Current Situation
Albania is classified as a source country primarily for women and children trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation to Greece and Italy, and on to other EU countries, such as Belgium, France, England, the Netherlands, etc. In the U.S. State Department’s Trafficking in Persons (TIP) 2006 Report, Albania was categorized as a Tier 2 country for a fifth year, a country meeting minimum standards/making significant efforts to bring itself into compliance with the standards of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act 2000. Initially a Tier 3 country, Albania’s successful movement to Tier 2 was a direct result of the Albanian Government’s implementation of the National Strategy to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings created in 2001. The Government of Albania (GOA) has drafted an extended national strategy for 2005-2007, and recently adopted a National Strategy Against Child Trafficking. 

USAID/Albania is one of the largest bilateral anti-trafficking efforts in the Agency, but USAID is also the largest donor in Albania providing funds towards the prevention of trafficking and the better reintegration of former victims of trafficking.

Program Focus

• Ensuring the geographic spread of prevention programs and victim assistance services through the support of field offices and the provision of grants to local anti-trafficking NGOs;
• Building the capacity of Albanian anti-trafficking NGOs to provide sustainable, high quality services in prevention and reintegration of returned victims; 
• Assisting the Government of Albania to comply with international anti-trafficking standards and building the capacity of local government structures to assume responsibility for local anti-trafficking and child protection efforts;
• Coordinating the efforts of the Government of Albania, civil society, and international stakeholders to improve programs that discourage trafficking, assist and reintegrate victims, and reduce re-trafficking;
• Consolidating and standardizing data collection, analysis, and management.

Key Accomplishments

• Both Tdh and USAID were active in raising awareness against child trafficking in the international community during the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. Tdh presented their concerns at a variety of international, regional and national venues and helped to draft a Memorandum of Understanding that guarantees the rights of child victims of trafficking. The MOU was signed by both Albanian and Greek authorities in February 2006.
• Practical cooperation between Albanian social workers from Tdh and its Greek NGO counterpart Arsis has been enhanced.  Increased street outreach, coordinated between the two organizations, has resulted in improved detection of child trafficking victims and children at risk. Over 550 Albanian children now benefit from protection services as a result of this increased outreach. A transnational workshop was held to gather stakeholders from both countries to share and document best practices in identifying, assisting and facilitating durable solutions for victims.  As a result, Tdh and Arsis have published their findings in the report “Transnational Protection of Children: the Case of Albania and Greece.”
• TACT III has been working with local municipalities to establish five Child Protection Units (CPUs) in southern Albania (Elbasan, Pogradec, Korca, Fier and Gjirokaster). The CPUs have been designed to build the capacity of local officials to address the issue of child protection and prevention of child trafficking within their districts.  TACT continues to provide on going technical support.
• Similarly, the CAAHT program assisted the Ministry of Interior to establish the Regional Anti-Trafficking Committees, which have designed to serve as community watch groups in the prevention of trafficking in persons. CAAHT continues to provide ongoing technical support.