Unlike before, today, the Republic of North Macedonia is a country of final destination, country of origin and country of transit when it comes to human trafficking. And while before the victims were almost always young girls from Southeast Europe, now we notice a trend of recruiting victims from inside our country, but also from other countries in the region, underlined the Minister of the Interior Oliver Spasovski at today's MARRI regional conference on " Success together! Regional Insights and Approaches to Prevent and Combat Human Trafficking".

Also, as the minister pointed out, victims of human trafficking in the past were used mainly for sexual exploitation, and today there are also cases of labor exploitation and trafficking of children for begging or other forms of crime.

- Increasingly, the elements of exploitation include forced marriages and labor exploitation in catering establishments, said Spasovski, reminding that the Western Balkan route still remains attractive for migrants, and the reports of the Ministry of the Interior, as well as those of relevant international organizations, indicate that migrants, on their way to their desired destination, they increasingly use the services of smugglers, and taking into account the vulnerability of migrants, in many cases, they become victims of human trafficking from being users of services.

Emphasizing that the prevention and suppression of human trafficking are highly positioned on the agenda of the Government, and therefore of the Macedonian police, Spasovski said that this produces a partnership approach and joint contribution to increasing the efficiency of the system as a whole and effectively dealing with this type of crime. .

-From the previous experience in dealing with human trafficking, the competent services and units within the Ministry single out several principles, according to which all further activities are undertaken. Namely, the fight against human trafficking initially requires a proactive and multidisciplinary approach, which is why we include all relevant partners from the institutional sectors, civil society and the international community and work to develop regional cooperation and provide continuous training of professionals from all profiles. At the same time, the National Commission for Combating Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling and the National Coordinator of the Republic of North Macedonia represent a key element for taking continuous measures in the direction of improving the identification of victims of human trafficking, as well as providing them with assistance and protection in our system. Spasovski pointed out.

He noted that the activities of the National Commission are modern and innovative, as they follow the standards of action from the member states of the European Union and provide specific guidelines for institutions and non-governmental organizations, with the aim of appropriate translation into domestic legislation.

Emphasizing the readiness of both the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia to support all types of measures that will improve the situation with human trafficking, Spasovski expressed his gratitude to the German Society for International Cooperation, i.e. the GIZ Office in Skopje and to The MARRI Initiative, for their vision in the conception of the regional project "Prevention and fight against human trafficking in the Western Balkans - PaKT",

- The synergy provided within this project contributed to close cooperation and coordination between the existing networks in the region, i.e. the Network of Coordinators for Prevention of Trafficking in Human Beings, managed by MARRI and the Network of Coordinators for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings from Southeast Europe, managed by The International Center for the Development of Migration Policy, ensuring sustainability, avoiding overlaps and implementing its own agendas, emphasized Spasovski, once again emphasizing the importance that the Ministry of the Interior attaches to international cooperation, within the framework of which various projects necessary for the upgrading of capacities are implemented, but also for promoting what has been achieved within the Ministry.

The regional conference "Success together!" Regional insights and approaches to prevent and combat human trafficking" is held in Skopje in the organization of the Regional Initiative for Migrations, Asylum and Refugees - MARRI, where representatives from non-governmental and international organizations attend.