Albania

In the early 1990s, Albania emerged from decades of brutal communist dictatorship that left the country impoverished and isolated from the international community. In the years since, much progress has been made in establishing democratic governance structures and developing economically.  

While countries across Southeastern Europe have made significant progress over the past decade to combat trafficking in human beings, Albania continues to suffer from this scourge. In addition to being a source country for both transnational sex trafficking and forced labor, there have been signs of increased domestic trafficking of women and children for sexual exploitation and begging. An estimated 120,000 women and children are trafficked through the Balkans annually, with Albania being a major route. And yet, in 2012, only 92 victims were identified by law enforcement personnel in Albania.