[ Human Trafficking, Country-by-Country ]

CROATIA (Tier 2) – Extracted in part from the U.S. State Dept 2023 TIP Report

The Government of Croatia does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so.  The government demonstrated overall increasing efforts compared with the previous reporting period, considering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, if any, on its anti-trafficking capacity; therefore Croatia remained on Tier 2.  These efforts included convicting more traffickers, identifying more victims, and unlike previous years, judges issuing prison terms for all convicted traffickers.  The government adopted a new criminal procedure code which allowed victims to request to testify remotely and amended legislation to allow victims accommodated at the government-funded NGO-run shelters to receive financial assistance.  However, the government did not meet the minimum standards in several key areas.  Authorities penalized a trafficking victim for theft committed as a direct result of being trafficked and, due to a lack of consistent screening efforts for trafficking indicators in irregular migration flows, some migrants and asylum seekers may have remained unidentified within the law enforcement system.  Some judges continued to require victims to provide multiple statements or testimonies causing re-traumatization, while prosecutors sometimes charged traffickers with lesser offenses.

Prioritized Recommendations

Vigorously investigate, prosecute, and convict traffickers, and seek adequate penalties for convicted traffickers which should include significant prison terms.

Ensure victims are not inappropriately penalized solely for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of being trafficked.

Continue to train prosecutors on trafficking, victim’s rights, and victim-centered approaches, and refer trafficking cases to trained or experienced prosecutors.

Strengthen rules and regulations to ensure immigration enforcement does not hinder human trafficking detection, criminal law enforcement, or victim protections.

Continue to encourage victim participation in investigations and prosecutions by providing alternative methods to testify, including remote testimony or funding for travel and other expenses for victims to attend court hearings.

Train judges at all levels of the judiciary to take the severity of trafficking into account when issuing sentences and sensitize judges on victim-centered approaches and restitution.

Continue to reduce the judiciary’s overall backlog of cases, including trafficking cases.

Continue to inform all identified victims of their right to pursue compensation and encourage them to do so.

Further increase capacity and training to accurately screen for victims and continue to consistently implement screening procedures for vulnerable populations, particularly undocumented migrants, refugees, asylum seekers, and seasonal workers.

Continue to allocate and disburse sufficient resources to NGO-run shelters and NGOs participating in the mobile identification teams.

Increase funding to the NGO-run hotline, so it can operate for more hours of the day and incorporate hotline numbers in more robust public awareness campaigns.

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