North Macedonia is a country of origin, transit and destination for women, men and children subjected to trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation, forced labour, forced begging and sham marriage. The progress made by the Government in the identification of victims, with the support of the action “Preventing and combating human trafficking in North Macedonia”, is noticeable in the Annual reports of the National Anti-trafficking Commission. Between 2019 and 2022, 61 domestic and foreign victims of human trafficking have been identified.
Diplomatic and consular professionals happen to be the first contact persons for people at risk and victims of trafficking. They can prevent the crime to occur, for instance, when processing visa applications. Furthermore, they can provide advice and refer victims to specialised assistance providers. With aim to support the compliance of North Macedonia with the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings, the action delivered a training on the role of diplomatic and consular professionals in the identification, protection and safe return of trafficking victims to their countries of origin.
“Migration crises and the war in Ukraine have increased the risks associated with human trafficking. Following the visit and exchanges with GRETA, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs amplified its interest for a training on trafficking in human beings”, stated Elena Bodeva from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of North Macedonia.
Twenty-one participants from MFA learned about the work of the National Anti-trafficking Commission, the indicators of human trafficking and the need for multi-disciplinary co-operation to identify victims, and the services which are provided to trafficking victims by the NGO Open Gate.
Ana Burageva, Secretary of the National Anti-trafficking Commission, explained how diplomatic and consular staff members can contribute to the action against human trafficking. Chief Inspector Biljana Lalova, from the National Anti-Trafficking Unit, presented her Unit and informed about a trafficking case involving 42 foreign nationals forced to commit frauds in North Macedonia.
Ankica Tomic, Special Advisor on Gender and Equality from the Migration Asylum Refugee Regional Centre raised the awareness of the participants about gender-based violence and the gender-sensitive approach in working with victims of violence and trafficking.
The action “Preventing and combating human trafficking in North Macedonia” is part of the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey 2019 - 2022”, which aims at assisting beneficiaries in South-East Europe to comply with the Council of Europe standards and European Union acquis in the framework of the enlargement process, where relevant.
