2007 Trafficking in Persons Report - Center for Women Policy Studies

S E R B I A
180
Protection
The government demonstrated increased efforts to
provide protection to victims and improved coordination
with NGOs and international organizations
over the past year. The government encouraged
victims to assist in the prosecution of traffickers.
Serbia allows victims to file civil suits against traffickers
for compensation. Victims pursuing criminal
or civil suits are entitled to temporary residence
permits and may obtain employment or leave
the country pending trial proceedings; however
there are no other legal alternatives to removal to
countries where they face hardship or retribution.
Victims are not detained, jailed, prosecuted, or
deported for violations of other laws. However, in
one case in 2006, law enforcement returned a child
victim to the family that originally trafficked her
to a pedophile. The government relied on NGOs
to provide services to victims of trafficking, including
counseling, legal assistance, and reintegration
programs. In 2006, 33 trafficking victims were
accommodated in the two shelters, 16 victims
received assistance in transition housing, and reintegration
services were provided to 44 women.
Prevention
The Government of Serbia demonstrated increased
public awareness and prevention activities in 2006.
The government aired four anti-trafficking public
service announcements on national television
throughout the soccer championship finals last
year. The government earmarked approximately
$100,000 for a 13-episode television series entitled
“Modern Slavery,” devoted to generating awareness
on trafficking. The government’s anti-trafficking
team, under the leadership of the National
Coordinator promoted interagency collaborations
with four working groups.
KOSOVO
Kosovo, while technically a part of Serbia, continued
to be administered under the authority of the
United Nations Interim Administrative Mission in
Kosovo (UNMIK), in accordance with UN Security
Council Resolution 1244 (1999). Since June 1999,
UNMIK has provided transitional administration
for Kosovo, and retains ultimate authority over
anti-trafficking roles such as police and justice, but
is slowly transferring capacity to local institutions.
UNMIK is aware of the trafficking problem in
Kosovo and continued to conduct anti-trafficking
efforts with the OSCE, the Provisional Institutions
of Self-Government (PISG), and local and international
NGOs. Responsibility for social support to
victims of trafficking is shared by UNMIK, PISG,
and international organizations.
Kosovo is a source, transit, and destination location
for women and children trafficked transnationally
and internally for the purpose of commercial sexual
exploitation. Foreign victims originated primarily
from Moldova, Romania, Ukraine, Bulgaria,
Albania, Russia, Montenegro, Slovakia, and Nigeria.
Some victims transit Kosovo en route to Macedonia,
Italy, and Albania. There was a significant increase
in the number of Kosovars trafficked internally over
the past year, and victims also came from other
areas of Serbia. Traffickers shifted the commercial
sex trade into private homes and escort services to
avoid detection, a result of UNMIK’s Trafficking in
Human Beings Unit (THBS), and Kosovo Police
increased checks on bars and restaurants.
Prosecution
In 2006 the PISG took on greater responsibility
for anti-trafficking, with the police anti-trafficking
unit transitioning from UNMIK Civilian Police to
the Kosovo Police Service (KPS). Kosovo criminally
prohibits sex and labor trafficking in the Provisional
Criminal Code of Kosovo, which came into effect
in 2004. Penalties for commercial sexual exploitation
are commensurate with those for rape. The law
prescribes penalties sufficiently stringent; however,
traffickers may receive imposed sentences that are
light. The KPS reported that 99 anti-trafficking operations
were undertaken in 2006, 24 of which were
undercover operations. The KPS arrested 28 people
on trafficking charges, a slight decrease from 33
arrested last year, and identified 50 victims. Since
the KPS gained full competency for counter-trafficking
activities from UNMIK Police, the number
of bar inspections increased dramatically and there
was an increase in the number of bars closed. Over
the past year, the KPS closed 14 premises suspected
of being used to exploit victims of trafficking. The
judiciary worked on 42 trafficking cases, 27 of
which were resolved from previous years. During
2006, 14 cases were completed, resulting in 18
convictions. Fifteen convicts received prison terms
ranging from four months to nine years and three
convicts received suspended sentences. Although
there were reports of official involvement in trafficking,
there were no reported prosecutions or convictions
of public officials complicit in trafficking.
Protection
There continues to be close cooperation on assisting
victims of trafficking among PISG officials, NGOs,
and international organizations in Kosovo. UNMIK
regulations protect victims from being charged
with prostitution or illegal activities committed as
a result of being trafficked, although IOM reported
that some victims were jailed or deported depending
on which part of the penal code was used.
Kosovo encourages victims to testify in trafficking
investigations, but does not pressure them. Victims
may file civil suits or seek legal action against their
traffickers. Victims of trafficking do have a legal
alternative to removal to countries where they
face hardship or retribution through provision of
refugee status and approval of residency permits, if