Research into Internal Trafficking in human beings in Bosnia and Herzegovina

In the mid-1990s, trafficking in human beings appeared in Bosnia and Herzegovina and became a serious and complex problem. Initially, Bosnia and Herzegovina was assessed to be a transit country on the route to Western Europe, but also a destination country for women from central and south-eastern Europe. However in the past few years, the number of identified foreign women who were trafficked into Bosnia and Herzegovina has decreased significantly, while the number of local women and girls who were internally trafficked steadily rises.

Efforts by the BiH authorities in curtailing the phenomenon have been recognised. The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina played a vital role in establishing the Office of the State Co-ordinator as the principal institution in charge of co-ordination of activities originating from the State Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings, undertaken by state actors (various ministries, judiciary, prosecutors and law enforcement agencies), non-governmental and international organisations.

With the reported rise in internal trafficking, there is a need to undertake a project examining the phenomenon more closely.