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Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182) - Albania (RATIFICATION: 2001)

The Committee notes the observations of the Education International (EI), the Trade Union Federation of Education and Science of Albania (FSASH), and the Independent Trade Union of Education of Albania (SPASH) received on 3 September 2021.

Article 3(a) of the Convention. Sale and trafficking of children for commercial sexual exploitation. The Committee previously noted that, in its conclusions adopted in June 2015, the Conference Committee on the Application of Standards urged the Government to effectively enforce anti-trafficking legislation and to take measures for its effective implementation in practice. The Committee further noted that in 2016, 16 girls were identified as subject to sex trafficking.

The Committee notes the information provided by the Government in its report indicating a number of training activities on trafficking in persons conducted for police officers as well as their collaboration with the relevant child protection bodies. The Government also indicates that child-friendly facilities have been installed in several police stations to ensure qualitative interviewing of children, including victims of trafficking, adapted to their age. The Committee further takes note of the regulations issued for police officers on the treatment of child victims during the investigation.

The Committee notes the Government’s information that in 2019, 67 potential child victims of trafficking were identified. The Government indicates that according to the data of the State Police, in 2019, 7 cases, involving 17 offenders, were identified under section 128(b) (trafficking of minors) of the Criminal Code. The Government further indicates that in 2019, there were 6 cases, involving 2 defendants, investigated by the General Prosecutor’s Office and 2 persons convicted with 15 years of imprisonment by the Special Court of First Instance for Corruption and Organized Crime under section 128(b) of the Criminal Code. The Committee, however, notes that in its 2020 report concerning the implementation by Albania of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings, the Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) expressed concern at the low number of convictions for trafficking in persons, including trafficking of children, and urged the Albanian authorities to take additional measures to ensure that cases of trafficking in persons are investigated proactively, prosecuted effectively, and lead to effective, proportionate and dissuasive sanctions (paragraphs 88, 89). The Committee further notes that the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families (CMW), in its concluding observations, expressed deep concern that Albania is a source, transit and destination country for victims of trafficking, including for women and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labour (CMW/C/ALB/CO/2, paragraph 69). The Committee urges the Government to continue to take the necessary measures to ensure that thorough investigations and prosecutions are carried out in respect of persons who engage in the trafficking of children, and that sufficiently effective and dissuasive penalties are imposed in practice. It further requests the Government to provide information on the application of section 128(b) of the Criminal Code in practice, including statistics on the number of investigations, prosecutions, convictions and penalties imposed.

Article 7(2). Effective and time-bound measures. Clauses (a) and (c). Preventing the engagement of children in the worst forms of child labour and ensuring their access to free basic education. Children from Roma and Egyptian communities. In its previous comments, the Committee noted that the Conference Committee had urged the Government to continue to remove barriers to greater participation of Roma and Egyptian children in the education system, including access to free basic education and access to education in their own language as well as to continue to take measures to stop trafficking and the practice of forced begging on the streets. The Committee further noted the various measures taken by the Government to improve the educational situation of Roma and Egyptian communities, including through facilitating enrolment in schools and the provision of free textbooks and scholarships for children of unemployed parents. The Committee, however, noted that many Roma and Egyptian children had never been enrolled, and the drop-out rates were still high.

The Committee notes the Government’s indication regarding the measures taken to reduce the school dropout rate among Roma and Egyptian children, such as providing scholarships to children who dropped out of school or who are at risk of dropping out, providing free school transport and after school classes for children with learning difficulties. The Committee also observes the adoption of the Instruction of the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth No. 17 of 9 May 2018 which establishes the procedures for returning children to compulsory school. The Committee further observes the elaboration in 2019 of the Guideline “For monitoring children that are out of the education system and children that are at risk of dropping out” under the framework of the initiative “Every Child in school” supported by UNICEF. In particular, the Guideline provides for indications to educational institutions and other relevant actors on identifying children not attending compulsory school and preventing children from dropping out of school. The Government indicates the increase in the number of Roma and Egyptian children enrolled in school from 14,515 students in the 2019–20 school year to 14,875 students in the 2020–21 school year. In this respect, the Committee observes that the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) of the Council of Europe, in its 2020 Report on Albania, indicated that in comparison with 2011, the total number of Roma and Egyptian children enrolled in compulsory education increased from 48 per cent to 66 in 2018. The ECRI, however, noted the extremely low rate of compulsory education completion rates (43 per cent) by Roma and Egyptian children (paragraphs 43, 44). The Committee further notes the observations of the EI, the FSASH and the SPASH indicating that additional measures are needed to reduce school dropout rates, such as providing free meals to students from families with financial difficulties, including those from Roma and Egyptian communities. Moreover, teachers should be provided with additional remuneration for the work performed outside of school hours with students who have dropped out of school, their parents, and local government bodies. The Committee strongly encourages the Government to continue its efforts to facilitate access to free basic education of children in the Roma and Egyptian communities so as to prevent them from engaging in the worst forms of child labour. It also requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken in this regard and the results achieved, particularly with respect to increasing the school enrolment and completion rates and reducing school drop-out rates of children from Roma and Egyptian communities. To the extent possible, this information should be disaggregated by age and gender.

Clause (d). Identifying and reaching out to children at special risk. Street children. The Committee previously noted the various services provided to families of street children, including registration of each child in the National register of Civil Registry; enrolment in schools; employment of parents; placement in the social care institutions; and referral for attendance at day-care centres for children. The Committee also noted the awareness-raising programme on the protection of street children and the establishment of a Task Force in Tirana to identify and protect street children.

The Committee notes that the National Action Plan for the Protection of Children from Economic Exploitation for 2019–2021 (National Action Plan for 2019–2021) specifically covers children working on the streets. The Committee further observes from the 2019 periodic report of Albania to the Committee on the Rights of the Child that the on-site teams responsible for the identification process of street children, provision of first aid, and immediate referrals to the responsible case management structures were established in each municipality. The Government specifies in the 2019 periodic report that services provided by the on-site teams cover, among others, counselling, enrolment of children in school, financial assistance, and medical care. It further indicates several measures undertaken by the state police bodies against the economic exploitation of children, including child begging, as part of the efforts to protect street children. It points out that the number of cases of child exploitation for begging referred to the prosecution office has increased from 4 in 2012 to 15 in 2017 (paragraphs 247, 251). The Committee further notes from the information provided by the Government that, in 2020, 125 children in street situations were identified and provided with the necessary social protection services, such as psychological support, medical examination, and civil registration. The Government also indicates the establishment by the Tirana Municipal Council’s Decision No. 66 of 12 June 2020 of the Community Field Centre, which coordinates the provision of social protection services to children in street situations. The Committee requests the Government to continue to take measures to protect children in street situations from the worst forms of child labour and to provide for their rehabilitation and social integration. It further requests the Government to provide information on the effective and time-bound measures taken in this regard, in particular under the framework of the National Action Plan for 2019–2021, and on the results achieved.