In Montenegro, 67 victims of human trafficking were officially identified from 2021 to 2024, of which 79 percent were children, according to a new report by the Council of Europe's Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA).
The report emphasized that "the most common forms of exploitation are forced begging, forced marriage, and sexual exploitation," and that the victims are most often from the Roma and Egyptian communities.
"Montenegro is a country of origin, transit and destination for victims of human trafficking."
The number of officially identified victims, GRETA experts estimate, has increased year by year - there were five in 2021, 16 in 2022, 18 in 2023 and 28 in 2024.
“In 2024, children made up the majority of identified victims of forced begging, while three boys were identified as victims of labor exploitation with forced begging in the same year,” the report says.
That year, cases of labor exploitation of eight people were identified, while "there were no formally identified victims of sexual exploitation."
The document states that in the same period, "11 investigations and 14 criminal proceedings were recorded", and that "three prison sentences were imposed, which are often close to or below the legal minimum".
It is also stated that in 2023, the Criminal Code was amended "by introducing the principle of non-punishment of victims for criminal acts they were forced to commit", which was assessed as harmonization with Council of Europe conventions.
79 percent of the 67 victims of human trafficking from 2021 to 2024 were children. Council of Europe experts warn that not a single victim has received compensation
During their visit to Montenegro, GRETA experts visited asylum seeker centres in Božaj and Spuž and spoke with representatives of institutions working with migrants and unaccompanied children.
The report states that there is a main building and four additional facilities in Spuž, as well as two rooms adapted for people with disabilities. It states that in some cases, unaccompanied minors were accommodated with adults who were not their relatives, which was assessed as risky, but the Montenegrin authorities later introduced separate accommodation units.
The document also states that in some cases, border police failed to inform migrants about their right to asylum or recognize vulnerabilities that could indicate human trafficking. Therefore, it recommended that training for border police officers be increased and that systematic monitoring of human trafficking indicators be implemented.
The experts noted that Montenegro also has a center for foreign nationals whose asylum applications were rejected, and that some of them later expressed their intention to seek asylum, in which case they retained all their rights while in detention.
...No measures have been taken to combat sexual exploitation that is allegedly taking place on yachts, and the authorities are not aware of the scale of the problem or are not prepared to treat it seriously enough.
The report also states that the procedure for assessing the age of undocumented children is almost never carried out in practice, although it is provided for by law and includes the opinion of a social worker and a possible medical examination.
They also recall that in 2023, the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP) formed a working group to prepare procedures for determining the age of underage migrants, with the support of the European Asylum Agency (EUAA).
The risk of “elite prostitution”
The report emphasizes that there is a risk of sexual exploitation of women and girls on the coast within the framework of so-called "elite prostitution".
Concerns were raised about allegations of sexual exploitation and forced prostitution during the tourist season in coastal cities, especially in luxury hotels and on yachts.
GRETA points out that, according to civil society organizations with whom the experts spoke, there have been cases of women who were "brought to the coast under false promises of employment, most often as hostesses, and then forced into prostitution."
Media reports reportedly mentioned that "among the clients are politicians and public figures."
The report also states that in October 2023, a case was recorded in which 15 women from Ukraine, Belarus, Israel, and other countries were identified as victims of human trafficking.
The women were reportedly recruited online by members of an international criminal group, with one of the suspects being a photographer who invited them to parties and promised to “make them famous.” Instead, the photos were used for blackmail, and the women were forced to post explicit content online.
According to information provided to GRETA by the Montenegrin authorities, the Higher State Prosecutor's Office in Podgorica initiated criminal proceedings against four individuals for organized human trafficking, and the indictment was filed in April 2024.
The report states that women were brought to coastal towns in Montenegro "through false promises and abuse of difficult circumstances and addiction" for sexual exploitation and use in pornographic purposes.
It also states that the Ministry of Tourism, in cooperation with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Department for Combating Human Trafficking, organizes training for hotel staff in tourist resorts to recognize indicators of human trafficking. However, the report states that “no measures have been taken to combat sexual exploitation, which is allegedly taking place on yachts,” and that the authorities “are not aware of the scale of the problem or are not prepared to treat it seriously enough.”
No compensation
GRETA also points out that "no victim of human trafficking has received compensation."
It is stated that "the property and legal claims of victims in six cases from 2019 to 2024 were referred to litigation, even though the law stipulates that they be decided by criminal courts."
The courts explained this by saying that a decision would “prolong the duration of the proceedings.” GRETA experts note that, although prosecutors have been instructed to collect evidence of damage and improvements in judicial practice have been announced, “compensation has still not been awarded.”
The document describes the vulnerability profile - women and children are particularly exposed, especially members of the Roma and Egyptian communities, as well as stateless persons.
It also states that asylum seekers and migrants are also among the groups at increased risk, and that the increase in the number of foreign workers, especially in construction and hospitality, increases vulnerability to labor exploitation.
It is also stated that asylum seekers, migrants and foreign workers are among the groups at increased risk.
"The increase in the number of foreign workers, particularly in construction and hospitality, increases vulnerability to labor exploitation," the report states.
They also recalled the case of 334 Turkish construction workers who worked without contracts, without payment of wages and with their passports confiscated, for which indictments were filed against several responsible persons.
"Work permits tied to a single employer and workplace make it difficult to report abuse," the report says, recommending "enabling a change of employer through a simpler procedure, introducing secure and anonymous reporting mechanisms, and providing interpreters during supervision."
Roma and Egyptians remain the most exposed
The GRETA report states that "Roma and Egyptians, especially women and children, remain among the most vulnerable to human trafficking due to poverty, discrimination and the risk of statelessness."
According to data, there are 424 people at risk of statelessness in Montenegro, half of whom are children.
The document states that in 2025 the Government adopted the National Program for the Transition from Informal to Formal Employment of Roma and Egyptians, within which 21 social inclusion associates were employed, and that the first Roma and Egyptian Youth Parliament was established in Nikšić, which represents the interests of young people before local and state institutions.
"The primary school completion rate in Roma settlements is 56 percent, and secondary school completion rate is only three percent, compared to 96 and 85 percent in the general population, respectively," the report says.
The document states that campaigns and projects have been implemented to prevent forced marriages and begging, as well as programs to support the enrollment of Roma children in schools and kindergartens. However, they note that “the lack of translators for the Romani language and irregular funding of organizations working with these communities limit the implementation of measures.”
"It is necessary to ensure stable funding for organizations working to prevent human trafficking in the Roma and Egyptian communities, provide interpreters for the Romani language, and provide access to personal documents for stateless persons."
The report also states that no research has been conducted in Montenegro on the vulnerability of persons with disabilities (PWDs) to human trafficking, although, according to data from organizations, cases of begging and sexual exploitation of children with intellectual disabilities have been recorded, which have not been treated as human trafficking due to lack of evidence.
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