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Voxpress:

The Albanian Government did not meet the minimum standards in some areas

2024-06-24 17:26:05Aktualitet SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
The Albanian Government did not meet the minimum standards in some areas
U.S. Department of State

The U.S. State Department has released its annual report on human trafficking worldwide. During its publication, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said the document provides the most comprehensive assessment of the phenomenon as well as governments' efforts to combat it.

By measuring progress in 188 countries – including the United States – Washington is aimed at implementing President Biden's commitment to prevent trafficking, prosecute the perpetrators, and protect his victims.

Blinken said that some 27 million individuals worldwide are exploited for work, services and commercial sex. Through force, fraud and coercion, they are forced to work in fields and factories, in restaurants and residences. The victims are the most vulnerable individuals in the world – taking advantage of their plight.

The report divides countries into three levels. The first level includes countries whose governments fully respect minimum standards.

The second level is those countries whose efforts do not meet the minimum standards entirely, but which governments make considerable efforts to achieve it.

The third level is countries whose efforts do not meet the minimum standards and which governments do not make efforts in this regard.

Both Albania and Kosovo are ranked this year, as well as last year, in the category of second-tier countries.

Situation in Albania

The report says the government has witnessed increased overall efforts compared to a year ago. Efforts included investigating sex traffickers, identifying a larger number of potential victims in collaboration with nongovernmental organizations as well as providing services to more victims.

But the report adds that the government did not meet the minimum standards in some key areas. "The government clearly investigated fewer trafficking-related crimes, prosecuted fewer suspects, and failed to punish any traffickers for the second year in a row," the report said.

It is also claimed that police and district prosecutors lack the necessary experience and specialization to investigate and prosecute trafficking cases, and that the suspected perpetrators have been convicted of lesser crimes, such as "exploitation of prostitution", instead of trafficking.

The report says the government has not continuously controlled the part of the community that could potentially be a victim of trafficking such as migrants, asylum seekers, Roma and Egyptian communities, as well as children.

Criminal investigation

The report said that some of the government's efforts to combat trafficking have declined. The criminal code prescribed sentences of eight to 15 years in prison for the offence of trafficking involving an adult victim and 10 to 20 years, when the victim is a child.

The report says the state police investigated 26 cases, compared to 85 cases in 2022. The attorney general's office prosecuted eight new cases (seven for sex trafficking and one for an unspecified form of trafficking), compared with 17 new cases in 2022. It also prosecuted 42 cases initiated in previous years. Separately, the Special Prosecution Structure against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) launched a new investigation (two in 2022) and continued prosecuting of two cases initiated in the reported periods.

But the report found that courts did not convict any traffickers for the second consecutive year, compared with 11 convictions in 2021.

In past years, judges sentenced some traffickers to soft sentences, such as the probation penalty, which reduced efforts to hold traffickers accountable, weakened preventive mechanisms and created safety concerns in victims.

The report said the government did not announce any new investigation, prosecution, or conviction of government employees complicit in human trafficking crimes, adding that corruption and cooperation of officials in trafficking crimes continues to be of concern.

The report recommends the investigation and prosecution of trafficking crimes and the prosecution of traffickers – including complicit officials.

Significant custodial sentences for perpetrators and training judges at all levels to take into account the severity of trafficking in the sentencing.

It is also required to have specialized police and prosecutors to investigate and prosecute these crimes.

Profile

As reported over the past five years, human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Albania as well as abroad. Traffickers exploit Albanian women and children for forced labor especially during the tourist season.

They use false promises, such as offers of marriage or employment, to lure their victims. Traffickers usually force children to beg, or perform other types of forced labor, and also force children to commit criminal offenses, including theft and distribution of narcotics. Traffickers exploit Albanian children, mainly from roma and Egyptian communities, for seasonal labor and forced begging. Nongovernmental organizations have said traffickers force children to sell drugs mainly in schools. Traffickers exploit Albanian victims for sexual purposes across Europe, especially in Belgium, Greece, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo and France. /America's 1


Në përputhje me standarded JTI

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