Human Trafficking in [Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo] [other countries]Street Children in [Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo] [other countries]Child Prostitution in [Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo] [other countries] |
Prevalence, Abuse & Exploitation of Street Children Serbia, Montenegro & Kosovo [ Country-by-Country Reports
] The Republic of Serbia [map] is located in the W central Balkan Peninsula. It is bordered by Croatia (NW), by Hungary
(N), by Romania (NE), by Bulgaria (E), by Macedonia (S), and by Albania,
Montenegro, & Bosnia/Herzegovina (W).
Belgrade is its capital.
Belgrade has made only minimal progress in restructuring and
privatizing its holdings in major sectors of the economy, including energy
and telecommunications. It has made halting progress towards EU membership
and is currently pursuing a Stabilization and Association Agreement with
Brussels. Serbia is also pursuing membership in the World Trade Organization.
Unemployment remains an ongoing political and economic problem. The Republic of Montenegro [map] is located in the W Balkan Peninsula. It is bordered by Croatia (W), by
Bosnia/Herzegovina (NW), by Serbia (NE & E), by Albania (SE), and by the
Adriatic Sea (SW). Podgorica
is its capital and largest city.
Severe unemployment remains a key political and economic problem for
this entire region. Montenegro has privatized its large aluminum complex -
the dominant industry - as well as most of its financial sector, and has
begun to attract foreign direct investment in the tourism sector. The Republic of Kosovo’s [map] independence is recognised by some
countries and opposed by others, including the Republic of Serbia, which
continues to claim sovereignty over it as the Autonomous Province of Kosovo
and Metohija.
Kosovo is borders by Albania (W), by Central Serbia (N & E), by
the Republic of Macedonia (S), and by Montenegro (NW). Its capital and largest city is Pristina. Kosovo's
citizens are the poorest in Europe with an average annual per capita income
of only $1800 - about one-third the level of neighboring Albania. Unemployment
- at more than 40% of the population - is a severe problem that encourages
outward migration. Most of Kosovo's population lives in rural towns outside
of the capital, Pristina. Inefficient,
near-subsistence farming is common - the result of small plots, limited
mechanization, and lack of technical expertise. Economic growth is largely
driven by the private sector - mostly small-scale retail businesses. |
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CAUTION: The following links and accompanying
text 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. UNICEF - Serbia - The Big Picture UNICEF - Montenegro - The Big Picture Bur of Democracy,
Human Rights & Labor - Country
Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2005 CHILDREN - Romani, Ashkali,
and Egyptian children attended mixed schools with ethnic Albanian children
but reportedly faced intimidation in some majority Albanian areas. Romani
children tended to be disadvantaged by poverty, leading many to start work
both at home and in the streets
at an early age to contribute to family income. SECTION 6
WORKER RIGHTS – [d]
In villages and farming communities, younger children typically worked to
assist their families. Urban children often worked in a variety of unofficial
retail jobs, such as washing car windows or selling newspapers, cigarettes,
and phone cards on the street;
the numbers of such children grew in the last year, although statistics were
not kept by either UNMIK or the PISG.
Some children were also engaged in physical labor, such as transporting
goods. Poor
Education Must Come To An End Up to 80 per cent of the Roma community in Belgrade live in unhygienic settlements. Sometimes three generations live in one
shack, made from anything they can find.
Of the 82,000 Roma children in Ombudsperson Sends Appeal To Help
Kosovo Street Children [PDF]1 [page 15]
On the 20th of April 2005, the Ombudsperson sent a letter to the Prime
Minister of Kosovo, Mr. Bajram Kosumi,
to draw his attention to the situation of children who were spending their
days on the street, working or begging for money and who were dropping out or
not attending school. According to the Ombudsperson,
these were not “street children” in the strict sense of the word, because
they returned to their home and families in the evenings. Nevertheless, such
children were still exposed to various dangers, as they were liable to become
easy victims of trafficking or child prostitution. ROPE - Relief for Oppressed People Everywhere Our contact reports "There
are many very poor people in Trafficking in Human Beings in Southeastern Europe [PDF] [page 78] 1.2. TRAFFICKING OF CHILDREN - There are also reports of Romanian children and adolescents in Belgrade living on the streets because they are too old to be placed in institutions. The Romanian Embassy is not interested in repatriating these children and adolescents, and no special programs or services exist for migrant children living on the streets. 1. The linked article has been
taken down, moved or restricted All material used herein
reproduced under the fair use exception of 17 USC §
107 for noncommercial, nonprofit, and educational use |
Human Trafficking in [Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo] [other countries]Street Children in [Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo] [other countries]Child Prostitution in [Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo] [other countries]