The incidence of trafficking in human beings, including children in and from Albania, has led to UNICEF setting up working groups in six of the country’s districts to try and combat the issue.
Albania is a source and transit country for human trafficking, including for the purposes of sex and labour. The issue has been highlighted by entities such as the US State Department, Council of Europe, and European Commission, amongst others. However, the number of convictions in the country remains low.
“We have set up four mobile teams to identify potential victims or victims of trafficking in Albania and, from the beginning until the moment we are speaking, including Shkodra, 144 potential victims or victims of trafficking in Albania have been identified,” said Sonila Pema, UNICEF’s expert on anti-trafficking in Albania to VOA.
According to 2021 data from INSTAT, those most vulnerable to trafficking are children, with 109 registered as potential victims of trafficking, three trafficked, and 67 seeking asylum in the EU. With most cases going under the radar, it is likely the actual number is much higher.
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“There are about 300 people who have received direct support as potential victims or victims of trafficking, without forgetting their children, who are directly supported by the services. This is to understand that there are organizations in the country, there are also state institutions, which support and provide services for their integration,” Pema said.
The head of the regional committee for the fight against trafficking, Majlinda Angoni, says that there are a number of structures and organizations that are cooperating for community awareness and the identification of victims or potential victims of trafficking. She adds that cases of trafficking have also been recorded in Shkodra District.
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“Since last year, we have been dealing with 9 cases of victims of trafficking or possible victims of trafficking, which, together with some non-governmental organizations, are treating and rehabilitating these victims. We say that the cases are decreasing”.
In particular, the border with Montenegro is an area of concern for all kinds of human trafficking. In particular, large communities of Egyptians and Roma increase the risk of children being trafficked.
“They come from families with significant problems, not only economic, they come from early marriages, they come from poor social conditions. So, they are always at risk for this phenomenon,” said Angoni.
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