A delegation of the Council of Europe's Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) carried out an evaluation visit to “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” from 20 to 23 February 2017. The visit provided an opportunity to assess progress in the implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings since the first evaluation visit by GRETA in 2013 (link to GRETA's first evaluation report on "the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia").
During the visit, the GRETA delegation met representatives of the Ministry of the Interior, which co-ordinates the country’s efforts against trafficking in human beings, including the team of the National Coordinator for Combatting Trafficking in Human Beings and Illegal Migration, the National Rapporteur on Trafficking in Human Beings and Illegal Migration, the Police Unit against Trafficking in Human Beings and Smuggling of Migrants, as well as the Sector for Border Affairs and Migration. The delegation also met representatives of the Local Commissions for Combatting Trafficking in Human Beings and Illegal Migration located in Bitola, Stip, Veles and Prilep.
In addition, the GRETA delegation held meetings with officials from the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, including representatives of the Office of National Referral Mechanism, the Sub-Group for Combatting Trafficking in Children, the Social Affairs Centres and the State Labour Inspectorate, as well as with officials from the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Education and Science, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It also met officials from the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Basic Court Skopje 1 and the Ombudsman Office.
Further, the GRETA delegation held meetings with representatives of non-governmental anti-trafficking organisations and lawyers specialised in assisting victims of trafficking. Discussions were also held with representatives of the offices of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD).
In the course of the visit, the GRETA delegation visited the State shelter for victims of trafficking, the holding centre for foreign victims and irregular migrants, a day shelter for street children and a safe house for vulnerable categories of migrants and asylum seekers, all of them located in Skopje.
The visit was carried out by Mr Ryszard Piotrowicz, Second Vice-President of GRETA a.i., and Ms Alina Braşoveanu, member of GRETA, who were accompanied by Ms Ursula Sticker of the Secretariat of the Convention.
Following the visit, GRETA will prepare a draft report, which will be sent to the national authorities for comments. GRETA will subsequently adopt a final report to be published in 2018.
