The Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC) has recently published a new report. It highlights the problem of labour exploitation in the Western Balkans, affecting both local and migrant workers and was made in collaboration with civil society, including LSI’s member Astra.
In recent years, labour exploitation has become a growing problem in the Western Balkans region. Between 2018 and 2023, forced labour accounted for 46% of human trafficking cases, with most cases occurring in Albania in 2023.
The report highlights several incidents that illustrate the scale of the problem. For example, one incident occurred in 2021, when civil society (including ASTRA) and the media uncovered a serious case of labour exploitation involving hundreds of Vietnamese workers in Serbia. In addition, the report notes that labour exploitation is prevalent in sectors that require intensive physical labour, such as construction, manufacturing and mining.
The report finds that people from lower economic status are more vulnerable to labour exploitation, as they are more willing to accept poor working conditions and very low wages in order to earn a living. The authors therefore call on policy makers and the private sector to promote economic diversification, formalize the informal economy, and reform social protection programs to support vulnerable families. The authors also emphasize the need of coordinated responses, robust labour inspections, collaboration with civil society and increased awareness.
GI-TOC held a webinar to launch the new report which was recorded and can be found here.