In 2023, Montenegro made moderate advancement in efforts to eliminate the worst forms of child labor. The government built and opened the first state-funded and -operated shelter for child victims of human trafficking. In addition, the government continued its support of social inclusion programs for children from vulnerable communities, including providing healthcare and educational support for children in conjunction with the United Nation's Children's Fund Country Office in Podgorica. The Ministry of Education, Science, and Innovation received a 10 percent budget increase from the previous reporting period, and the number of Roma children enrolled in preschool education increased by 11 percent in 2023. However, despite these efforts, research found that the scope of programs to address child labor in street work in Montenegro is insufficient. Additionally, there were insufficient inspections for child labor in the agriculture and services sectors, and sectoral data on children's work remains unavailable.
| Children | Age | Percent of Population |
|---|---|---|
| Working | 5 to 14 | 17.3% (Unavailable) |
| Hazardous Work by Children | 15 to 17 | Unavailable |
| Attending School | 5 to 14 | 95.0% |
| Combining Work and School | 7 to 14 | 20.5% |
| Sector/Industry | Activity |
|---|---|
| Services | Street work, including vending small goods and begging. |
| Categorical Worst Forms of Child Labor‡ | Commercial sexual exploitation, sometimes as a result of human trafficking; forced begging; forced domestic work; and use in illicit activities, including the harvesting and trafficking of drugs. |
‡ Child labor understood as the worst forms of child labor per se under Article 3(a)–(c) of ILO C. 182.
Children at Higher Risk
Montenegro is a source, destination, and transit country for trafficking of children for forced labor, including forced begging, especially among Roma children. Some Roma, Ashkali, and Balkan Egyptian girls from impoverished households in Montenegro are sold and forced into domestic servitude in both Montenegro and Kosovo. Children, especially girls, are victims of trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation internally and transnationally within the region.
Barriers to Education Access
The inability to enroll in school makes some Montenegrin children vulnerable to child labor. Some Roma, Ashkali, and Balkan Egyptian children, as well as some Kosovar children displaced due to conflict, have difficulty accessing education services (along with other social services) because they lack birth registration documents. In addition, some rural children and children with disabilities experience difficulty physically accessing educational facilities and have limited government social services available to them.
| Standard | Age | Meets International Standards | Legislation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Age for Work | 15 | ✓ | Article 16 of the Labor Law |
| Minimum Age for Hazardous Work | 18 | ✓ | Articles 17, 172, and 173 of the Labor Law |
| Identification of Hazardous Occupations or Activities Prohibited for Children | ✓ | Articles 104 and 106 of the Labor Law; Articles 7 and 8 of the Regulations on Measures of Protection in the Workplace | |
| Prohibition of Slavery, Debt Bondage, and Forced Labor | ✓ | Article 444 of the Criminal Code; Articles 28 and 63 of the Constitution | |
| Prohibition of Child Trafficking | ✓ | Articles 444–446 of the Criminal Code | |
| Prohibition of Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children | ✓ | Articles 209–211 of the Criminal Code | |
| Prohibition of Using Children in Illicit Activities | ✓ | Articles 300 and 301 of the Criminal Code | |
| Minimum Age for Voluntary State Military Recruitment | 18 | ✓ | Articles 47, 188, and 195 of the Declaration of the Law on the Army of Montenegro; Articles 162 and 163 of the Law on the Armed Forces |
| Prohibition of Compulsory Recruitment of Children by (State) Military | N/A* | Articles 47, 188, and 195 of the Declaration of the Law on the Army of Montenegro; Articles 162 and 163 of the Law on the Armed Forces | |
| Prohibition of Military Recruitment by Non-state Armed Groups | ✓ | Article 444 of the Criminal Code | |
| Compulsory Education Age | 15 | ✓ | Article 4 of the Law on Primary Education |
| Free Public Education | ✓ | Article 75 of the Constitution |
* Country has no conscription
| Organization/Agency | Role & Activities |
|---|
| Labor Inspectorate: Leads and monitors the enforcement of labor laws, including those that protect working children. Part of the Inspectorate General and has 15 offices that proactively plan labor inspections. The Labor Inspectorate also maintains a national call center and an e-mail line for receiving complaints. |
| Ministry of Interior: Houses the Police Directorate and the Office for the Fight Against Trafficking in Humans (Trafficking in Persons Department). An eight-member unit within the Police Directorate investigates human trafficking, forced labor, and illegal migration. Also investigates reports of child begging, develops policy to prevent future cases of forced begging, and removes child beggars from the streets through the Beggar Task Force. |
| Overview of Enforcement Efforts | 2023 |
|---|---|
| Has a Labor Inspectorate | Yes |
| Able to Assess Civil Penalties | Yes |
| Routinely Conducted Worksite Inspections | Yes |
| Unannounced Inspections Permitted | Yes |
| Has a Complaint Mechanism | Yes |
| Imposed Penalties for Child Labor Violations | Yes |
| Conducted Criminal Investigations for Worst Forms of Child Labor Crimes | Yes |
| Imposed Penalties for Worst Forms of Child Labor Crimes | Yes |
In 2023, 30 labor inspectors conducted 6,345 worksite inspections, finding 186 child labor violations. The government also conducted 12 investigations into suspected worst forms of child labor crimes, initiated 6 prosecutions, and convicted 1 perpetrator.
| Coordinating Body | Role & Activities |
|---|
| Coordination Body for the Protocol on the Treatment of Bodies, Institutions, and Organizations in Montenegro with Children Involved in Street Life and Work: Created to coordinate intergovernmental work on issues specifically affecting children engaged in street labor. During the reporting period, the Coordination Body conducted one formal meeting and facilitated three regional roundtables to encourage local government entities to implement activities related to the prevention of children's involvement in hazardous street work. |
| Policy | Description & Activities |
|---|
| National Strategy for Combating Human Trafficking (2019–2024): Outlines objectives for addressing human trafficking by raising public awareness, strengthening the capacity for victim identification and services provision, improving interagency coordination, and raising the efficiency of prosecutions. In 2023, the government provided financial and logistical support for the construction of the new shelter for victims of child and youth trafficking, which opened in April 2024. |
| Strategy for Exercising the Rights of the Child in Montenegro (2019–2023): Sought to enhance the ability of children to exercise their rights by improving the application of laws related to children; supported vulnerable children, including those with disabilities; and prevented violence against children and the worst forms of child labor. During the reporting period, the government increased the national education budget by 10 percent, and the number of children covered by the universal child benefits program increased to 128,763. |
| Strategy for the Social Inclusion of Roma and Balkan Egyptians (2021–2025): Aims to create social inclusion of Roma and Balkan Egyptians by increasing school attendance and birth registration while preventing child begging and human trafficking. Implemented by the Ministry of Justice, Human, and Minority Rights. During the reporting period, the government continued to implement the strategy by encouraging youth from vulnerable populations to pursue postsecondary educational opportunities. Additionally, in 2023 the government marked an 11 percent increase in the number of Roma children enrolled in preschool education. |
‡ The government had other policies that may have addressed child labor issues or had an impact on child labor.
| Program | Description & Activities |
|---|
| UNICEF Country Program (2023–2027):* Addresses access to social services for children, synchronizes the legal framework with EU and UN standards, implements and monitors policies relevant to children, and applies the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Programming for 2023 included healthcare mediation for children from vulnerable communities and providing educational and psychological support to refugee children. |
| Hotline for Victims of Human Trafficking:† SOS Hotline funded by the Office of the National Anti-Trafficking Coordinator, under the Ministry of Interior, and run by the NGO Montenegrin Women's Lobby. Provides advice, connects victims with service providers, and raises public awareness. The Hotline was operational during the reporting period, receiving 2,282 calls through December 2023. |
For information about USDOL’s projects to address child labor around the world, visit https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/ilab-project-page-search
*Program was launched during the reporting period.
† Program is funded by the Government of Montenegro.
‡ The government had other social programs that may have included the goal of eliminating or preventing child labor.
| Area | Suggested Action |
|---|---|
| Coordination | Establish a mechanism to coordinate efforts to address all worst forms of child labor. |
| Government Policies | Ensure that activities are undertaken to mainstream child labor issues into educational reform and social inclusion policies. |
| Social Programs | Build the capacity of schools and fund other services and programs to accommodate and expand education access for children with disabilities. |
| Expand existing programs to address the scope of the child labor problem, especially in street work and forced begging. | |
| Make additional efforts to bolster birth registration for children from the Ashkali, Balkan Egyptian, and Roma communities to ensure equity in children's access to the educational and social welfare systems. | |
| Consistently track and publish information about children involved in the worst forms of child labor, including data on the sectoral distribution of child labor. |
