The Belgrade Centre for Human Rights held the final conference in Belgrade on 21 April 2026 within the project “Specialised Support to (Potential) Victims of Migrant Smuggling and Human Trafficking and Legal Pathways for Vulnerable Groups in Serbia”, implemented as part of the regional project “EU Support to Strengthening the Fight Against Migrant Smuggling and Human Trafficking in the Western Balkans” – EU4FAST.
The conference brought together representatives of institutions, the diplomatic corps, international organisations and civil society organisations from Serbia and the region, with the aim of exchanging experiences and improving responses to challenges in the field of migration and asylum, with a focus on human trafficking, migrant smuggling and labour exploitation.
Serbia lies on one of the key migration routes, which brings numerous challenges, ranging from access to rights and availability of support to the functioning of the protection system in practice. For this reason, regional cooperation, exchange of experiences, and the timely provision of information and support to people on the move are of particular importance.
In the introductory part of the conference, participants were addressed by Elvira Angulo Rodriguez, on behalf of the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Serbia, Martin Hiebsch, GIZ BA Component Leader within the EU4FAST project, and Sonja Tošković, Executive Director of the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights. Their remarks focused on the importance of regional cooperation, strengthening protection mechanisms, and the need for accessible, timely and quality support for people on the move and victims of human trafficking.
At the beginning of the programme, the Information Leaflet for Victims and Presumed Victims of Human Trafficking was presented. The leaflet was prepared by the Centre for the Protection of Victims of Trafficking in Human Beings with the support of the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights. It was presented by Sanja Savić and Marija Marković on behalf of the Centre. The leaflet forms part of project activities aimed at strengthening information provision, early identification and access to protection for persons at risk. It is available in Serbian and English, so that important information on the risks of human trafficking, victims’ rights and available protection mechanisms can be accessible to as wide an audience as possible, including people on the move and foreign nationals residing in Serbia.
The conference continued with the presentation of the policy paper “Key Lessons Learned and Successful Practices from the Implementation of the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights’ Project”, presented by Petar Vidosavljević, Legal Adviser and Rainbow Migration Network Coordinator, and Andrijana Miljković, Service Provision Adviser at the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights. This part of the programme focused on experiences gained through field work, with particular attention to the challenges in providing legal and other forms of support to vulnerable groups, as well as recommendations for improving the protection system.
The final panel presented the key conclusions and recommendations from regional meetings of civil society organisations from the Balkans providing legal assistance in the field. The panel featured Dora Palić from the Croatian Law Centre, Teodora Kjoseva from the Macedonian Young Lawyers Association – MYLA, and Emir Prcanović from Vaša prava Bosnia and Herzegovina. The panel was moderated by Jelena Ilić, Asylum and Migration Programme Coordinator at the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights. The discussion confirmed the importance of regional exchange of experiences and the need for stronger coordination among organisations providing legal and other forms of support to people on the move and refugees in the field.
The EU4FAST project – “EU Support to Strengthening the Fight Against Migrant Smuggling and Human Trafficking in the Western Balkans” – is implemented by a consortium of partners comprising: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit – GIZ, the German Federal Police – Bundespolizei, the Center for International Legal Cooperation – CILC, CIVIPOL, the technical cooperation operator of the French Ministry of the Interior, as well as the Ministries of Interior of Austria, Croatia, Italy and Slovenia. The project donors are: the European Union, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development – BMZ, the Ministry of Interior of Italy, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands.
The Belgrade Centre for Human Rights extends its gratitude to the donors, implementing partners, institutions, international organisations and civil society organisations from Serbia and the region for their support, cooperation and contribution to the implementation of project activities.
photo: Belgrade Centre for Human Rights
