In a report published today, the Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) welcomes the legislative changes that have been made since the publication of its first report on Bosnia and Herzegovina in May 2013. The introduction of the criminal offence of human trafficking in the criminal codes of the Republika Srpska, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Brčko District ensures that human trafficking is criminalised consistently throughout the country. GRETA also commends the introduction of legal provisions concerning the non-punishment of victims of trafficking for offences committed as a result of being trafficked, as well as the establishment of the right of victims to be granted a recovery and reflection period pursuant to the new Law on Foreigners.
The enlargement of the composition of the four Regional Monitoring Teams co-ordinating anti-trafficking activities by including labour inspectors and staff of mental health centres and day centres for children is another positive development noted by GRETA, along with the adoption of the 2016-2019 National Action Plan against Trafficking in Human Beings.