Source: RTS; Video: RTS; Photo: RTS

Belgrade, February 28, 2025 – The issue of child trafficking has suddenly shaken the Serbian and Western Balkan public following the discovery of 31 children confined in a private house in Brčko, suspected of being victims of human trafficking. In RTS’s morning program, we discussed the reasons why and how is child trafficking is so difficult to detect and prevent.

Human smuggling, hidden and well-organized trafficking networks, do not exclude child trafficking, while child exploitation occurs not only along migration routes, but also in destination countries. National institutions face significant challenges due to the speed and organization of smuggling operations, as well as their own national institutions’ limited capacities, lack of resources, and insufficient time to address this issue comprehensively and systematically—especially when the victims are not their own citizens.

Establishing effective cross-border cooperation and coordination remains particularly difficult, playing into the hands of traffickers. With decreasing capacities for sheltering and accommodating migrants and other vulnerable groups, it is expected that detecting such cases of child trafficking and exploitation will become increasingly difficult in the future.