[1] In 2008, Serbia was a source, transit, and destination country for women and girls trafficked transnationally and internally for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation.
Foreign victims were trafficked to Serbia from Macedonia, Ukraine, Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Albania, and the People's Republic of China.
[4] In 2023, the Organised Crime Index gave the country a score of 6 out of 10 for human trafficking, noting that while the government works on its prevention, its provision for victims has gone down over recent years.
[5] The 2023 GRETA report noted that the government was improving provision for victims, especially with legal aid and health care; however, prosecutors often see the crime as a lesser offence.
Victims pursuing criminal or civil suits are entitled to temporary residence permits and may obtain employment or leave the country pending trial proceedings.
Identified victims are not detained, jailed, prosecuted, or otherwise penalized for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of their being trafficked.
However, one NGO reported that authorities failed to identify some trafficking victims in 2007, resulting in their arrest, detainment, and subsequent deportation.
However, the government increased its educational prevention programs during the year, and in 2007, launched a fund-raising drive for the Agency for Coordination.
The government did not conduct any awareness campaigns aimed to reduce demand for commercial sex acts.