Child trafficking is one of the most concerning aspects of human trafficking in the country. Over the past 20 years, the majority of identified victims have been children, accounting for 70% of cases. Most of these children are between the ages of 9 and 17 and come from vulnerable categories. Women and girls dominate among the victims, with a high prevalence of cases of dual exploitation—sexual and labor. The average age of child victims is around 15 years, which makes this phenomenon even more concerning. Such data highlight the urgent need to prevent child trafficking and to provide child victims with protection and access to justice.
Open Gate/La Strada, in cooperation with the Government of North Macedonia and the UN Voluntary Trust Fund on Modern Forms of Slavery, organised a roundtable on the topic “Combating Child Trafficking in North Macedonia: Ensuring the Rights and Protection of Child Victims of Trafficking,” which was held on 22 November 2024 in Skopje. The aim was to provide a forum for the exchange of views and experiences on promoting the rights and mechanisms for the protection of children who are victims of trafficking. The involvement of multiple stakeholders is particularly important in addressing this urgent issue, and that is why representatives of national institutions participated, including the Ministry of Social Policy, Demography and Youth; the Ministry of Internal Affairs; the Ministry of Education and Science; the Ministry of Justice; the Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office for Prosecution of Organised Crime and Corruption; the National Rapporteur; the Commission for Monetary Compensation; and representatives of embassies and international organisations involved in the prevention and fight against child trafficking.
The discussion identified key gaps in the current mechanisms for the protection of child victims of trafficking but also provided suggestions for strengthening national efforts and the specific role of stakeholders in the areas of prevention, protection, and prosecution and encouraged the creation of partnerships in the fight against child trafficking.
Mr. Gjoko Velkovski, Deputy Minister of Social Policy, Demography, and Youth, highlighted the Government’s commitment, stating: “The Government of the Republic of Macedonia, through the Ministry of Social Policy, Demography, and Youth, is ready to expand its capacities for the accommodation and protection of victims of trafficking, in cooperation with all our partners to build a social protection system in the true sense of the word. The work of preventing and protecting against trafficking in human beings, especially children, is one of our top priorities as a government. No child should be left without care and protection.”
Ms. Jasmina Dimiskovska Rajkovska, Executive Director of Open Gate/La Strada Macedonia, highlighted the approach to child victims and the need for their protection: “Open Gate is always guided by the principle that each person, especially child victims of trafficking, has different needs, experiences, and traumas. Our individual approach allows for the development of specific support plans, tailored to the circumstances of each case. This approach is the basis for providing effective and long-term assistance.”
Ms. Susan Coppedge, Board Member, UN Voluntary Trust Fund on Modern Forms of Slavery, reaffirmed the UN’s commitment: “As you know, victims of modern slavery around the world, including here, are often exposed to human trafficking. We are proud that the UN Voluntary Fund on Modern Forms of Slavery can support civil society organisations like Open Gate to continue providing long-term assistance and support to victims of trafficking in order to ensure their comprehensive social and economic reintegration. They address the needs of survivors, especially children, who have fallen prey to organised trafficking networks in the country.”
Ms. Sonja Božinovska Petrushevska, Head of the IOM Office in North Macedonia, stressed the importance of prevention, especially among vulnerable groups: “When it comes to forced marriages and begging, I would like to emphasise that Roma children are particularly exposed to these forms of trafficking. Migrants coming from the Middle East and Africa, and especially women and girls and unaccompanied children, are vulnerable to various forms of exploitation along migration routes. If you ask me what is most important in the area of human trafficking, I would say that child trafficking should not happen at all, and that is why prevention efforts are of particular importance.”
Despite these efforts, challenges remain. There is only one shelter with limited capacity to accommodate child and adult victims of human trafficking. In addition, financial unsustainability, poor coordination between institutions, and insufficient recognition of children as victims of trafficking are among the biggest problems we face.
Access to justice for victims of child trafficking involves not only finding and punishing the perpetrators but also imposing an appropriate sanction that will have a deterrent effect on the repetition of the crime by the accused and also for the rest of society. Namely, access to justice for victims of child trafficking also involves granting fair compensation as compensation for the fear, pain, and mental suffering suffered by the child victim.
Tackling child trafficking in North Macedonia requires a multifaceted approach, including better protection, rehabilitation, and reintegration of victims, as well as a concerted effort to raise awareness and prevent the socio-economic factors that enable trafficking, especially of children. Also, key recommendations are the following.
To plan and allocate budget funds for the improvement and increase of accommodation capacities for victims of human trafficking as well as for the implementation of the Program for Assistance and Support in the Reintegration of Victims of Human Trafficking, including for the full financial sustainability of the Centre for Victims of Human Trafficking.
To increase preventive activities. Educating children, parents, and local communities about the risks of trafficking and exploitation, including online exploitation, must be a priority. Through campaigns and education, we will help in the early recognition of risky situations as well as in sharing practical information on how to report incidents and seek help.
To coordinate and strengthen the mutual efforts of investigative, social, health, and other institutions involved in the identification of victims of human trafficking, especially children.
As an organisation, Open Gate/La Strada Macedonia has been working on the prevention of human trafficking and the protection of victims for more than two decades. We are committed to prevention, providing direct services to victims, advocating for their rights, and advancing the legal and policy frameworks in the country.
Through our activities at the shelter, we have been able to support and protect more than 200 potential and actual victims of human trafficking. Since 2006, the shelter, the Centre for Victims of Human Trafficking, has been providing continuous psychosocial assistance, legal support, health services, and economic empowerment.
