Press release of NGO Atina - Citizens’ Association for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings and All Forms of Violence Against Women

In its latest report on human trafficking, State Department negatively assessed Serbia and placed it on the Watch list for the efforts made in the field of prevention, identification and comprehensive system support to the victims of human trafficking. Taking into account the factual situation, Citizens' Association Atina, as an organization that has been trying to improve the position of vulnerable citizens in our society on a daily basis, uses this opportunity to appeal to the state authorities to take responsibility for their actions and/or omissions aimed at combating human trafficking.

This assessment came after the fact that the draft of the Strategy for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings has not been adopted for the third year in a row, and that fifteen years after the establishment of the system of protection of victims of human trafficking Government of the Republic of Serbia still does not allocate funds for system support of the programs dealing with direct support to victims and prevention of human trafficking.

One of the mapped problems in the Republic of Serbia is the mechanism of victim identification. The fact is that the number of identified victims decreased over the years, which does not correspond with actual situation in society and the state. Hundreds of children and youth in Serbia are forced to beg, work, girls are forced to enter into marriages, and the system still lacks developed mechanisms for prevention and protection of these children. The expansion of the refugee crisis in 2015 left Serbia unprepared to identify and support the most vulnerable among the refugee population, victims of human trafficking, as well as to sanction the perpetrators of this serious crime. It is necessary to reform the mechanism of identification, improve it to become operational and proactive, through the inclusion of relevant actors in the process of identifying and planning assistance and support. Although considerable efforts have been made, judicial and legislative practice is still not sufficiently sensitive to the issue of human trafficking. In 2016, Citizens’ Association Atina recorded a case in Belgrade where the judge imposed a fine on a victim of human trafficking, because she was scared to appear in court and face the trafficker due to fear and threats she has been exposed to. Also, the experience of Citizens' Association Atina is that 87% of court verdicts are overturned, the epilogue of court proceedings is lacking, and victims are often not protected from secondary victimization. Compensation claims are rare, and there is no possibility of compensation to the victims over the situation and trauma they survived.

So far, the Republic of Serbia has not provided system support for the long-term programs of protection and reintegration of victims with the aim of providing support and assistance. Victims of human trafficking often do not have the option of (re)integration, inclusion or return to the education system, adequate accommodation, or employment within the recovery process. By ratifying the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings, Serbia made a commitment to provide a quality, sustainable protection program, safe housing, psychological, medical and legal protection, as well as other forms of support aimed at long-term social inclusion of the victims. Nine years after the ratification, significant progress has not yet been achieved.

The standard of living, unemployment, poverty, socially rooted discrimination and stigmatization, exclusion from the system, approval and cover-up of violence, inadequate social and educational system, unadapted programs, lead to the fact that someone is at a higher risk of being trafficked. Citizens of the Republic of Serbia, women, children and men are recognized as victims of various forms of exploitation in the country and abroad, while foreign nationals in the Republic of Serbia are most commonly exposed to sexual exploitation and forced labor.

Serbia, together with all the institutions and organizations, must take responsibility of dealing with not only the consequences but also the causes of this phenomenon, if there is to be a systemic solution.
Freedom and dignity must be returned to persons who have survived the experience of trafficking, while providing them with opportunities and equal possibilities, because that is one of the most important links in combating human trafficking.

Press release of NGO Atina - Citizens’ Association for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings and All Forms of Violence Against Women

In its latest report on human trafficking, State Department negatively assessed Serbia and placed it on the Watch list for the efforts made in the field of prevention, identification and comprehensive system support to the victims of human trafficking. Taking into account the factual situation, Citizens' Association Atina, as an organization that has been trying to improve the position of vulnerable citizens in our society on a daily basis, uses this opportunity to appeal to the state authorities to take responsibility for their actions and/or omissions aimed at combating human trafficking.

This assessment came after the fact that the draft of the Strategy for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings has not been adopted for the third year in a row, and that fifteen years after the establishment of the system of protection of victims of human trafficking Government of the Republic of Serbia still does not allocate funds for system support of the programs dealing with direct support to victims and prevention of human trafficking.

One of the mapped problems in the Republic of Serbia is the mechanism of victim identification. The fact is that the number of identified victims decreased over the years, which does not correspond with actual situation in society and the state. Hundreds of children and youth in Serbia are forced to beg, work, girls are forced to enter into marriages, and the system still lacks developed mechanisms for prevention and protection of these children. The expansion of the refugee crisis in 2015 left Serbia unprepared to identify and support the most vulnerable among the refugee population, victims of human trafficking, as well as to sanction the perpetrators of this serious crime. It is necessary to reform the mechanism of identification, improve it to become operational and proactive, through the inclusion of relevant actors in the process of identifying and planning assistance and support. Although considerable efforts have been made, judicial and legislative practice is still not sufficiently sensitive to the issue of human trafficking. In 2016, Citizens’ Association Atina recorded a case in Belgrade where the judge imposed a fine on a victim of human trafficking, because she was scared to appear in court and face the trafficker due to fear and threats she has been exposed to. Also, the experience of Citizens' Association Atina is that 87% of court verdicts are overturned, the epilogue of court proceedings is lacking, and victims are often not protected from secondary victimization. Compensation claims are rare, and there is no possibility of compensation to the victims over the situation and trauma they survived.

So far, the Republic of Serbia has not provided system support for the long-term programs of protection and reintegration of victims with the aim of providing support and assistance. Victims of human trafficking often do not have the option of (re)integration, inclusion or return to the education system, adequate accommodation, or employment within the recovery process. By ratifying the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings, Serbia made a commitment to provide a quality, sustainable protection program, safe housing, psychological, medical and legal protection, as well as other forms of support aimed at long-term social inclusion of the victims. Nine years after the ratification, significant progress has not yet been achieved.

The standard of living, unemployment, poverty, socially rooted discrimination and stigmatization, exclusion from the system, approval and cover-up of violence, inadequate social and educational system, unadapted programs, lead to the fact that someone is at a higher risk of being trafficked. Citizens of the Republic of Serbia, women, children and men are recognized as victims of various forms of exploitation in the country and abroad, while foreign nationals in the Republic of Serbia are most commonly exposed to sexual exploitation and forced labor.

Serbia, together with all the institutions and organizations, must take responsibility of dealing with not only the consequences but also the causes of this phenomenon, if there is to be a systemic solution.
Freedom and dignity must be returned to persons who have survived the experience of trafficking, while providing them with opportunities and equal possibilities, because that is one of the most important links in combating human trafficking.

On the following link you can find TIP Report: http://www.state.gov/j/tip/rls/tiprpt/2016/index.htm

In Belgrade, 30th June 2016.

You can read this news at serbian language http://www.atina.org.rs/sr/srbija-dobila-negativnu-ocenu-od-stejt-depart...