Numerous cases of foreign workers in Serbia show that the path from labor rights violations to human trafficking is often short and imperceptible, experts warn.
Unpaid wages, restriction of freedom of movement, confiscation of documents, inhumane working and accommodation conditions, as well as complete dependence on the employer – all of these are examples of how violence against foreign workers in Serbia slowly but continuously intensifies. For the workers themselves, the boundary between “workplace injustice” and a serious criminal offense practically does not exist.
According to field experience and case analyses, the Serbian system often fails to recognize the first indicators of exploitation. Instead of preventing escalation, institutions most often react only when the situation has already turned into a serious threat to workers’ safety and health.
Insufficient coordination among institutions, limited inspection capacities, inconsistent application of laws, and a passive approach to processing cases create gaps that employers prone to abuse exploit without significant risk.
Although Serbia has a relatively developed legal framework, practice shows that the regulation itself is not sufficient to protect workers unless it is accompanied by strong mechanisms of implementation, supervision, and accountability. The legal framework can be adequate only if the system is ready to implement it in practice and to recognize early signs of exploitation.
Experts emphasize that the fight against labor exploitation cannot be based solely on improving regulations, but must include a comprehensive, coordinated approach by institutions, civil society, and international partners.
The path to eliminating labor exploitation is possible only through strengthening the capacities of frontline institutions, improving cooperation mechanisms, and placing workers at the center of the protection system. Only then is it possible to ensure that labor exploitation, in all its forms – from initial rights violations to human trafficking – is recognized, prevented, and sanctioned in a way that guarantees the dignity and safety of workers.