EU and Italy help fight human trafficking in the Balkans

In 2023, the number of irregular border crossings into the EU rose to around 380,000, the highest level since 2016. This 17% increase compared to 2022 underlines a persistent upward trend over the three recent years, according to the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, Frontex.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), an incredible 35,000 migrants took the so-called Balkan route through Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2023, highlighting that this route constitutes a key route for illegal migration towards Europe.

Earlier this year, Europol revealed that the border between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia had become the second most active hotspot for migrant smugglers in the Balkans in 2023. EU law enforcement agencies also put guards against a significant increase in criminal activities along the border between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. Croatia-Slovenia route in 2024.

The Sarajevo office aims to forge a strong network and foster a more effective and unified approach to combating this crime, with a particular focus on supporting and protecting victims.

“A senior officer from the Italian State Police will head the new office, overseeing the operations of five Italian police officers based in Sarajevo,” the statement said.

The office will work closely with local authorities and international organizations to ensure the success of the project, while its director will also be responsible for coordinating three additional satellite offices located in Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo.

The project is funded by the European Union, the German Federal Ministry of Economic Development and Cooperation, the Italian Ministry of the Interior and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and is intended to strengthen the fight against migrant smuggling and trafficking human beings in the Western Balkans. .

The international consortium implementing the project is led by the German Society for International Cooperation (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit – GIZ) and includes ministries and agencies from Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Croatia, Italy and Slovenia.