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SARAJEVO, April 26 (FENA) - The results of the project 'Strengthening local capacities in the fight against human trafficking', which was supported by the State Secretariat of the United States of America and complementary projects, with which World Vision influenced the reduction and prevention of human trafficking in Bosnia and Herzegovina, were presented in Sarajevo today.
The event gathered representatives of relevant government institutions, non-governmental and international organizations, members of Mobile Identification Teams and project partners, World Vision announced.
One of the most extreme forms of human rights violations - human trafficking - was also recorded in BiH, where 57 potential victims were recorded in 2021, of which 50 were children. In 2022, out of 38 registered victims of human trafficking, 29 are children.
In cooperation with its partners, the Association Land of Children in BiH and the Kali Sara - Roma Information Center, World Vision BiH has provided support for the prevention and suppression of human trafficking, with a focus on children, over the past three years. In 30 communities-cantons, Protocols for the prevention and handling of cases of begging and other forms of exploitation of children have been developed. Protocols have been established in locations where a large number of child beggars have been recorded, and they prescribe the method of prevention and treatment of potential victims.
“By creating protocols and related activities, we have made progress in the prevention and suppression of human trafficking. But we believe that there is still a lot of work ahead of us, especially since the numbers may not reflect the real extent of the problem due to insufficient reporting and the relative invisibility of cases such as forced child labor, begging and forced marriages,” said Dragana Bulić, director of the non-governmental organization World Vision in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“Although we are encouraged by the improved efforts in processing human trafficking at the state level and in the Federation of BiH in the past year, the overall results of the BiH authorities in the fight against human trafficking are still not satisfactory. We encourage officials in BiH at all levels to continue intensifying efforts in the fight against human trafficking, improving the identification of victims, providing protection and assistance to victims, and vigorously investigating and prosecuting human traffickers,” stated Natalija Šušak, advisor for human rights at the US Embassy in BiH.
(FENA) A. B.
