GI-TOC analysis: Exploitation of workers also recorded in Montenegro

Labor exploitation affects both foreign and domestic workers in the region, who are subject to it even when they leave the Western Balkans, Nova ekonomija writes.

Civil society assessments indicate that labor exploitation is a growing problem in Serbia and neighboring countries, but warn that its true extent is difficult to estimate. The available data mostly rely on officially registered cases, and the institutions fail to detect many cases - nor do the victims report them.

The analysis of the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC) therefore relies on data from the US State Department, i.e. their annual report on human trafficking.

According to that report, between 2018 and 2023, authorities and civil society in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia recorded 767 confirmed and potential victims of labor exploitation, including forced begging.

Nevertheless, GI-TOC representatives warned at the presentation of the report that "the number of cases could be ten to 20 times higher" than the official data show.

According to the research, from 2018 to 2021 there was a constant increase in cases of labor exploitation.

Despite a dramatic drop in the pandemic year 2022, the number of cases increased again the following year.

Labor exploitation in the region is characterized by inadequate compensation, long working hours and poor environment, especially in construction, textile industry, catering and food industry, according to the GI report.

Abuses such as confiscation of personal documents, forced contracts for a certain period of time are common, as well as intimidation and psychological abuse, sometimes even accompanied by physical or sexual violence.

Despite economic progress, the region still faces socio-economic challenges, characterized by high poverty rates, significant youth unemployment and the informal economy, the report says.

Inadequate social protection leaves many vulnerable families without essential support, contributing to the risk of labor exploitation.

Labor exploitation affects both citizens of the observed countries and migrant workers, but remains largely hidden from the public, institutions do not have an adequate response, and local endemic corruption enables and facilitates the exploitation of other human beings.

"Politicians should focus on improving regular data collection, raising awareness, strengthening legal and political frameworks, improving law enforcement and supervision, cooperation with civil society, dealing with corruption, providing support to victims and expanding international cooperation on this issue," the recommendations of GI - TOC.

The implementation of a harmonized system of data collection and reporting that brings together information from different institutions in that process will be of vital importance.

According to the report's recommendations, politicians should work on creating a standardized, comprehensive collection of data on these phenomena.

This will enable better monitoring of law enforcement and policy, protect the rights of victims of human trafficking, and provide a more accurate presentation of the issue.

It is also recommended that politicians and the private sector promote economic diversification and the creation of new jobs (especially for young people), develop policies for the formalization of the informal economy, and reform social protection programs in order to provide targeted support to the most vulnerable families, reports New Economy.