Today, on the occasion of the World Day against Trafficking in Persons, US Ambassador to Serbia, Kyle Scott, and Minister Zoran Djordjevic visited the social enterprise of Citizens’ Association Atina, Bagel Bejgl shop, whose profits are financing recovery programs this organization runs for the victims of human trafficking.

US Ambassador Scott has underlined that human trafficking is a global phenomenon, and that there is no country in the world that is not faced with the issue of modern slavery.

Interview with Jelena Hrnjak from NGO Atina for the monthly magazine "Business&Finance"

Social inclusion of the victims of human trafficking and violence

Work has protected women

The Committee on Labor, Social Issues, Social Inclusion and Poverty Reduction held its third sitting on October 12, 2016. The agenda of the sitting included discussion of the state-of-play concerning the asylum-seekers/migrants’ welfare, setting up Working Group for the Political Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, and proposals on how to process the civic petitions received.

As borders have tightened along the western Balkan route to Europe, more lone female refugees are arriving in Serbia having experienced violence and trafficking. Many who want to continue their journeys are using even riskier routes and never appear in official data.

A Transnational Anti-Trafficking Training Seminar for anti-THB stakeholders from Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina and Moldova was held in Tirana, Albania on 6 – 7 December 2016.

Migrant women, Roma women, women with disabilities and the elderly are the most vulnerable social groups, and often suffer domestic violence as well. Although there are cultural and traditional inequalities between women who ran from war-torn African countries and women in Serbia, when it comes to violence - there is almost no difference at all. Because of fear, or because they have been taught from an early age that they are property of their families and husbands, they rarely dare to report the perpetrator.

Despite the closure and militarization of many of Europe’s borders, hundreds of refugees continue to enter using transnational smuggling networks in the Balkans. Reporter Andrew Connelly has more from the Serbian capital Belgrade.

In a muddy stretch of land in the Serbian capital, colloquially termed Afghan Park, smugglers and potential clients rub shoulders and illicit journeys to northern Europe are bought and sold. The lucrative black market transactions occur, appropriately, in the shadow of Belgrade University’s economics department.

During the past decade, European Union supported 250 projects of various civil society organizations, as it was pointed out at a panel discussion “For a stronger voice of citizens: Support of the European Union (EU) to civil society of Serbia”, held at the stand of the EU Delegation to Serbia and EU Info Center at the International Book Fair in Belgrade. “In the past 15 years, European Union has provided 30 million euros for civil society organizations in Serbia.

Without the voice of citizens there is no democracy, and it therefore needs to be strengthened; this was announced today at a panel discussion For a stronger voice of citizens: Support of the European Union (EU) to civil society, at the Book Fair

“Rethink your policies and decisions: They force refugee women and girls into the criminal underground economy and into smugglers’ hands. The people we see are not economic migrants. Many are simply trying to save their lives. They have no alternatives except to flee. Think about this, and act.” —Jelena Hrnjk, Atina, an NGO which provides direct support to hundreds of refugee women and girls, particularly those who’ve suffered gender-based violence and human trafficking, in Belgrade, Serbia.