[ Human Trafficking, Country-by-Country ]

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

The Government of Serbia does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so. These efforts included identifying more victims and the Center for Protection of Trafficking Victims (CPTV) establishing a panel with a psychologist, educator, and social worker to conduct official victim assessments within 24 hours of a referral. A high court in Sabac seized a house built from the profits of forced begging and transferred the ownership of the house to the victim as a form of restitution. However, the government did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts compared with the previous reporting period, even considering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, if any, on its anti-trafficking capacity. The government investigated and prosecuted fewer defendants and convicted fewer traffickers. The government decreased resources to the CPTV despite their continued lack of staff, skills, and resources necessary to consistently assess victims, coordinate care placement, and operate the CTPV-run shelter. SOPs on victim identification remained unclear on roles and responsibilities, and implementation was “recommended” rather than required. The CPTV did not allow potential victims who did not receive official victim status to appeal the decision, which limited their access to support, and authorities inappropriately penalized victims with imprisonment, probation, and fines solely for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of being trafficked. The Anti-Trafficking Council has not met in three years, the government still has not adopted the 2021-2022 NAP, and the position of the National Coordinator remained vacant. Official complicity in trafficking crimes remained a significant concern, with authorities demonstrating tolerance of trafficking crimes and inaction in several cases. The government continued to not fully protect victims or fully investigate credible allegations that approximately 500 Vietnamese workers were subjected to forced labor at a People’s Republic of China (PRC)-owned factory. Therefore Serbia remained on Tier 2 Watch List for the second consecutive year.

Prioritized Recommendations

Vigorously investigate and prosecute trafficking crimes and seek adequate penalties for convicted traffickers, including complicit officials, which should involve significant prison terms.

Fully investigate allegations of forced labor in the PRC-owned tire manufacturing plant in Zrenjanin and provide assistance and protection to the workers.

Allocate sufficient resources to enable the CPTV to officially identify victims, implement victim protection efforts, and operate the shelter for trafficking victims.

Further increase efforts to proactively identify victims, including among migrants, individuals in commercial sex, refugees and asylum-seekers, and unaccompanied children engaged in begging on the streets.

Allocate adequate funding to NGOs providing victim support services.

Implement access to justice measures and victim-centered approaches such as protecting victim confidentiality, providing legal representation, and preventing re-traumatization and intimidation.

Train investigators, prosecutors, and judges on victim-centered approaches and establish mechanisms to refer cases to trained prosecutors and judges.

Cease the inappropriate penalization of victims solely for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of being trafficked.

Update the NRM by formalizing cooperation with NGOs and delegating specific roles and responsibilities to government agencies.

Establish transparent standards and procedures for NGOs to obtain licenses for providing support services.

Improve training for government personnel on victim assistance and referral and ensure access to victim assistance for foreign victims.

Provide labor inspectors the resources and training necessary to regulate recruitment agencies and investigate cases of fraudulent recruitment.

Integrate Roma groups into policies and programs on regarding victim protection.

Assemble coordinating bodies and adopt an anti-trafficking strategy and NAP.

Standardize data collection and create a database to collect statistics for sentencing and victim protection measures.