Human Trafficking in [Serbia , Montenegro Street Children in [Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo] [other countries]Child Prostitution in [Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo] [other countries] |
Human Trafficking & Modern-day Slavery Serbia, Montenegro
& Kosovo In the early years of the 21st
Century - 2000 to 2010 gvnet.com/humantrafficking/Serbia-Montenegro.htm
Serbia is a source, transit, and
destination country for men, women, and girls trafficked internationally and
within the country for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and
forced labor … Children, mostly Roma, continued to be trafficked for the purpose
of sexual exploitation, forced marriage, or forced street begging. The
majority of identified victims in 2008 were Serbian women and girls
trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation; over half were children.
There was an increase in cases of trafficking for forced labor in 2008. - U.S.
State Dept Trafficking in Persons Report, June, 2009
[full country report] Montenegro is primarily a transit country for
the trafficking of women and girls from Ukraine, Moldova, Serbia, Albania,
and Kosovo to Western Europe for the purpose of commercial sexual
exploitation. There have been reported cases of forced labor in the
construction industry. There is anecdotal evidence that foreign children,
mainly Roma, are also trafficked through Montenegro for the purpose of forced
begging. - U.S. State Dept Trafficking in Persons Report, June, 2009 [full country report] Kosovo is a source, transit, and
destination country for women and children trafficked across national borders
for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation. Kosovo women and children
are also trafficked within Kosovo for the same purpose. NGOs reported that
child trafficking, particularly from Roma communities, for the purpose of
forced begging, was an increasing problem. Most foreign victims are young
women from Eastern Europe subjected to forced prostitution. Kosovo victims
are also trafficked to countries throughout Europe including Macedonia,
Italy, and Albania. Kosovo residents, including three children, made up the
majority of identified trafficking victims in 2008. Police report that
internal trafficking involving Kosovo Serbs may also occur in north Kosovo, a
Serb-majority region that presents particular security challenges. - U.S.
State Dept Trafficking in Persons Report, June, 2009
[full report] |
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CAUTION: The following links have been culled from the web to
illuminate the situation in Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo. Some of these links may lead to websites
that present allegations that are unsubstantiated or even false. No
attempt has been made to validate their authenticity or to verify their content. ***
FEATURED ARTICLES *** Shameful Investigation Into Sex-Trafficking Case Amnesty International, Index Number: EUR 70/001/2005, Date
Published: 1 February 2005 www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/EUR70/001/2005 [accessed 21 December 2010] The government of A Legal Analysis of Trafficking in Persons Cases in Kosovo [PDF] Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, The
Department Of Human Rights, Decentralization, And Communities, Legal System
Monitoring Section, October 2007 [accessed 28 August 2011] [page 3] EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - The problem of trafficking in
human beings (“trafficking”) continues to be a major human rights concern in
Kosovo. In cases monitored by the OSCE,
victims did not receive the basic guarantees provided by law, and frequently faced
prosecution or the threat of prosecution. Witness protection measures were
rarely used, despite the regular intimidation of victims. Moreover, judges
and prosecutors often failed to understand the legal definition of the crime
of trafficking, or permit perpetrators to go unpunished. In summary, the OSCE observed that
authorities involved in the investigation and prosecution of alleged
traffickers fail to adopt a victim-centred
approach, or to ensure that perpetrators face justice. ***
ARCHIVES *** Human Rights Reports » 2005
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2005/61673.htm [accessed 21 December 2010] TRAFFICKING
IN PERSONS – Underage
girls were among those trafficked for sexual exploitation. In November
authorities rescued a 14-year-old girl at the Slovenian border from an
international trafficking ring attempting to take her to the While Traffickers recruited victims
through enticements including advertisements for escorts, marriage offers,
and offers of employment. Women often went to work as prostitutes knowingly
and only later became trafficking victims. In many cases international
organized crime networks recruited, transported, sold, and controlled
victims. The main points in KPS rescues 2 human trafficking victims BETA News Agency, PRIŠTINA, 26 January 2008 www.b92.net/eng/news/crimes-article.php?yyyy=2008&mm=01&dd=26&nav_id=47248 [accessed 21 December 2010] “Thanks to cooperation from
citizens, members of the anti-human trafficking unit discovered two females
from Kosovo in a hotel basement on Friday, that had been
locked up there against their will,” announced the Peć
Regional Police. A preliminary investigation has
revealed that the two girls, who are of Albanian ethnicity, were locked up
there for over two months. A Legal Analysis of Trafficking in Persons Cases in Kosovo [PDF] Organization for Security and Co-operation in [accessed 28 August 2011] [page 3] EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - The problem of trafficking in
human beings (“trafficking”) continues to be a major human rights concern in
Kosovo. In cases monitored by the OSCE,
victims did not receive the basic guarantees provided by law, and frequently
faced prosecution or the threat of prosecution. Witness protection measures
were rarely used, despite the regular intimidation of victims. Moreover,
judges and prosecutors often failed to understand the legal definition of the
crime of trafficking, or permit perpetrators to go unpunished. In summary, the OSCE observed that
authorities involved in the investigation and prosecution of alleged
traffickers fail to adopt a victim-centred
approach, or to ensure that perpetrators face justice. Amnesty International on human rights in Serbia and Kosovo Amnesty International, 15 February 2007 www.euractiv.com/en/enlargement/amnesty-international-human-rights-serbia-kosovo/article-161739 [accessed 21 December 2010] WHAT
ACTION WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE FROM THE EU’S SIDE TO TACKLE HUMAN-RIGHTS
ISSUES THAT ALSO CONCERN THE With respect to trafficking, we urge
the EU to assist the Kosovo authorities in implementing the Kosovo Action
Plan on Trafficking, to ensure the protection of the rights of trafficked
persons, including to assistance and other forms of support, in compliance
with the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human
Beings. Over 120.000 human trafficking victims pass via Balkan a
year MakFaxOnline, At one time this article had been archived and may
possibly still be accessible [here]
[accessed 11 September 2011] More than 120.000 women and
children, victims of human trafficking, pass through the Balkan region per
year before heading to the EU member-countries, Serbian government said. "The number of trafficked children rose
from 10 to 56 percent, and lately up to 60 percent of identified victims of
human trafficking are Serbian citizens," said Serbian Minister of Labor,
Employment & Social Welfare Slobodan Lalovic. Human trafficking recovery center opens in Belgrade B92 News, 16 September 2006 www.b92.net/eng/news/society-article.php?nav_category=101&mm=9&dd=16&yyyy=2006 [accessed 21 December 2010] The center's
program was developed according to the demands and experiences of
victims, in order to offer help to abused women and enable them to return to
their normal lives and reintegrate into society. The route to hell Louisa Waugh, The Scotsman, 22 August 2006 At one time this article had been archived and may
possibly still be accessible [here] [accessed 11 September 2011] Reports of women and girls being
trafficked into Kosovo began to emerge within months of the United Nations
mission in Kosovo and the NATO peacekeepers arriving in July 1999. While
writing this book I travelled to Kosovo, and found
it an intimidating place to research the subject of trafficking. People were
guarded with information, and it is the only place I have ever been
threatened by a police officer for asking questions about human trafficking -
he said that he could have me detained if he wanted to. Human trafficking in Vojvodina BETA News Agency, 7 August 2006 www.b92.net/eng/news/society-article.php?yyyy=2006&mm=08&dd=07&nav_category=102&nav_id=36024 [accessed 21 December 2010] The victims are most commonly
women from poor families who were subjected to violence within their
families. Their documents are taken away and many times they are threatened to
be killed or thrown into the Danube River where no one will find them. Protecting the human rights of women and girls trafficked
for forced prostitution in Kosovo - Summary [DOC] Amnesty International, 06/05/2004 www.amnesty.eu/static/documents/Kosovo_summary.doc [accessed 21 December 2010] In this report, Amnesty
International attempts to add to the growing understanding of trafficking as
an abuse of human rights, not least the right to physical and mental
integrity, and of the right to life, liberty and security of the person. The report documents abuses
perpetrated against women and girls in Kosovo, including abduction,
deprivation of liberty and denial of freedom of movement, often combined with
other restrictions, including the withdrawal of travel or identity documents.
The organization also finds that women and girls have been subjected to
torture and ill-treatment, including psychological threats, beatings and
rape. Co-operation to Stop Sex Traffic Radio sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel.aspx?ProgramID=2054&format=1&artikel=683238 [accessed 21 December 2010] The Swedish police have begun
working with their counterparts in Kosovo to stop a gang responsible for sex
trafficking. The co-operation follows
the case of a 17-year-old girl kidnapped from Kosovo and brought to Albanians Given 10 To 12 Years In Jail For Human
Trafficking ONASA News Agency & Agence
France-Presse AFP, PRISTINA, 22 July 2005 kosovonewsandviews.blogspot.com/2005/07/albanians-given-10-to-12-years-in-jail.html [accessed 21 December 2010] Singh said the investigation found
out that two female victims from 13 Arrests in 10 Days on Human Trafficking Charges OneWorldSee, 03/03/2005 www.oneworldsee.org/sq/node/7214 [accessed 21 December 2010] In one case, after being forced
into prostitution, the rescued victim had also been sold for marriage: 4
suspects involved in the case were arrested. In another case, the victim had been
forced into prostitution by her boyfriend who brutally abused her. Human Trafficking Trial in Bijelo
Polje OneWorldSee, 30/03/2005 [accessed 21 December 2010] The prosecution, represented by
the Deputy State Prosecutor Lepa Medenica, accused Licina of
holding forcibly Milica Novakovic
from Pozega at his “ Balkans Urged To Curb Trafficking Imogen Foulkes,
BBC News, news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4397497.stm [accessed 21 December 2010] Countries in Initiative to Help Fight Human Trafficking in Three SEE
Countries Robert Herschbach for Southeast
European Times – 05/04/05 www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/features/setimes/features/2005/04/05/feature-03?print=yes [accessed 21 December 2010] Shameful Investigation Into Sex-Trafficking Case Amnesty International, Index Number: EUR 70/001/2005, Date
Published: 1 February 2005 www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/EUR70/001/2005 [accessed 21 December 2010] The government of For Graham Johnson, 25 January 2004 www.rense.com/general68/whatthen.htm [accessed 21 December 2010] [scroll down] The children, some as young as
three, are snatched from their parents and sold for as little as £300. Some
are feared to have been taken as child sex slaves. Others are put up for
illegal adoptions by couples, including Britons, desperate to start a
family. These three youngsters all
live at a former United Nations refugee camp in Montenegro, part of the old
Yugoslavia. Government officials in sex trafficking ring arrested Vesna Peric Zimonjic, www.prisonplanet.com/government_officials_in_sex_trafficking_ring_arrested.html [accessed 21 December 2010] The arrests are only a small part
of the scandal, according to sources in the Montenegrin capital, Podgorica. It is an open secret in the Balkans that
people-trafficking rings run through Montenegro to Bosnia and Kosovo, with
profits from the dirty trade reaching millions of euros. The sex-slave routes lead to Italy
and Britain, where at least 1,400 women, mainly from eastern Europe, are
tricked into prostitution each year. The trade is highly lucrative for the
men who "own" them; in London, women can bring in about £100,000 a
year for their pimps. Trafficking in Human Beings in Barbara Limanowska, Stability
Pact Task Force on Trafficking in Human Beings, UNICEF, June 2002 www.unicef.de/download/trafficking-see.pdf [accessed 21 December 2010] [page
78] 1.2. TRAFFICKING OF CHILDREN - Practically no
information exists on the trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation of
children. There are some reports that
Roma girls and children from FRY are sold to Freedom House Country Report - 2009 Edition www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=22&year=2009&country=7762 [accessed 21 December 2010] Freedom House Country Report - 2009 Edition www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=363&year=2009&country=7761 [accessed 21 December 2010] Freedom House Country Report - Kosovo - Political
Rights: 6 Civil Liberties: 5 Status: Not Free 2009 Edition www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=22&year=2009&country=7757 [accessed 21 December 2010] Human Rights Overview Human Rights Watch www.hrw.org/europecentral-asia/serbia [accessed 21 December 2010] Stop Violence Against Women – Country Page Advocates for Human Rights, April 12, 2004 At one time this article had been archived and may
possibly still be accessible [here] [accessed 11 September 2011] Library of Congress Call Number DR1214 .Y83 1992 lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/yutoc.html [accessed 21 December 2010] About 30 Cases of People Traffkicking
Reported in Tanjug News Agency, www.msp.rs/Bilteni/Engleski/b040804_e.html#N2 [accessed 21 December 2010] The campaign against the
trafficking of children was initiated six month ago by non-governmental
organization Beosupport ( "So does it mean that we have the rights?"
Protecting the human rights of women and girls trafficked for forced ... Amnesty International, 6 May 2004 archive.wn.com/2004/05/06/1400/p/01/13afd224cecb87.html [accessed 21 December 2010] Since the deployment in July 1999
of an international peacekeeping force (KFOR) and the establishment of the
United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) civilian
administration, Kosovo(6) has become a major destination country for women
and girls trafficked into forced prostitution. Women are trafficked into
Kosovo predominantly from Moldova, Bulgaria and Ukraine, the majority of them
via Serbia. At the same time, increasing numbers of local women and girls are
being internally trafficked, and trafficked out of Kosovo. Facts and figures on trafficking of women and girls for
forced prostitution in Kosovo Amnesty International, Media Briefing, 6 May 2004 archive.wn.com/2004/05/08/1400/p/80/17f1bb9e9e65f5.html [accessed 21 December 2010] In 2002, it was reported that 36
percent of the trafficked women and girls in Kosovo were denied any medical
care, while only ten percent were provided with regular health care; the
majority of trafficked women were forced to have unprotected sex. To date, no trafficked women or girls have
obtained reparations for the physical, emotional and psychological damage
they have suffered as a result of these abuses of their human rights. UN Kosovo police arrested for sex trafficking Ekrem Krasniqi
in At one time this article had been archived and may
possibly still be accessible [here] [accessed 11 September 2011] In the meantime, Amnesty
International (AI) says the presence of international peacekeepers in Kosovo
has been fuelling the sexual exploitation of women and encouraging
trafficking. The human rights group
claims that UN and NATO troops in the region are using the trafficked women
and girls for sex, and that some have been involved in trafficking
itself. Girls as young as 11 from
Eastern European countries are being sold into sex slavery, according to
Amnesty International. The group’s 2004 yearly report -
based on interviews with women and girls who have been trafficked from
countries such as Moldova, Bulgaria, and Ukraine to service Kosovo’s sex
industry - says that sex victims are moved illegally across borders and sold
in “trading houses” where they are sometimes drugged and “broken in” before
being sold from one trafficker to another for prices ranging from €50 to
€3,500. Civilitas Research, 09 January 2003 www.civilitasresearch.org/publications/view_article.cfm?article_id=26 [access date unavailable] However, the main difficulty in
dealing with the issue is the involvement of many senior officials who are
supposed to curtail illegal activities in the first place. This high level
involvement often serves to deter those officials who would otherwise be
willing to take a stronger stand. Sex Slavery Scandal Rattles Associated Press AP,
Podgorica, July 8 2003 www.prisonplanet.com/070803sexrings.html [accessed 21 December 2010] Svetlana has a secret -- one so
dark and lurid, it has scandalized this usually unflappable corner of the
Balkans. It's not the story of how she
ended up in sexual slavery after being lured to Montenegro with the promise
of a decent job. Nor is it the
agonizing tale of how she was locked up in a brothel for three years and
toyed with by clients who abused her so savagely they broke bones and scarred
her genitals with cigarette burns.
Svetlana's unsettling secret is the identities of those clients -- a
damning account she gave police that implicated prominent Montenegrin
officials in the sex trade. All material used herein
reproduced under the fair use exception of 17 USC § 107 for noncommercial,
nonprofit, and educational use. PLEASE
RESPECT COPYRIGHTS OF COMPONENT ARTICLES.
Cite this webpage as: Patt, Prof. Martin, "Human Trafficking
& Modern-day Slavery – Serbia-Montenegro",
http://gvnet.com/humantrafficking/Serbia-Montenegro.htm, [accessed
<date>] |
Human Trafficking in [Serbia , Montenegro Street Children in [Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo] [other countries]Child Prostitution in [Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo] [other countries]