USDOL – US Department of Labor (Autor): „2021 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor: Albania“, Dokument #2082674

2021 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor: Albania

Moderate Advancement

In 2021, Albania made moderate advancement in efforts to eliminate the worst forms of child labor. The government created the Ministry of State for Youth and Children, which will play a central role in developing programs to promote the well-being of children in Albania. In addition, the government adopted both the new National Agenda on Children's Rights and the National Strategy on Education. However, children in Albania are subjected to the worst forms of child labor, including use in illicit activities and forced begging, and in commercial sexual exploitation, sometimes as a result of human trafficking. Children also perform dangerous tasks in mining, including chromium. Albania's legal framework governing child labor does not explicitly prohibit using, procuring, or offering children for illicit activities. In addition, Albania’s labor inspectorate does not receive adequate funding to allow for inspections in all sectors in which child labor is known to occur.

I. Prevalence and Sectoral Distribution of Child Labor

Children in Albania are subjected to the worst forms of child labor, including use in illicit activities and forced begging, and in commercial sexual exploitation, sometimes as a result of human trafficking. Children also perform dangerous tasks in mining, including chromium. (1-4) Table 1 provides key indicators on children’s work and education in Albania.

**Table 1. Statistics on Children's Work and Education**
Children	Age	Percent
Working (% and population)	5 to 14	4.6 (23,665)
Working Children by Sector	5 to 14
Agriculture		87.5
Industry		2.9
Services		9.6
Attending School (%)	5 to 14	92.5
Combining Work and School (%)	7 to 14	5.2
Primary Completion Rate (%)		100.7

Source for primary completion rate: Data from 2020, published by UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2022. (5)
Source for all other data: International Labor Organization’s analysis of statistics from National Child Labor Survey (SIMPOC), 2010. (1)

Based on a review of available information, Table 2 provides an overview of children’s work by sector and activity.

**Table 2. Overview of Children's Work by Sector and Activity**
Sector/Industry	Activity
Agriculture	Farming, activities unknown (2,6,7)
Industry	Mining,† including chromium and iron (2,7-15)
	Construction, activities unknown (1,7,16)
	Working in the textile, garment, and footwear sectors (6,7,17,18)
	Processing fish (7,19)
Services	Begging (3,7,20,21)
	Street work, including vending, washing vehicles, busking, and shining shoes (7,9,21-23)
	Collecting recyclable materials on the street and in landfills (4,7,9,21)
	Working in wholesale and retail trade (1,7)
	Working in hotels and restaurants (1,7)
	Working in call centers (7,9,16)
Categorical Worst Forms of Child Labor‡	Use in illicit activities, including burglary, drug trafficking, and harvesting and processing cannabis (3,7,15,21,24)
	Commercial sexual exploitation, sometimes as a result of human trafficking (3,6,9,13,15,20)
	Forced begging (6,9,15,19,20,22,23,25,26)

† Determined by national law or regulation as hazardous and, as such, relevant to Article 3(d) of ILO C. 182.
‡ Child labor understood as the worst forms of child labor per se under Article 3(a)–(c) of ILO C. 182.

Albania is a source country for child trafficking, especially of girls. Children are also sometimes forced into labor, such as begging and scavenging, by human traffickers and by their own families. (3,7) To contribute to family income, some Roma and Balkan Egyptian children are forced to engage in street begging or the collection of recyclables. (7,27) Children are also subjected to trafficking, both domestic and abroad to EU countries, for commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor. (7) In addition, some children informally scavenge chromium around hazardous mines where debris from mine tunnels is found, and they sometimes carry these heavy rocks for miles. (7,11,12) Domestic child trafficking and forced begging have continued in recent years, particularly during the tourist season. (28) Albania lacks recent, comprehensive data on child labor, including in the agriculture and construction sectors. (7)

Children in Albania face a number of barriers to accessing education. Lack of access to education increases children’s vulnerability to child labor. (7) Although Albania allows children without a birth certificate to enroll in public schools, some children from Roma and Balkan Egyptian families and refugees without proper birth documentation may still face obstacles in obtaining access to social services and education. (7) Roma and Balkan Egyptian children also experience discrimination in schools and were placed in separate classrooms, and faced other hurdles to accessing education, such as a lack of access to reliable transportation. (7,29) In addition, some migrant and refugee children from Syria, Algeria, and Libya face difficulties accessing education due to language barriers. (2,30) Children with disabilities also continue to experience discrimination and other hurdles to accessing inclusive education. (7,31) Children not in school are more vulnerable to the worst forms of child labor.

II. Legal Framework for Child Labor

Albania has ratified all key international conventions concerning child labor (Table 3).

**Table 3. Ratification of International Conventions on Child Labor**
Convention	Ratification
ILO C. 138, Minimum Age	✓
ILO C. 182, Worst Forms of Child Labor	✓
UN CRC	✓
UN CRC Optional Protocol on Armed Conflict	✓
UN CRC Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography	✓
Palermo Protocol on Trafficking in Persons	✓

The government has established laws and regulations related to child labor (Table 4). However, gaps exist in Albania’s legal framework to adequately protect children from the worst forms of child labor, including the failure to prohibit the use of children in illicit activities.

**Table 4. Laws and Regulations on Child Labor**
Standard	Meets International Standards	Age	Legislation
Minimum Age for Work	Yes	16	Article 98 of the Code of Labor; Article 24 of the Law for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (32,33)
Minimum Age for Hazardous Work	Yes	18	Articles 98–101 of the Code of Labor; Article 24 of the Law for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (32,33)
Identification of Hazardous Occupations or Activities Prohibited for Children	Yes		Articles 99–101 of the Code of Labor; Decree of the Council of Ministers on Defining Hazardous and Hard Works; Article 34 of the Law on Occupational Safety and Health at Work; Regulation on Protection of Children at Work (31-35)
Prohibition of Forced Labor	Yes		Article 8 of the Code of Labor; Articles 124b and 128b of the Criminal Code (32,36)
Prohibition of Child Trafficking	Yes		Article 128/b of the Criminal Code (36)
Prohibition of Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children	No		Articles 114, 117, and 128/b of the Criminal Code; Article 26 of the Law for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (33,36)
Prohibition of Using Children in Illicit Activities	No		Article 129 of the Criminal Code; Articles 24 and 25 of the Law for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (33,36)
Minimum Age for Voluntary State Military Recruitment	Yes	18	Article 9 of the Law on Military Service (37)
Prohibition of Compulsory Recruitment of Children by (State) Military	N/A*		Article 9 of the Law on Military Service (37)
Prohibition of Military Recruitment by Non-state Armed Groups	Yes		Article 28 of the Law for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (33)
Compulsory Education Age	Yes	16	Article 22 of the Law on Pre-University Education System (38)
Free Public Education	Yes		Article 57 of the Constitution of the Republic of Albania; Article 5 of the Law on Pre-University Education System (38,39)

* No conscription (37)

The law in Albania does not explicitly prohibit using, procuring, or offering children under age 18 for illicit activities, including in the production and trafficking of drugs. Article 129 of the Criminal Code only prohibits inducing or encouraging children under age 14 to participate in criminality. (36) Additionally, Article 25 of the Law for the Protection of the Rights of the Child does provide for protection of children against usage of alcohol and drugs, as well as the illicit production and trafficking of these substances, but does not criminalize inducing a child to participate in these acts. (33) The law also does not criminally prohibit the use of children for prostitution. (36)

III. Enforcement of Laws on Child Labor

The government has established institutional mechanisms for the enforcement of laws and regulations on child labor (Table 5). However, gaps exist within the operations of enforcement agencies that may hinder adequate enforcement of their child labor laws.

**Table 5. Agencies Responsible for Child Labor Law Enforcement**
Organization/Agency	Role
Ministry of Finance, Economy, and Labor	Enforces laws related to child labor and hazardous work and monitors the quality of social services provided by the State Inspectorate for Labor and Social Services (SILSS). Receives and responds to child labor complaints through the State Social Services Agency. (7) Child Protection Units (CPUs) are the responsible agencies at the municipal level and identify at-risk children, conduct initial evaluations of each case, and refer children to appropriate social services. (7,40)
Ministry of Interior	Enforces laws related to the worst forms of child labor through protection officers. (9,41) Coordinates operations of the Border Police and each of the Illicit Human Trafficking sections in the country's 12 Regional Police Directorates through the General Directorate of State Police. (2,6) Establishes the government’s policy on addressing human trafficking through the State Committee Against Trafficking in Persons, chaired by the Interior Minister. (42)
Office of the Prosecutor General	Investigates and prosecutes child trafficking cases through the Serious Crimes Prosecution Office. (2)

During the reporting period, a regional conference on the protection of children in conflict with the law was hosted in Tirana. Representatives from the Ministry of Justice also received training on the Juvenile Criminal Justice Code, as well as good practices in coordination between institutions. (43)

Labor Law Enforcement

In 2021, labor law enforcement agencies in Albania took actions to address child labor (Table 6). However, gaps exist within the authority of enforcement agencies that may hinder adequate labor law enforcement, including lack of authority to inspect informal work locations such as private farms and unregistered businesses.

**Table 6. Labor Law Enforcement Efforts Related to Child Labor**
Overview of Labor Law Enforcement	2020	2021
Labor Inspectorate Funding	$1,800,000 (4)	$1,700,000 (7)
Number of Labor Inspectors	118 (4)	131 (7)
Mechanism to Assess Civil Penalties	Yes (32)	Yes (32)
Initial Training for New Labor Inspectors	Yes (4)	Yes (7)
Training on New Laws Related to Child Labor	Yes (4)	N/A
Refresher Courses Provided	Yes (4)	Yes (7)
Number of Labor Inspections Conducted	5,772 (4)	4,973 (7)
Number Conducted at Worksite	5,772 (4)	4,973 (7)
Number of Child Labor Violations Found	119 (4)	4 (7)
Number of Child Labor Violations for Which Penalties Were Imposed	24 (4)	0 (7)
Number of Child Labor Penalties Imposed that Were Collected	0 (4)	0 (7)
Routine Inspections Conducted	Yes (4)	Yes (7)
Routine Inspections Targeted	Yes (4)	Yes (7)
Unannounced Inspections Permitted	Yes (32)	Yes (32)
Unannounced Inspections Conducted	Yes (4)	Yes (7)
Complaint Mechanism Exists	Yes (4)	Yes (7)
Reciprocal Referral Mechanism Exists Between Labor Authorities and Social Services	Yes (4)	Yes (7)

Concerns from the general public regarding suspected child labor abuses may be registered with the State Inspectorate for Labor and Social Services (SILSS) on paper, through e-mail, and by telephone. The SILSS can inspect all registered private entities, but cannot inspect private homes, private farms, or unregistered businesses. (7)

Criminal Law Enforcement

In 2021, criminal law enforcement agencies in Albania took actions to address child labor (Table 7).

**Table 7. Criminal Law Enforcement Efforts Related to Child Labor**
Overview of Criminal Law Enforcement	2020	2021
Initial Training for New Criminal Investigators	Yes (4)	No (44)
Training on New Laws Related to the Worst Forms of Child Labor	Yes (4)	N/A (44)
Refresher Courses Provided	Yes (4)	Yes (7)
Number of Investigations	84 (4)	68 (7)
Number of Violations Found	7 (4)	64 (7)
Number of Prosecutions Initiated	30 (4)	25 (7)‡
Number of Convictions	7 (4)	15 (7) ‡
Imposed Penalties for Violations Related to The Worst Forms of Child Labor	Yes (4)	15 (7)
Reciprocal Referral Mechanism Exists Between Criminal Authorities and Social Services	Yes (4)	Yes (7)

‡ Data are from January 1, 2021, to September 30, 2021.

If a child is subjected to trafficking for labor exploitation, the agency identifying the child refers the child to the police and state social services and then to an anti-trafficking shelter. (7,45) The case may also be referred to local Child Protection Units, which can then connect the child to social services. (7,40,45,46)

During the reporting period, a total of 64 new violations related to the worst forms of child labor were discovered. As of September 2021, 15 defendants had been convicted of offenses; in 9 cases, defendants received 2 years of imprisonment and 2 defendants received 5 years in prison. (7) Four additional cases resulted in probation of the individuals involved. (7)

IV. Coordination of Government Efforts on Child Labor

The government has established mechanisms to coordinate its efforts to address child labor (Table 8). However, gaps exist that hinder the effective coordination of efforts to address child labor, including coordination among agencies.

**Table 8. Key Mechanisms to Coordinate Government Efforts on Child Labor**
Coordinating Body	Role & Description
State Agency for the Rights and Protection of Children	Oversees implementation of the government’s child rights protection policies, including monitoring the National Agenda for the Rights of the Child. (7,47) Manages cases of at-risk children and refers them to appropriate social services. Sanctions those who fail to protect children from violence and exploitation. (7,40) Coordinates local and central structures on health, security, and education of children. (7) During the reporting period, the State Agency for Rights and Protection of Children collaborated with the Ministry of Health and Social Protection and multiple other governmental and non-governmental entities in drafting the new National Agenda for the Rights of the Child 2021–2026. (7)
Office of the National Coordinator for the Fight Against Trafficking in Human Beings (ONAC)	Collaborates with regional counterparts to adopt standard protocols to guide anti-trafficking efforts. Oversees 12 regional anti-human trafficking committees that carry out local action plans in cooperation with civil society partners. (19) Chairs the National Referral Mechanism, which coordinates the identification, protection, referral, and rehabilitation of human trafficking victims between government and civil society organizations. Leads data collection and report writing for the National Database for Human Trafficking Victims/Potential Victims. (4,19) Runs the Closed Case Task Force with the Serious Crimes Prosecution Office and Albanian State Police. (22) During the reporting period, ONAC identified 100 minors as victims or potential victims of child trafficking. In addition, ONAC worked with the anti-trafficking shelter "Vatra" to develop 33 trainings tailored for government officials responsible for carrying out mandates pertaining to the protection of at-risk children. (7)
Ad-Hoc Cross-Sectorial Technical Groups (CTGs)	Address child protection cases in municipalities with more than 3,000 children. CTGs include representatives from multiple sectors including the police, social services, education, health, justice, and NGOs. (6) Decision of the Council of Ministers no. 353 defines the roles and responsibilities of CTGs in terms of promoting coordination among local-level actors. (6,48) During the reporting period, CTGs continued to work with child protection workers, community mediators, and social services departments of local governments to protect children from economic exploitation. (7)
Ministry of State for Youth and Children*	Established in September 2021 to further governmental efforts to promote healthy development and well-being of children in Albania. The Minister of State for Youth and Children bears the responsibility of drafting, developing, and monitoring policies pertinent to child protection and welfare. (7) Also promotes initiatives related to education, cultural centers, and the development of curricula tailored to the needs of Albanian youth. (7)

* Mechanism to coordinate efforts to address child labor was created during the reporting period.

Coordination among the SILSS and the Albanian State Police has traditionally been sporadic. (4,13,49)

During the reporting period, legal professionals and child protection workers participated in a course on supporting refugee and migrant children in the Western Balkans in cooperation with the Council of Europe, UNHCR, and the European Asylum Support Office. (50)

V. Government Policies on Child Labor

The government has established policies related to child labor (Table 9). However, policy gaps exist that hinder efforts to address child labor, including lack of implementation.

**Table 9. Key Policies Related to Child Labor**
Policy	Description
National Action Plan on the Protection of Children from Economic Exploitation (2019–2021)	Approved by the National Council for Child Protection in October 2019 and overseen by the State Agency for the Protection and the Rights of Children. (2,4) Guaranteed the rights and protection of economically exploited children, including children in street situations. Also aimed to prevent the use of children for profit and enhance services and enforcement of legislation. (2,6) Defined the responsibilities of institutions involved in child protection, including children working in mining, street situations, and other situations that violate the law. (2) Research was unable to determine whether activities were undertaken to implement the policy during the reporting period.
National Action Plan for Combating Trafficking in Persons (2021–2023)†	Calls for the identification and referral of child victims and those at risk of human trafficking to social protection services in accordance with standard operating procedures. (7) Increases the use of CPUs, police, and border control personnel to identify victims, including children involved in street work. Raises public awareness of all forms of human trafficking, including for forced labor. (7)
National Agenda for the Rights of the Child 2021–2026†	Aims to protect and promote children’s rights by supporting physical and psychosocial development, and the social inclusion of children. (7,47) Objectives include improving children’s access to services and enhancing legal and institutional mechanisms for child protection. Goals include promoting, respecting, and protecting children’s rights through governance; eliminating all forms of violence against children; and creating child-friendly systems and services in education, justice, health, and social protection. (7,47)
National Strategy on Education 2021–2026†	Finalized in cooperation with UNICEF in April 2021. Aims to promote learning environments that are conducive to student well-being and preventing children from dropping out of school. (7)
National Cybersecurity Strategy (2020–2025)	Seeks to address the protection of children from online abuse and exploitation. Includes the establishment of a Technical Advisory Committee for Child Safety Online, within the National Council for Child Rights and Protection. (4,52,53) Research was unable to determine whether activities were undertaken to implement the policy during the reporting period.

† Policy was approved during the reporting period.
‡ The government had other policies that may have addressed child labor issues or had an impact on child labor. (6,54,55)

In 2021, Albania maintained its status as a Pathfinder Country under Alliance 8.7. This involves accelerating commitments toward achieving Sustainable Development Goal Target 8.7, which calls for the eradication of forced labor, modern slavery, human trafficking, and child labor by 2025. (56) During the reporting period, 145 children were removed from situations of economic exploitation and received social assistance provided by child protection authorities. (56)

VI. Social Programs to Address Child Labor

In 2021, the government funded and participated in programs that include the goal of eliminating or preventing child labor (Table 10). However, gaps exist in these social programs, including the inadequacy of programs to address the problem in all sectors.

**Table 10. Key Social Programs to Address Child Labor**
Program	Description
Program of Cooperation for Sustainable Development (2017–2021)	UN program that aimed to increase access to education for vulnerable children and improve protections for child victims of human trafficking. (57) During the reporting period, the Government of Albania and the UN office in Albania signed a new commitment to continue working on economic and social reforms to improve the situation for vulnerable populations throughout the country. (58)
Human Trafficking Shelters	The National Shelter Coalition† comprises one state-run and three NGO-run shelters for potential victims of human trafficking. (7) In 2021, 184 child trafficking victims around the country received assistance from these shelters. In addition, the National Shelter Coalition collaborated with the Office of the National Anti-Trafficking Coordinator to train 570 government officials (including 125 state police officers) on proper identification and protection of victims and those at risk of human trafficking. (7)
National Emergency Transition Center†	Government-run center that aims to provide vulnerable families with housing, health care, psychosocial and educational services, legal assistance, and employment placement aid. (6) During the reporting period, 33 children received emergency assistance in the form of accommodation, psychological consultations, food, clothing, and medical care. (7)
Child Allowance Program (Ndihma Ekonomike)†	Government-funded cash transfer program that provides an allowance for families receiving economic aid through the Law on Social Assistance and Services. (6) During the reporting period, the government continued to provide regular cash payments to qualifying families, and the amount of assistance provided to families with multiple children under age 18 increased. (59)
Government-Run Hotlines†	Includes the Hotline for Potential Victims of Trafficking (operated by the State Police Directorate's Command Center) and the Albanian National Child Helpline and Helpline for Missing Children, established to assist children through phone counseling and case referrals to institutions providing services to children. (4,28) The hotlines continued to be operational during the reporting period. (7)
World Vision Albania Centers (Children's City Program)†	The municipalities of Durrës, Maliq, and Korçë collaborated with World Vision Albania to construct centers for children in high-risk situations, including violence, abuse, and various forms of exploitation. (60) During the reporting period, World Vision continued to support national- and municipal-level programs to provide community-based services to at-risk children, including a number of inclusive education initiatives. (7)
UNICEF Albania Projects†	During the reporting period, UNICEF collaborated with the Tirana OSCE office, a number of NGOs, and anti-trafficking shelters to complete the project "Transforming National Response to Human Trafficking In and From Albania." In addition, UNICEF continued to fund the ALO 116 National Child Helpline, which is a phone service designed to assist children via remote counseling and refer cases to relevant governmental and non-governmental institutions. (7,61)

† Program is funded by the Government of Albania.
‡ The government had other social programs that may have included the goal of eliminating or preventing child labor. (54,62)

During the reporting period, child protection workers, municipal representatives, and representatives of a cross-sectoral technical group participated in an online training on child protection during emergencies. The training provided information related to child protection laws, guidelines developed to protect vulnerable children during the COVID-19 pandemic, and standard operating procedures. (7,63)

Research indicates that there is a lack of shelters for street children who are not victims of human trafficking, although some state- and NGO-run services were available for children who were forced to beg. (7) Research also found no evidence that programs were carried out to assist children scavenging chromium. (2,4,64) A lack of financial and human resources and issues related to the decentralization of social funds from the central government to municipalities were also cited as gaps in the efficient implementation of social programs. (6,51,54,64)

VII. Suggested Government Actions to Eliminate Child Labor

Based on the reporting above, suggested actions are identified that would advance the elimination of child labor in Albania (Table 11).

**Table 11. Suggested Government Actions to Eliminate Child Labor**
Area	Suggested Action	Year(s) Suggested
Legal Framework	Ensure that using, procuring, and offering children under age 18 for illicit activities, including in the production and trafficking of drugs, is criminally prohibited.	2015 – 2021
	Ensure that the use of children in prostitution is criminally prohibited.	2019 – 2021
Enforcement	Ensure that labor inspectors can inspect the informal sector in which child labor is known to occur, including private homes, private farms, or unregistered businesses.	2010 – 2021
Coordination	Ensure proper coordination between the State Inspectorate for Labor and Social Services and the Albanian State Police.	2019 – 2021
Government Policies	Ensure that activities are undertaken to implement policies addressing child labor and publish results from activities implemented during the reporting period.	2021
Social Programs	Collect and publish comprehensive data on the extent and nature of child labor in Albania. In particular, gather data on the prevalence and conditions of child labor in sectors of heightened concern, such as the agriculture and construction sectors.	2013 – 2021
	Provide adequate transportation resources for all children who face transportation-related barriers to school attendance, in particular Roma and Balkan Egyptian children and those who live in communities far from schools.	2011 – 2021
	Enhance efforts to eliminate barriers and make education accessible for all children, including children from Roma and Balkan Egyptian minority communities, children with disabilities, and children from Syria, Algeria, Libya, and elsewhere living in Albania as refugees or displaced migrants, by removing all school related fees and ensuring that children without documentation do not face obstacles to enroll in school.	2013 – 2021
	Provide translation services for all children, especially those from migrant or refugee families, who are facing language-related barriers to education.	2018 – 2021
	Increase the number of shelters for victims of the worst forms of child labor, in particular for children living and working on the streets.	2017 – 2021
	Institute programs to assist children who are victims of human trafficking and those who are used in scavenging chromium.	2014 – 2021
	Ensure that funding and human resources are increased for social programs for child labor and that decentralized social funds to municipalities are appropriately allocated to adequately carry out programs.	2018 – 2021

References

ecoi.net-Beschreibung:: Jahresbericht zu Kinderarbeit (Beobachtungszeitraum 2021)
Land:: Albanien
Quelle:: USDOL – US Department of Labor (Autor)
Originallink:: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/resources/reports/child-labor/albania
Dokumentart:: Periodischer Bericht
Sprache:: Englisch
Veröffentlicht:: 28. September 2022
Dokument-ID:: 2082674