The prEUgovor coalition presented its latest Alarm – report on Serbia’s progress in implementation of policies in the areas covered by Cluster 1 (Fundamentals), with a focus on political criteria and chapters 23 (Judiciary & Fundamental Rights) and 24 (Justice, Freedom & Security) of the EU accession negotiations. The event occurred on Thursday, 24 November.
As pointed out in the introduction, the altered geopolitical circumstances raised the attention and efforts of the European Union in the region and gave new momentum to the enlargement policy. However, Serbia spent almost the entire reporting period with the Government under a technical mandate. This has negatively reflected on the implementation of most reform activities, and some actions called into question the country’s strategic commitment to European integration. The new Report from the European Commission shows that Serbia has been stuck halfway for years in terms of its preparedness for membership and is progressing more and more slowly. The conference was focused on the fight against corruption, gender equality and violence against women, in which the prEUgovor coalition observes the continuation of negative trends and the drafting of judicial laws as the dominant reform activity in the reporting period to implement constitutional amendments. These topics will be discussed by:
- Jelena Pejić Nikić, Belgrade Centre for Security Policy, editor of the Report
- Tanja Ignjatović, Autonomous Women’s Center
- Nemanja Nenadić, Transparency Serbia
- Sofija Mandić, CEPRIS
Moderator: Filip Lukić, journalist.
COMBATING TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS
As for combating human trafficking – a conclusion is that in the past period, new deteriorations and setbacks have been recorded.
- The number of unrealized activities from the Action Plan for Chapter 24 has become so great that more than two-thirds of the planned activities have remained wishful thinking. The umbrella national public policy document in the field, Strategy for Prevention and Suppression of Trafficking in Human Beings, especially Women and Children, and Protection of Victims in the Republic of Serbia for 2017-2022, is in the final stage of its implementation without the Action Plan being adopted, and thereby without having precise mechanisms of monitoring and reporting. The previous Alarm Report emphasised irregularities concerning the adoption of the reports on implementation of the Action Plan for realisation of the Strategy for 2019-2020, as well as delays in development of the AP for 2021-22 which was not officially adopted in the end. Therefore, based on the incomplete findings of the external audit, the development of a new strategic document should begin, which is already much delayed. One of the rare activities in the AP 24 which can be said to have been fulfilled is the adoption of amendments to the Law on Protector of Citizens in late 2021, which created conditions for establishing and operating an independent rapporteur on human trafficking in Serbia. However, until now, there was no information on how the Office of the Protector of Citizens will be engaged in the activities of the independent rapporteur on trafficking in persons.
- The key body that supports, manages, and coordinates the intersectoral response to the problem of human trafficking is the Council for Combating Human Trafficking. Apparently, in January 2023, the Council will mark an infamous anniversary – four full years without a meeting. Since the last session, the Council was supposed to meet at least twice a year.
- The National Anti-Trafficking Coordination Office (the Office), whose work is directly related to the work of the Council, also continues to function with reduced visibility.
- In addition to these, internal problems – global and regional trends continue to complicate, and the list of challenges facing the state of Serbia in the fight against human trafficking continues to grow. But the response to them is increasingly weak and indecisive. The case of Vietnamese workers employed by the “Linglong” tire company, which was reported in the previous Alarm report, still did not receive due attention from the Serbian authorities. At the same time, there is an increase in the number of foreign citizens in Serbia. In the last year, the National Employment Service issued a total of 23,662 work permits. But, bearing in mind that the vast majority of foreign workers, who were engaged in the cases that ASTRA already worked and reported, did not have work permits, the official data do not represent an accurate cross-section of the number of migrant workers in Serbia.
- ASTRA made an extensive and comprehensive report on the case of Vietnamese workers and, in early November 2022, visited the construction site and found a significantly smaller number of workers, this time mainly from India and China. The state authorities of Serbia did not respond to dozens of reports submitted by ASTRA and other civil society organizations, as well as to numerous serious objections and interventions by international organizations and institutions. But, ASTRA went a step further, and informed to two major global car companies, which have a contract with Linglong for the purchase of car tires, about the case of the Vietnamese workers. This initiative is in line with the announcements and trends in the EU and in some overseas countries, which are considered more advanced in the field of regulation of the so-called due diligence in business, as well as responsibility in the production and supplier chain. Meanwhile, Serbia is simplifying interstate agreements and opening the door for the influx of new labor from Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Guatemala.
- The Centre for Protection of Human Trafficking Victims continues to function under the same conditions, which have already been reported. Regarding the case of workers from Vietnam, the Center’s statistical reports from 2021. do not mention potential victims of labor exploitation from Vietnam. From January to September 2022, the Center identified a total of 52 victims of human trafficking, of which 39 were women (of which 17 were girls). Five boy victims of human trafficking were also identified.
- From January to September 2022, the ASTRA licensed hotline for victims of human trafficking recorded 3,235 calls, while the ASTRA Victim Support Team identified a total of 16 victims of human trafficking, of which 13 were women (among them two girls). Most identified victims are Serbian citizens (13 out of 16).
- ASTRA has been monitoring the position of victims of human trafficking in court proceedings since 2011. The Analysis of court practice in criminal proceedings 2021 confirms that, in practice, there is still an absence of an approach that is based on the appreciation of the sensitive position of victims of human trafficking and crimes.
At the end of the section devoted to combatting human trafficking, several recommendations are given for improving actions in this field.
You can find the last edition of the ALARM Report HERE!