| Project Detail |
EU Support to Strengthen the Fight against Migrant Smuggling and Trafficking in Human Beings in the Western Balkans Undocumented entries into the European Union (EU), where migrants also become victims of human trafficking, have risen sharply: over 300,000 irregular entries were registered in 2022, an increase of 64 per cent compared to the same period the previous year. Almost half of these migrants entered the country via the Western Balkans route. Law enforcement agencies and judicial authorities and other competent governmental and non-governmental institutions only have a limited capacity to prevent people smuggling and human trafficking across institutions and borders. They do not have sufficient financial resources to support complex investigations, prosecutions and court proceedings. There is also a lack of equipment, skills and compatible information technology to curb organised groups involved in people smuggling and human trafficking. Objective The conditions for preventing and reducing people smuggling and human trafficking have improved in the Western Balkans. |
