The Sub-group on Child Trafficking of the National Anti-trafficking Commission of North Macedonia gathered in Skopje to discuss concrete ways of preventing child trafficking for labour exploitation, begging and forced marriages. The aim of the Conference, supported by the European Union and the Council of Europe was twofold: to come up with concrete and realistic measures to prevent child trafficking and to encourage joint preventive action of the local institutions, civil society organisations and international actors in this regard.
Twenty-four participants, including representatives of the National Commission on fight against trafficking in human beings, its Sub-group on child trafficking prevention, police officers, social workers, labour inspector, representatives of international and of the civil society organisations had the opportunity to discuss and endorse the results and recommendations of the conducted Research on preventing child trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation, begging and forced marriage. The research was commissioned by the action “Strengthening anti - trafficking action in North MacedoniaStrengthening anti - trafficking action in North Macedonia”.
During the event, the participants were informed about and discussed the main risk factors, trends and response of the various anti-trafficking actors responsible to prevent child trafficking for labour exploitation, begging and forced marriages. They engaged in a practical workshop aiming to stimulate a concerted action with respect to the implementation of the concrete preventive measures against child trafficking for the above types of exploitation.
“Although the official statistics show only 1 child victim of labour exploitation, 3 of begging, 1 of dual exploitation and 11 of forced marriages in the period 2019-2023, the research indicates that the number of the child victims of trafficking for these three types of exploitation must be higher. There is a need for improved identification of the child victims, so that they can receive assistance and support they are entitled to”, said Professor Verica Trajkova, the co-author of the above Research.
The Research recommends concrete measures at strategic, legislative and operational levels, such as, continuous multi-agency trainings, improved regulation on criminal response against child trafficking and dissuasive penal policy. The participants expressed their commitment to advance the multi-agency co-operation in view of preventing the child trafficking for labour exploitation, begging and forced marriages.
The Conference was organised by the action “Strengthening anti - trafficking action in North MacedoniaStrengthening anti - trafficking action in North Macedonia” part of the of the European Union and Council of Europe joint initiative “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye” in co-operation with the Sub-group on Child Trafficking of the National Anti-trafficking Commission of North Macedonia.
