uses the term ”slavery”. Hence, it does not offer possibility to prosecute perpetrators of all forms of There are no bilateral agreements between Serbia and other countries concerning the this act. child trafficking. Establishment of slave relationship and transport of persons in slave position (article 155). Although the article itself does not cover all forms of trafficking in human beings, 4.4. Implementation of the CRS’s provisions regarding child trafficking and predicted sanction for this act is inadequate (1 - 10 years prison sentence), and the act itself is difficult to prove, this Criminal Code act is closest to trafficking in human beings. Unfortunately there is no monitoring of the implementation of the CRS’ after passing Illegal crossing of the state border (article 249) gives a possibility of prison sentence for the article 111b trafficking in human beings at the Criminal Code. The only monitoring the persons who illegally crossed the border, but also for the persons who transported them. is the one that Yugoslav Child Rights Centre did for the period 1996-2002 year. Mediation in prostitution (article 251) is insufficient as an incrimination when it comes to trafficking in human beings, so it is necessary to introduce act on trafficking of human Evaluation of the situation and commentaries20 beings, although first part of the paragraph 1 and paragraph 2 should be saved because it When it comes to articles 34 and 35 of the Child Rights Convention, there is no sys- enables legal system to punish forced prostitution. tematized and reliable data about the number of children victims of violence. This is cer- Confiscation of the property as a special form of punishment was introduced to this law. tainly a hot issue in Balkans and many governmental and non-governmental organizations This sentence can be pronounced as a secondary sentence when prison sentence of minimum are trying to contribute for the solution of this problem. However, one of the obstacles in four years was pronounced to perpetrator of criminal act with elements of organized crime. creating the strategy for solving this problem, which they deal with, is the non-existence of Federal law on moving and stay of foreign citizens (article 106) regulates fine and oblig- the data. Situation is perhaps best described in the latest report by the UNICEF, atory protective measure of deportation that can last 6 months up to 3 years. Foreign citi- UNHCHR and OSCE, in which it is stated that “Practically, there is no information on zens without (proper) documents after legal procedure go to detention centre, which is closed trafficking in human beings and commercial sexual exploitation of children. Anecdotes type facility, until their documents are put in order, and then they are deported to the state about child prostitution, especially about Roma children, on bus and train stations are com- border with the country they came from to FRY. This solution certainly is not the best one. mon. There are some assumptions about Roma girls, which are trafficked to Italy for sex According to the current regulations, no matter if the person is a victim of trafficking or plans industry and begging…”21 Aware of the seriousness of this problem, Federal and Republic to seek an asylum, he/she cannot avoid misdemeanour charges if he/she violated the Law on government, have undertaken some steps towards solving this problem and establishing moving and stay of foreign citizens. Deportation represents the biggest obstacle for success- National Plan of Action with the help of international organizations (OSCE). ful criminal procedure against organizers and other participants of trafficking in human Ministry of Internal Affairs has data that during the period in between January 1st beings, since deportation makes interrogation of the victims of trafficking impossible. 1998, till October 31st 2002, sixteen criminal acts from the article 64 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Serbia, have been committed against juveniles. During the year Code on Criminal Procedure of FRY 1998 – 5 criminal acts have been committed against juveniles, during 1999 – 1, during With its articles 102, 109 and 292, this Code introduces innovation because it makes 2000 – 2, during 2001 – 5, and during the year 2002 – 3 criminal acts have been com- witness protection and protection of the victim possible in some way (by excluding the pub- mitted against juveniles. lic during the part or the whole procedure and by preventing secondary victimization of sen- sitive categories of witnesses – minors). Also, possibility of special police protection has been 4.5. Status of National Plan of Action and National Strategies related to child traf- introduced. Although the changes in Code on Criminal Procedure are important, national ficking (in what extent the child trafficking problem appear in a national strategy, legislation still does not recognize special institutes of witness protection, nor the special priorities stipulated, resources allocated etc.) methods of interrogation of the victim of trafficking in human beings aiming to protect the Republic Team for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings victim, not using extradition measure or delayed extradition... Law on organization and jurisdiction of state bodies in eradication of organized crime In close co-operation with the Stability Pact Task Force on Trafficking in Human regulates education, organization, jurisdiction and authority of special units of the state Beings and ODIHR, the OSCE Mission to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia conducted bodies for uncovering and criminal prosecution of perpetrators of the criminal acts regulat- a Roundtable on Trafficking in Human Beings in Belgrade in April 2001. The meeting ed by this law. This law introduces institute of special prosecutor. This Law predicts traf- ficking in human beings as a criminal act although this act is not yet introduced to 20 Child Rights in Serbia 1996-2002, Child Rights Centre Criminal Code of Republic of Serbia or any other law. But, as we already mentioned, every 21 Trafficking in Human Beings in South-eastern Europe, UNICEF, UNOHCHR, OSCE-ODIHR, 2002

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aimed at a multi-disciplinary approach to combat trafficking by bringing together gov- use existing institutions like Centre for upbringing children and youth, in any ernmental and non-governmental representatives as well as representatives of relevant case it needs training and reconstruction). In this children’s safe house, children international organizations. More than sixty participants took part in the meeting, victims of trafficking will be provided with safe accommodation, long-term coun- among them ministers and representatives of the Federal, Serbian and Montenegro selling (social, medical, psychological), legal consultation (inform about options governments, representatives of embassies, international organizations and national on asylum seeking, criminal court proceedings), education, preparation for further steps women’s and human rights’ NGOs. (returning to family, providing foster families, finding orphanages). Although Ministry of During the workshops, root-causes of trafficking were identified and contents of effec- Social Affairs has currently policy of deinstitutionalisation, it as well as police and other rel- tive awareness raising activities were discussed. All participants agreed on the necessity and evant institution find that this shelter would be essential for temporary accommodation of involvement in elaborating and implementing a national action plan for the FRY as sug- children victims of violence. gested by the Task Force on Trafficking in Human Beings of the Stability Pact, moreover government representatives reaffirmed their full commitment to the Palermo Ministerial This is how things look on paper, in practice, the Mobile Team have not yet started to Declaration. function. Further more, there are no adequate facilities for children victims of trafficking. Because of the practical reasons, in April 2002, Republic Team for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings was established. 5. Actors working against child trafficking (governmental organizations and civil society) During the following months several meetings had been organized on issues of victims assis- tance and protection, and prevention/awareness raising and campaigning against trafficking. 5.1. Description of national actors working on: Republic Team consists of governmental institutions, national NGOs and internation- al organizations. Republic Team for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings is separated - Prevention in four working groups: 1. Prevention/awareness raising and campaigning against traffick- Description of ASTRA’s prevention activities can be found in the chapter ing; 2. Assistance and protection of victims; 3. Amendment of the legislation and strength- “Introduction of the NGO compiling the report - main activities, relevant experiences in ening of law enforcement; 4. Collection of data, research and evaluation. child trafficking.” The Mobile Team Save the Children UK is a humanitarian organization working for well being of chil- dren. Save the children UK started working in FRY in September 1993. In the middle of The Mobile Team of the National Referral Mechanism in the Republic of Serbia was con- the year 2002, Save the Children UK, Belgrade office, started working on the issue of child stituted on 10 October 2002. The Mobile Team consists of representatives from governmen- trafficking. Raising awareness campaign was is planned for the year 2003, in cooperation tal and non-governmental organizations experienced in victim’s assistance, social work and anti- with the ASTRA and Yugoslav Child Rights Centre. Campaign involved printing of the trafficking issues. The coordinator is a social worker of the Centre for Social Work in Belgrade, materials on the issue of child trafficking, were will be distributed in elementary schools. At while the other two Mobile Team members are from Counselling against Family Violence and the same time workshops/lectures with the elementary school children (age 13-15) were ASTRA. These two local NGOs are among the most experienced local organizations in the organized. The members of the ASTRA and Yugoslav Child Rights Centre will facilitated anti-trafficking field in the Republic of Serbia. It is foreseen that each of the three Mobile Team workshops/lectures. members will have a backup person that could replace the member when needed. - Rehabilitation and reintegration (analysis of existing services, needs assessment, coop- The Mobile Team presents a crucial part of the comprehensive National Referral eration between actors etc.) Mechanism (NRM) to assist victims of trafficking in Serbia. Guidelines for a National referral mechanism of trafficked persons in Serbia include children in their target groups. Reintegration shelter still has not been open in Serbia, and repatriation is mostly done Target groups that include children are listed in a following way: by IOM. For the time being the only form of reintegration is done through existing shel- 1. Foreign children (juveniles) being trafficked to Serbia for the purpose of sexual ter for victims of trafficking. In case that a victim does not need to stay in the shelter and exploitation; she contacted ASTRA, ASTRA provides all legal and psychological support that she needs. 2. National children (juveniles) being trafficked within Serbia for the purpose of In case ASTRA has an information about foreign citizen that is returning home, it con- exploitation (mostly begging); tacts NGO country of origin, which is dealing with this issue and NGO is in a position to 3. National children (juveniles) being trafficked to EU countries (Italy, Greece etc.) for offer help to the victim and provide reintegration. Reintegration of the victims in Serbia, the purpose of sexual exploitation or any other form of exploitation (mostly begging). as well as the victims that have returned to their country of origin is the problem that should be dealt with as soon as possible. Once the Mobile Team has identified the needs of the trafficked persons, it will be Counselling against family violence is a non-governmental and humanitarian organiza- transferred to specialized children’s safe house. When it comes to children, according to tion. Counselling against family violence was founded in 1996, and it is now running a the plan, that institution should be specialized children’s safe house (to be established or to shelter for women victims of family violence and a shelter for women victims of trafficking

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in human beings. At the shelter, women victims of trafficking can get psychosocial Although all of these articles obviously talk about situation of coercion or and legal support, and medical services. exploitation of children, they do not name this as a ”child trafficking.” And until Cooperation between NGOs that work on the problem of trafficking in human we (at least) name the phenomena we want to draw attention to, they won’t even beings is satisfactory, and in the last year there is considerable improvement in coop- exist. In this way trafficking in women and children will stay invisible and covered eration with the state bodies, and especially with the police. with ”organized prostitution”, ”white slavery”, ”juvenile prostitution”, ”illegal migrants”… Only 9% of the articles that we analysed was about child trafficking, and 0,8% of the 5.2. Media role articles had wider approach and not only about case in maternity hospitals in Serbia.

In a framework of ASTRA’s research and analysis of the articles published in printed 6. Research in the field media in Serbia on the issue of trafficking in women, larger number of articles on the issue of child trafficking stood out. This articles were initiated by the parents who suspected their 6.1. Analysis of the existing research newborn infants, which were declared dead soon after the birth, were in fact sold. Sample that we based our research on22 showed that child trafficking in our media appears as a com- Systematic analysis and researches in this field haven’t been done till now. The data we pletely not studied and not defined problem, especially on the level of terminology – posses are based on reports of the Ministry of the Internal Affairs, personal opinions of the although there were occasions for it. certain professionals from the social welfare centres as well as on the experience of the non- According to the international law23, ”hild” is a person under eighteen. Child trafficking governmental organizations dealing with the problem of trafficking in Serbia. is conducted with the purpose of false adoption, forced prostitution, forced participation in criminal activities (for example begging), forced labour and exploitation. Large number of arti- 6.2. Profile of the high-risk groups cles that dealt with the affair of children that disappeared from the maternity hospitals did not present (named) the whole situation as a ”child trafficking”. Children were ”kidnapped,” According to the data from the ASTRA SOS Info Hotline and experience from the ”stolen,” ”allegedly dead,” ”missing”, behind it all was a ”mafia that steals babies”… everything Shelter for women victims of trafficking several high-risk groups of children have been iden- points to great terminological confusion. Not one article that would clarify this phenomenon tified: street children, children that live in situation of domestic violence, children from the to the public – what does it mean, what are possible forms of child exploitation (for example state institutions for children without parental care, children who live in areas with war con- false adoption), what is the scale of this problem world wide - was published. Personal stories flicts or in post-war areas, children from poor areas, children refugees, graduating pupils etc. of the mothers who survived this traumatic experience were published in detail (without any Since young people are generally high-risk group, ASTRA has started media campaign with consideration that this could cause secondary dramatization), which reduced everything to the a goal of prevention and education about trafficking in women in the beginning of the year series of personal tragedies of no greater importance for the public. Finally, at one moment, 2002. During preparation period of the campaign we have conducted research among Belgrade this story stopped being ”hot news” (from the moment when a new story appeared in secondary school and university population, because we wanted to create general image about Montenegro) and public was denied an information about legal procedure that has been start- what level of knowledge young people have about different aspects of this problem – what is their ed, about parents organizing them selves and many other activities undertaken in order to clear attitude towards women victims trafficking, traffickers and clients, about legal liability of vic- up the whole case. Child trafficking, when it comes to this case stayed invisible. tims, traffickers and clients, what is their source of information, and about possibilities for pre- Situation is completely specific when it comes to juvenile prostitution, which is the vention and victim's assistance. Research was continued throughout 2002 and 2003. theme that appeared in couple of articles. With a legal definition of a ”child” in mind, ”juve- nile prostitution” is in fact child trafficking with a purpose of sexual exploitation. In that Research objectives and initial hypothesis sense, it is difficult to differentiate trafficking in women from trafficking in children, since The first phase of the research had an objective to identify those segments of traffick- the majority of the victims of trafficking in women are girls 15-17 years old who have forged ing in women about which young people knew nothing about or knew little. On basis of documents and who are forced to prostitution. Nevertheless, terms ”sexual exploitation of these findings, we have formulated a part of the campaign (informational leaflets, video children” or ”child trafficking” or even ”trafficking in women” was not used in any article clips...). Objectives of the second and third phase of the research, which are undergoing, are that dealt with this issue, it was always about ”juvenile prostitutes” who probably wouldn’t tracking possible change in the attitude of the young people about trafficking in women. get any media attention if there weren’t for the police actions and arresting of their pimps.

22 Initial hypothesis of the research: Analysis of articles contents covered articles published in following daily newspapers: “Vecernje novosti”, “Politika”, “Blic”, “Glas javnos- ti”, “Nacional”, “Danas”, on a sample consisted of articles published during “structured year”. In this way analysis covered four periods. First period covered third and fourth week of March and first and second week of April, second period covered third and fourth week of a) young girls – secondary school and university students (as well as general public) have June and first and second week of July, third period covered third and fourth week of September and first and second week of October, and no knowledge about the term trafficking in women itself nor about the contents of it fourth period covered first two weeks of December and first two weeks of January. Each period was marked with an important event, either social or event related to trafficking in human beings. First period was marked with the start of ASTRA’s campaign (March), second peri- b) there is no distinction between problems of prostitution, illegal migration and traf- od was marked with the case of children missing from the maternity hospital (June), third period was marked with presidential elections in ficking in women Serbia (September), and fourth period was marked with the case of trafficking in women in Montenegro and arrest of the public prosecu- tor’s deputy Zoran Piperovic. c) prejudices prevail towards victims of trafficking (e. g. “they were asking for it”, “those 23 UN Child’s Right Convention women are naive”, “those are just some Russian women”, “they are all prostitutes” etc.)

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Sample and method II phase of the research Yes ...... 85.90% During first phase, research sample were 173 participants of both genders – 91 No ...... 0% secondary school students and 82 university students. When it comes to the second I'm not sure ...... 14.1% phase, sample included fewer participants from Belgrade because questionnaires were Commentary: In these answers we can see higher level of awareness in relation to rec- distributed to other cities in Serbia.24 ognizing trafficking in women in our community. In the second phase percentage of the Research was conducted through method of questioners with multiple choice questions participants who stated that problem is present in our country is bigger almost 20%. and open questions. Do you think that women who become victims of trafficking are to blame for what hap- Have you heard about this phenomenon? pened to them?

I phase of the research I phase of the research Yes ...... 97.8% Yes ...... 15.4% No ...... 2.2% No ...... 44% II phase of the research I'm not sure ...... 40.7% Yes ...... 96.3% II phase of the research No ...... 3.7% Yes ...... 16.67% No ...... 42.31% Where have you heard about this phenomenon? I'm not sure ...... 41.03% I phase of the research Commentary: Minimal difference between those who think that women are not to TV ...... 31% blame and those who are not sure is characteristic for both phases. As qualitative analysis Radio ...... 6% of the first phase showed, a large number of answers “I'm not sure” point to the fact that Newspapers ...... 30% situation of violence that women found them selves in is explained with their personal fea- Conversation with friends ...... 29% tures or they are wondering if they knew what they are into or not. Other ...... 4% II phase of the research Do you think that women who are engaging in illegal activities because they were forced TV ...... 41.14% to should be held legally liable for these activities? Radio ...... 3.80% Newspapers ...... 31.01% I phase of the research Conversation with friends ...... 19.62% Yes ...... 14.3% Other ...... 4.43% No ...... 52.7% I'm not sure ...... 30.8% Commentary: When it comes to source of information, in both phases of the research, II phase of the research electronic media are main source of information. Almost 10% more participants in the sec- Yes ...... 28.57% ond phase stated that TV is the main source of information, which points to the impor- No ...... 48% tance of bigger presence of this issue in the media. I'm not sure ...... 23.38%

Do you think that this phenomenon is present in our country? Commentary: In the questionnaire there were also questions about legal liability of traf- I phase of the research fickers and clients besides the legal liability of victims of trafficking. When it comes to legal Yes ...... 68% liability of women victims of trafficking, percentage is 14% bigger in relation to the first phase. We believe that qualitative analysis will give us explanation for this difference. No ...... 1.1% When it comes to traffickers, in both phases almost 100% of participants stated that I'm not sure ...... 30.8% they should be held legally liable, but in the qualitative analysis we will explored the sec- ondary school students were inclined to extreme methods of punishment. When it comes 24 Beograd, Novi Sad, Nis, Zrenjanin, Uzice, Vlasotince, Novi Pazar. However, for the needs of this report we have processed only quantitive to clients, in both phases more than one third of secondary school students stated that they answers that we received during second phase of the research on the territory of Belgrade, so we could compare with the results from the first phase of the research. Complete results will be available on ASTRA's web site. should not be held legally liable (37% in the first phase, and 42% in the second phase).

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Is there a law that forbids trafficking in women and human beings in general in not only “target group” for the traffickers but also they carry power of change in our country? the society, and they are certainly part of the public that should be included in solution of this problem. I phase of the research Yes ...... 18.7% 7.Recommendations No ...... 8.8% I'm not sure ...... 70.3% II phase of the research Combating the trafficking in children demand strong and resolute action that should Yes ...... 27.5% be realized parallel through more different levels: No ...... 11.25% I'm not sure ...... 61.25% Awareness raising campaign: Commentary: As the answers from both phases show, majority of secondary school par- • Simultaneous media awareness raising campaign about child trafficking in the region ticipants were not sure is there a law or not, although difference between “I'm not sure” is almost 10%. Law regulation and implementation: • Exerting pressure on national institutions to consistently conduct UN Convention Conclusion on the rights of the Child in practice - Children who were victims of trafficking must- n’t be arrested, charged, convicted for the acts that were direct consequence of the Experience from the previous research showed that although most of the participants position they found themselves in; have heard about the trafficking in women itself, they are not informed about all the aspects • Change of the legislation and introducing the institutes that are in accordance with of the problem. What is especially underlined as unknown fact is situation of violence that the international legislation (witness protection, temporary residence permit…); women victims of violence find themselves in. We will wait for the final analyses of the sec- • Bilateral treaties with the countries from the region regarding trafficking in human ond and third phase of the research, but this is something that we should work on. beings; Fact that in the second phase high percentage of the participants stated that printed and • Using bilateral and/or regional agreements on fundamental principles of good reception electronic media are sources of information, we can associate with the fact that this issue is of unaccompanied children for combining efforts targeted at the protection of minors. more and more represented in the media. Taking into consideration that informal conversations with friends are source of infor- Formalizing the obligations: mation in lesser percentage, we think that problem of trafficking of women should be more • Signing of memorandum of understanding between governmental, non-governmen- represented in media, but it should be represented in an appropriate way. tal and international organizations, which are working on eradication of trafficking One of the objectives of our campaign was to show that trafficking in women is not a in human beings; problem that exists “somewhere else” and that it is always happening to “someone else”. • Providing adequate protection of the child in all phases of the legal proceedings. Noticeable difference between numbers of answers “I'm not sure” in the first and second phase can be related to the media campaign, which drew public's attention to existence of Victim assistance: this problem in our country. • Providing criteria and guidelines for identifying children who are victims of trafficking; When it comes to attitude towards woman who is a victims of trafficking and her pos- • To provide a shelter for children victims of trafficking with adequate psychological sible guilt, large percentage of positive answers or answers “I'm not sure” in the second phase and legal assistance, and with the staff especially educated for working with this chil- tells us that participant does not know (or they do not pay attention) to the situation of vio- dren; lence and coercion that a woman is exposed to and what is the essence of the problem. The • Ensuring special needs of children and the best interests of the child fully taken into same problem in the attitude of the secondary school population has been noticed in the account, when deciding upon appropriate housing, education and care of trafficked first phase of the research as well. In any case, we will see what the final results of the sec- children; ond and third phase will show us. On the other hand, results from both phases about clients • Providing conditions for voluntary return country of origin and family when this is and about the issue of their legal liability were indicative. A large percentage of the partic- in the best interest of the child; ipants think that they should not be held legally liable for using services of the women who • Deciding on the repatriation of trafficked children only in cases when there is a fam- are victims of violence. This information, among other things shows us that in the future ily or a special institution in countries of origin to ensure their safety, protection, we should work with boys who are possible future clients of the women victims of traffick- rehabilitation and reintegration; ing for the purpose of forced prostitution, and also shows us the need to work on rising of • Working on improvement of standards/conditions in existing institutions for children awareness about clients responsibility in supporting this form of violence. as well developing alternative ways of accommodation of children (new deinstitution- Fact that young people are not informed about non-existence of the legislation is cer- alisation models) through cooperation with NGOs, GOs and international organiza- tainly something we should work on, taking into consideration that young people represent tions.

102 103 PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS

Prevention and education • Prevention and educational programmes on the subject of trafficking in human beings should become a part of the regular school curriculum; • Education of the state employees on the subject of trafficking in human beings, especially social workers, prosecutors, judges, psychologists, psychiatrists, paedi- atricians, police officers, border police officers, embassy staff.

Data collecting • Providing unique system for data collection in regard to child trafficking.

8. References:

1. Association for Women’s initiative, www.ravnopravno.org; 2. Ministry of Internal Affairs, coordinator of the National Team for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings; 3. The US State Department Trafficking in Persons report for the year 2003; 4. Law on public peace and order of Republic of Serbia, Criminal Code of Republic of Serbia, Code on Criminal Procedure of FRY, Law on organization and jurisdiction of state bodies in eradication of organized crime; 5. ”Trafficking in women – our reality or problem of the others”, ASTRA/ Neda Iliñ, Belgrade, 2002; 6. “Presentation of the problem of trafficking in women in printed media in Serbia”, ASTRA, Belgrade, June 2003; 7. Yugoslav Child Rights Centre, Children’s Rights in Serbia 1996-2002, Belgrade, 2003.

Web Links of members of the Republican Team for combating against trafficking in human beings, and Mobile team:

NGOs

ASTRA – www.astra.org.yu Victimology Society of Serbia – www.vds.org.yu Yugoslav Child’s Right Centre – http://yu.cpd.org.yu

Governmental institutions

Government of the Republic of Serbia – www.srbija.sr.gov.yu Ministry of Interiors – www.mup.sr.gov.yu Ministry of Social Politics – www.msoc.sr.gov.yu

Media Centre, Belgrade – www.mediacenter.org.yu

Done by: Marija Andjelkoviñ and Tamara Vukasoviñ Coordinators of ASTRA SOS Hotline

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