Budva - From February 6th to 7th in 2023, key stakeholders from the Western Balkans deeply involved in counter-trafficking and counter-smuggling efforts, along with other representatives from international, EU, and regional levels (including UN, EU institutions/agencies, and regional mechanisms), convened in Montenegro for the Regional Conference titled "Countering Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling in the Western Balkans."

This conference served as a vital platform for the collective exchange of insights and strategies related to strengthening systems and capacities in the fight against human trafficking (THB) and the smuggling of migrants (SOM). Furthermore, it offered an opportunity to share best practices and experiences, thereby enabling collaborative approaches to address the shared challenges associated with THB and SOM, particularly in the digital era.

''[[A unanimous consensus emerged among participants: the facilitation of trafficking and smuggling through online channels is expected to become increasingly prominent and profitable in the years ahead. While social media, mobile applications, and online gaming platforms are routinely utilized for various purposes, smuggling networks are also making use of cryptocurrencies. This digital approach will complement the traditional payment methods, such as the Hawala system, already in use. Criminal enterprises are capitalizing on the opportunities presented by the online environment and the digital tools that are now ingrained in the practices of migrant smugglers and traffickers.

The Conference was organized by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), within the scope of the project „Joint Actions Against Smuggling of Migrants and Trafficking in Human Beings“ (WBJAST), supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, in cooperation with the project "Countering Serious Crime in the Western Balkans IPA 2019" (CSC WB IPA 2019), supported by the European Union, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and the Italian Ministry of Interior, implemented by GIZ (The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit Gmbh), together with the Center for International Legal cooperation and the Ministry of the Interior affairs of Italy. 

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For more information, please contact IOM Western Balkans at iomwesternbalkans@iom.int