Activities of Croatian Mol in Suppression of Trafficking in Human Beings

Abstract

Trafficking in human beings is contemporary and very profitable form of the slavery. According to the head of the UN's Drug Control Program, trafficking in human beings is activity that marks the biggest development and there are indications that some criminal organizations are shifting from drugs to trafficking in human beings because the profit is higher and the risk is lower. Trafficking in human beings is analyzed in the context of organized, often transnational crime whose development is facilitated, among other things, by social, economic and political conditions in transition countries, whether we are talking about recruitment of victims from these countries or about underdeveloped capacities for efficient detection and suppression. Croatia recognized the importance of adequate reaction to trafficking in human beings, in terms of importance of regional and international cooperation but also in terms of the importance of multiagency approach in addressing this problem nationally. During 2002 the government of the Republic of Croatia established the National Committee for the prevention of Trafficking in persons which is composed of representatives of the bodies of the government administration who in their respective areas are engaged in activities or the prevention of trafficking in persons, representatives of the legislative and judicial authorities and nongovernmental organizations. In this paper, the authors give an overview of activities of Croatian Ministry of interior as an important subject in the field of identification of victims and prosecution of offenders, international cooperation, education and prevention.