ORGANIZATION

International Forum of Solidarity – EMMAUS (IFS-EMMAUS) is engaged in combating trafficking in human beings and illegal migration in Bosnia and Herzegovina since 1999, since the beginning of treatment of this problem in our country. In cooperation with the Ministry of Security, the State Coordinator and the Department for Combating Trafficking in Human.

Beings in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees, the Department for Foreigners’ Affairs, and other state institutions and agencies, as well as non-governmental organizations, IFS-EMMAUS is engaged in the realization of projects of direct assistance to victims of trafficking in human beings, prevention and awareness-raising among risk groups and the general population about trafficking in human beings, as well as education and capacity building of local institutions on the treatment of these problem.

Of particular significance for Bosnia and Herzegovina at the disposal of certain categories of illegal migrants in BiH, for which the state does not have adequate conditions and facilities for accommodation and care, is the collaboration with IFS-EMMAUS which is implemented on the basis of the Cooperation Agreement of ensuring accommodation and caregiving to illegal migrants in BiH with the Service for Foreigners’ Affairs, since December 2009.

Accordingly, in the shelter of IFS-EMMAUS accommodation is provided for illegal migrants, as it follows: families in illegal stay, children accompanied by a parent and unaccompanied minors and people with mild mental disabilities. Services provided to illegal migrants in the IFS-EMMAUS shelter are accommodation, protection and safety, food, clothing, shoes, toiletries and other necessities, all kinds of medical services, as well as work-occupational therapy and literacy activities for children.

By the end of 2016, IFS-EMMAUS accommodated thirty (30) illegal migrants, whom of twenty-three (23) minors and seven (7) adults.

During the long year of intense involvement in activities on prevention of trafficking in human beings in Bosnia and Herzegovina, IFS-EMMAUS noted the need to raise public awareness of Bosnia and Herzegovina on trafficking and related issues, and changes in trends in human trafficking, especially the latest legislative changes in relation to the trafficking .

IFS-EMMAUS therefore, in 2013 conducted campaign at the state level called “Raising Awareness and Prevention of Trafficking in Human Beings in Bosnia and Herzegovina” aimed at raising public awareness in BiH on new forms of trafficking in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the wider region: trafficking for labor, particularly forced labor on the street, organized begging and serving in houses. The exploration of level of public awareness in BiH on these issues before and after the implementation of the campaign was conducted; a national web portal www.bihat.ba was established in order to improve the coordination of all the actors involved in the field of preventing human trafficking in BiH and the region; preventive video on the subject of labor exploitation of children was created and broadcasted; posters and leaflets for different target groups were printed and distributed (potential victims of trafficking for sexual and labor exploitation, as well as potential and existing customers of trafficked persons); hosting in BiH media are realized, and capacity building activities of Bosnian Media on adequate reporting and monitoring cases of human trafficking were implemented as well.

As part of the regional project “Balkans ACT! Now, “IFS-EMMAUS as the bearer of the project in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in 2014 launched a national public campaign called” Prevent, Protect, Compensate – Justice for Victims of Trafficking in Human Beings ” in order to raise awareness of the trafficking phenomenon. The campaign is part of a wider regional campaign that is being implemented in other countries in the region: Croatia, Serbia, FYR Macedonia, with the intense distribution of printed promotional materials, posters and leaflets. A video and radio jingle were also prepared and broadcasted by public broadcasters in 2014. Implementation of public campaign in BiH is supported by the Ministry of Security / Department for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings and the State Coordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, the Association of Prosecutors of FBiH and the Center for Criminal Policy Research (CPRC). A special mobile application called “BAN Human Trafficking” was created, and it also aims to draw the attention of young people to the problem of human trafficking, as well as the risk situations and ways to avoid them. Also, as part of a national campaign, a special multilingual website www.nadoknadimo.org was established, with interactive content and useful information on human trafficking and the possibilities for compensation to victims both in BiH and in the wider region.

IFS-EMMAUS continuously carries out activities on capacity building and training of professionals involved in activities to prevent trafficking in human beings in Bosnia and Herzegovina for the representatives of state institutions, law enforcement agencies, prosecutors’ offices, educational and health institutions, NGOs, and other professionals in this field of action:

• in cooperation with the Ministry of Security / Department for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees and other relevant governmental and local agencies, including NGO partners and activists of the Association of Romas, and with the support of the OSCE Mission in BiH, in 2010, IFS-EMMAUS provided aid to local structures in the North Eastern region of BiH, in taking a proactive approach in the fight against trafficking in human beings;
• within the project “Combating Trafficking in Human Beings: Improving Identification and Assistance to Victims Through Capacity Building and Training of Professionals in Bosnia and Herzegovina”, which is supported by the British Embassy, in the period February-March, 2012,  five (5) trainings for representatives of judicial institutions, law enforcement agencies and non-governmental sector were realized, in cooperation with the Ministry of Security / Department for combating trafficking in human beings, the Centre for education of judges and prosecutors FBiH (CEST FBiH) and the Centre for education of judges and the prosecutors RS (CEST RS);
• in 2013 and 2014 activities aimed at the improvement of the central state referral mechanism for assistance to victims of human trafficking, were implemented – for foreigners through capacity building of competent service officers of the Service for Foreigners’ Affairs, in order to strengthen the capacity building competencies from various ministries, institutions and non-governmental organizations in providing and strengthening aid treatment, support and protection of foreign victims of trafficking in human beings. Educational activities included the competent service officials  for Foreigners’ Affairs and Border Police  of BiH, as well as case officers of the Ministry of Security and other professionals engaged in prevention of trafficking in human beings of in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The activities are implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Security/Sector for Immigration and partner NGOs: Association Medica Zenica and “Vaša Prava BiH”;
• with the support of USAID, in cooperation with the Ministry of Security / Department for combating trafficking in human beings, in 2015, nine (9) trainings for professionals involved in multidisciplinary activities investigating trafficking and in protecting the victims of trafficking in human beings, were realized, and they were attended by over three hundred and fifty (350) representatives of institutions and organizations included in the referral mechanism.

The implementation of these activities is providing improved aid treatment and reintegration for victims of trafficking, especially  protection of minors, through training and networking, as well as capacity building of competent professionals included in combating human trafficking. Also, the operating structure of indicating victims of trafficking was imoproved, as well as State referral mechanism and  coordination of activities and services provided to the victims.

Capacity building activities that IFS-EMMAUS expanded and intensified through the implementation of regional projects:

• one of the objectives of the regional project “Balkans ACT (Against Crime of Trafficking) Now! ” is strengthening the capacity of civil society through training for independent and objective analysis and monitoring, and the influence and impact on policies of the countries in the region (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia, Macedonia, Serbia), in its efforts to contribute to the fight against trafficking and compliance of policy of justice sector with the standards, norms and values of the EU, related to the problem of organized crime, especially trafficking. In the period from 2012 to 2017. different activities were implemented- training in the areas of advocacy, analysis and monitoring activities in the fight against trafficking in human beings, in order to strengthen the capacities of partner organizations in the implementation of advocacy activities, information gathering and analysis and monitoring of the activities of developing the policies in the fight against trafficking in human beings and their implementation;
• in addition to above mentioned activities, in September 2014 and September 2015 in Neum, in cooperation with the Association of Prosecutors of FBiH, Centers for Judicial and Prosecutorial Training of FBiH and RS, UNICEF and the OSCE Mission, IFS-EMMAUS, under the same project, implemented training on trafficking in human beings on the topic of of Traditional Professional Consulting of Prosecutors in BiH.
• seminars on “Compensation of Damages For Victims of Trafficking in Human Beings” were held in early December 2014, and in May 2016, for judges and prosecutors, in Konjic in order to intensify solving problems in realizing right to compensation of victims of trafficking;
• strengthening the capacity of the judiciary and prosecutors’ offices in Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina is the main goal of the project “Increasing the Expertise of Judicial Institutions on Trafficking in Human Beings” in the areas of investigation, prosecution and trial of cases of human trafficking in accordance with the standards of the EU, with particular emphasis on improving the status and treatment of victims and victim-witnesses in court proceedings, IFS-EMMAUS implemented in cooperation with the Helsinki committee of the Netherlands and other partner organizations in the Netherlands and Albania. During the project implementation, from 2013 to 2017, specifically for judges and prosecutors from Bosnia and Herzegovina, over 15 educational activities, seminars, technical meetings, training of trainers, on current issues related to the rights of victims of trafficking, such as: “Victims Human trafficking: interviewing techniques (including interviewing children) “,” Techniques of financial investigations in cases of human trafficking “,” Labour exploitation “,” Compensation to victims of trafficking ” were implemented;
• activities and cooperation with the Emmaus communities in this area were intensified during the project “Emmaus in the Fight Against Trafficking in Human beings – the Control and Prevention Through Improvement of Policy, Education and Capacity Building”, and the IFS-EMMAUS in 2014 held four (4) trainings on trafficking in human beings and protection victims of trafficking in human beings for the representatives of Emmaus community in Brussels, Belgium; Srebrenica, Bosnia-Herzegovina; in Vilnius, Lithuania; and Porto, Portugal;
• IFS-EMMAUS, also in 2016 supported the implementation of the Professional consulting of prosecutors in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Association of Prosecutors of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in cooperation with the Centers for Education of Judges and Prosecutors of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republika Srpska, the OSCE Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina, UNICEF, the British Embassy in BiH, Association of IFS-EMMAUS and the Center for Criminal Policy Research (CPRC), held the IX Symposium for Prosecutors in Bosnia and Herzegovina at the “Grand Hotel” in Neum, in the period 28-30. September 2016. The Symposium has hosted more than 150 judges and prosecutors from judicial institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, entities, Brcko District and Cantons, as well as colleagues from the judicial institutions of the region – Croatian, Serbia, Slovenia and Montenegro. IFS- EMMAUS, in cooperation and coordination with organizations OSCE and UNICEF, as part of the aforementioned consultation, organized a panel on “Children , Victims and Witnesses in Criminal Cases and cases of Trafficking in Human Beings ” for the purpose of analyzing and presenting the current problems of labor exploitation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, especially the abuse of children and minors for the purpose of forced begging and related forms of exploitation.

One of the important activities of IFS-EMMAUS is the implementation of researches in the field of trafficking in human beings in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in collaboration with professional agencies and other experts:

• as part of a public campaign, “Raising Awareness and Prevention of Trafficking in Human Beings in Bosnia and Herzegovina” aimed at raising public awareness in BiH on new forms of trafficking in BiH and the region realized a survey public awareness of the subject matter, by a professional research agency Mareco Index Bosnia on a sample of 500 respondents. As expected, the majority considered that the term human trafficking involves sexual exploitation, while other forms of trafficking in human beings are familiar to a lesser extent. Also, the majority of respondents believe that the problem of human trafficking is not sufficiently represented in the media and the general public should be intensively informed about this phenomenon. The study was repeated and after the implementation of the campaign in the same way to measure the effectiveness and success of the campaign. Although studies had similar results, the increase in the percentage of respondents who are familiar with the concept of human trafficking was observed to be increased, as well as reduced percentage of respondents who under trafficking only include sexual exploitation;
• during the initial phase of the regional project “Balkans ACT (Against Crime of Trafficking) Now!”, as a basis for further action and plan activities in the four countries of the region involved in the project (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Serbia), a comprehensive situation analysis human trafficking was conducted. IFS-EMMAUS, in cooperation with experts in the field of combating and preventing trafficking in Bosnia and Herzegovina, during March – May 2013, implemented a quantitative and qualitative research in order to develop the above mentioned analyzes for Bosnia and Herzegovina;
• in 2014 a manual for judges and prosecutors on compensation for victims of human trafficking in Bosnia and Herzegovina, has been prepared and published, and in it, the international and BiH legal framework are presented, relating to compensation for victims of human trafficking, as well as the best practices of countries in the region in the process exercising the right of indemnity in criminal and civil proceedings;
• in the framework of the project “Increasing the Expertise of Judicial Institutions on Trafficking in Human Beings in Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina: The Treatment of Victims and Victim-witnesses of Trafficking in Human Beings”, in 2015, publications in English and Bosnian language were finalized and printed- “Promoting the Victim-centered Approach – Analysis of the Legal Framework in Bosnia and Herzegovina “, which is based on minimum standards to protect the rights of trafficked persons contained in international documents. The purpose of the research, and legal analysis of the crime of trafficking in Bosnia and Herzegovina is the assessment of the current situation in terms of respect for the victims of human trafficking or the rights granted to them by international instruments, the Constitution and national legislation guaranteed. Ultimately, the research aims to identify gaps and obstacles in the implementation of relevant EU standards, and includes the opinion of the judiciary and prosecution, as well as victims of trafficking in human beings;
• the aim of an independent and objective assessment of further development and improvement of the national response to the problem of human trafficking in 2016 IFS-EMMAUS has published “The monitoring and evaluation of policies to combat human trafficking: handbook for members of the victims”, which was developed in the framework of the regional project Balkans ACT Now!, with the support of the European Union. The manual aims to present comprehensive and detailed indicators that allow monitoring – permanent or temporary – national anti-trafficking policy, with an emphasis on policies for the protection of victims; and can be applied in the countries of origin and the destination countries of victims. The manual has been prepared in cooperation and with the support of the Ministry of Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina / Department for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, the Association of Prosecutors of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Center for Criminal Policy Research. Also, based on the developed Handbook, IFS-EMMAUS has prepared and published a “Report on Trafficking in Human beings in Bosnia and Herzegovina for 2015”.