Government of the Republic of Serbia
More than 45 million people worldwide live under modern slavery, with two thirds in the region of Pacific Asia, as indicated by the global study of the Walk Free foundation. Modern slavery has been broadly defined in the report. Serbia is assessed to have 28,700 persons in a modern slavery situation, or 0.4% of the population, ranking the same as 17 European countries. Regarding measures of prevention and protection, Serbia is around the European average, and 27th among nearly 160 countries in the world.
Modern slavery includes various situations – including human trafficking, arranged marriages, forced prostitution and labour, debt slavery and all other situations where a person is held against their will, deprived of documents, under threats or force. Sectors frequently mentioned in the context of forced labour include construction, agriculture and household assistance. Forced labour and sexual exploitation are the most frequent forms of modern slavery in Europe, but other forms are recorded as well, primarily in Turkey, such as forced marriages of children.
Regarding Serbia, the weakest point is civil and political protection, including trust in the judiciary, political instability, access to weapons, sexual discrimination, displaced persons, the government response to the issue of slavery, and political rights.
Serbia was best assessed regarding criminal judiciary, the indicator measuring the harmonization of the legislation with international conventions, as well as access to justice for victims and support. Serbia is 10th in the world regarding measures undertaken to combat slavery, compared to the gross national product.
Written by: S.V., taken from www.euractiv.rs
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