In its latest evaluation report on Croatia, published today, the Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) commends the authorities for legislative and policy advances but warns of persistent and unaddressed shortcomings in victim identification and assistance.
The report, covering developments since 2020, evaluates the measures taken by Croatia to prevent vulnerabilities to trafficking in human beings and progress made in selected areas examined by GRETA during previous evaluations of the implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings.
GRETA welcomes the adoption of Croatia’s National Plan for Combating Human Trafficking (2024-2030), which envisages measures aimed at raising awareness of trafficking among vulnerable groups and preventing online trafficking, as well as improving the identification and referral to assistance of victims.
The report notes that the number of victims formally identified by the police has decreased by half compared to the previous reporting period (from 200 to 105). The majority of the victims were female, with sexual exploitation being the predominant form of exploitation, followed by forced criminality, labour exploitation and forced marriage. The vast majority of the victims were Croatian nationals.
The number of migrant workers in Croatia has increased significantly and they are exposed to risks of exploitation and trafficking. While welcoming the legal changes made to provide greater protection for migrant workers, GRETA considers that the human and financial resources of the State Inspectorate should be increased to enable labour inspectors to prevent and detect cases of human trafficking, and the monitoring of private employment agencies intensified.
Asylum seekers, including unaccompanied children, are also vulnerable to human trafficking, and their numbers have increased in recent years. GRETA calls on the Croatian authorities to put in place procedures for screening asylum seekers for vulnerabilities, including at border crossing points, and to provide further training to border and asylum officials to enable early identification of trafficking victims and protect them from further harm.
The report raises concerns about gaps in the provision of assistance to victims of trafficking and the placement of child victims in institutions for children experiencing behavioural challenges. Amongst the recommendations made by GRETA is to secure a sufficient number of places for victims of trafficking in specialised shelters, and to ensure that access to the shelters is provided without discrimination.
The report also notes that no victims of trafficking were granted compensation from either perpetrators or the state, and calls on the authorities to guarantee effective access to compensation by ensuring victims’ access to legal assistance and free legal aid at the outset of the proceedings, and reviewing the eligibility criteria for state compensation.
