• Vigorously investigate and prosecute trafficking crimes, including those involving complicit officials, and seek adequate penalties for convicted traffickers, which should involve significant prison terms.
• Ensure victims are not inappropriately penalized solely for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of being trafficked.
• Increase the use of established SOPs, including by training officials, to proactively identify trafficking victims by screening for trafficking indicators among vulnerable populations, such as foreign workers, unaccompanied children, migrants, refugees, and asylum-seekers.
• Continue to train state prosecutors on trafficking, victim’s rights, and victim-centered approaches, and refer trafficking cases to trained or experienced prosecutors.
• Continue to train judges at all levels of the judiciary to take the severity of trafficking into account when issuing sentences and sensitize judges on victim-centered approaches and restitution.
• Further reduce the backlog of trafficking cases in the judiciary system.
• Continue to inform all identified victims of their right to pursue compensation and encourage them to do so.
• Continue to allocate and disburse sufficient resources for victim protection and entities participating in the government’s mobile identification teams.
• Increase funding to the anti-trafficking hotline and incorporate hotline numbers in more robust public awareness campaigns to increase its use and accessibility.

The government increased anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts.

Article 106 of the criminal code criminalized sex trafficking and labor trafficking and prescribed penalties of one to 15 years’ imprisonment, which were sufficiently stringent and, with regard to sex trafficking, commensurate with those for other grave crimes, such as rape. Additionally, Article 162 of the criminal code, which criminalized “child pandering,” could be used to prosecute some child sex trafficking offenses; it prescribed penalties of three to 12 years’ imprisonment.

In 2024, law enforcement investigated 14 cases involving 24 suspects (four cases with six suspects for sex trafficking, five cases with 11 suspects for labor trafficking, and five cases with seven suspects for unspecified forms of trafficking), compared with 14 cases involving 31 suspects in 2023. Authorities prosecuted 13 suspected traffickers (one for sex trafficking, 11 for labor trafficking, and one for an unspecified form of trafficking), compared with 11 suspected traffickers in 2023. Authorities continued to prosecute two suspected traffickers for sex trafficking and nine defendants for labor trafficking from previous years. Courts convicted three traffickers (all for labor trafficking, including forced criminality), compared with three labor traffickers in 2023. Judges sentenced one labor trafficker to one year and four months’ imprisonment but issued partially suspended sentences for the other convicted traffickers, which weakened deterrence and did not adequately address the nature of the crime. A court convicted one defendant of child pandering (Article 162 of the criminal code) and sentenced the defendant to one year of imprisonment. The government did not report any investigations, prosecutions, or convictions of government employees complicit in human trafficking crimes.

The Police National Office for the Suppression of Corruption and Organized Crime (PNUSKOK) within the General Police Directorate maintained specialized police officers for cases related to organized crime, including those involving trafficking, and designated officers for trafficking cases in district offices. PNUSKOK cooperated with the State Labor Inspectorate to jointly inspect employers for labor trafficking in the agriculture, construction, hospitality, and service industries; authorities inspected 132 employers (118 in 2023). Observers and GRETA reported some judges and state prosecutors lacked an understanding of trafficking and some state prosecutors prosecuted traffickers using offenses with lesser penalties, such as “prostitution,” “sexual abuse,” and “pandering.” Additionally, some state prosecutors charged individuals suspected of trafficking with other crimes with lesser burden of proof and more lenient penalties to decrease their large caseloads. Independent experts assessed state prosecutors heavily relied on victim testimony and did not often use special investigative measures to corroborate evidence. The government cooperated with authorities from Colombia, Ghana, and Spain on international investigations and extradited two suspected traffickers to Belgium and Romania. The government maintained institutionalized training programs on various trafficking issues at the Police Academy, Police College, Judicial Academy, and Border Police Directorate.

The government maintained victim protection efforts.

The government identified 21 victims in 2024, the same number as in 2023. Of the 21 victims identified, traffickers exploited four in sex trafficking, 12 in labor trafficking, and five in multiple forms of trafficking; six were women, 14 were men, and one was a girl; and three were foreign nationals. The government maintained SOPs for screening and identifying victims, and civil society reported good cooperation with the Ministry of Interior (MOI) and the active role of police in victim identification. However, observers reported a lack of proactive identification efforts within the increasing population of foreign migrant workers. Additionally, civil society, media, and international organizations continued to report a lack of government efforts to adequately screen migrants and asylum-seekers, including unaccompanied children. International organizations and civil society continued to criticize the police for pushbacks of undocumented migrants and potential asylum-seekers into Bosnia and Herzegovina although they assessed those pushbacks were fewer compared with previous years; such pushbacks potentially increased vulnerability to trafficking, exacerbated distrust of foreign officials, and deterred potential victims from reporting trafficking crimes or seeking assistance.

The government maintained a multi-disciplinary NRM to refer victims to services. According to the NRM, first responders carried out the preliminary identification of potential victims and contacted one of four regional mobile teams – consisting of social workers from a Center for Social Work and NGO representatives – who traveled to assess potential adult victims in person and coordinate victim care. For child victims, first responders contacted the Ministry of Labor, Pension System, Family and Social Policy (MLPSFSP), which dispatched a mobile team of specialized social workers. The police cooperated with mobile teams to officially identify victims and with the MLPSFSP in cases involving children. The OHRRNM allocated €20,600 ($21,440) to reimburse mobile teams for travel and training costs, compared with €14,600 ($15,200) in 2023. The government and NGOs provided all 21 identified victims with direct services, including shelter, medical assistance, legal assistance, psycho-social support, and reintegration services; the government also provided all identified victims with service in 2023. The government funded two NGO-run shelters and allocated €22,632 ($23,650) to the NGO-run shelter for adults, compared with €34,808 ($36,200) in 2023, and €51,747 ($53,850) to the NGO-run shelter for children, compared with €68,950 ($71,750) in 2023. The government-funded, NGO-run shelter for adults had capacity to accommodate five victims, allowed freedom of movement, and provided separate accommodation for men and women, where they could stay for up to one year with the possibility of an extension. The government-funded, NGO-run shelter for children had the capacity to accommodate five child victims and could enroll children in school, including distance learning. In 2024, the NGO-run shelters accommodated five adult victims and no child victims. The government allocated a social allowance of approximately €150 ($156) per month for adult victims not staying at the NGO-run shelters and allocated an average of €75 ($78) per month to victims staying at NGO-run shelters in addition to a monthly stipend of €66 ($69) for personal items and a one-time monetary compensation of an average of €332 ($345). The Croatian Employment Bureau assisted three victims with job placement, three victims with job counselling, and two victims with vocational training and education (the government did not report this data in 2023).

Observers reported authorities inappropriately penalized a potential trafficking victim for theft committed as a direct result of being trafficked. Authorities continued to deny requests to revisit the case, did not provide the victim with any victim assistance or support services, and lacked a victim-centered, trauma-informed approach. In addition, according to some non-government observers, due to inadequate screen among migrants and asylum-seekers, the government did not take effective measures to prevent inappropriate penalization of potential victims solely for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of being trafficked. Foreign victims had access to the same services as domestic victims and could receive a temporary residence permit after a 60-day reflection period for adults and 90 days for children; the government issued a residence permit to one victim (none in 2023). All 15 county courts had VWSOs, including four new VWSOs established in 2024, which provided assistance to victim-witnesses participating in criminal proceedings, including requests to testify via video link, referrals to specialized institutions, legal and logistical assistance, and measures to prevent re-traumatization. The government allocated €711,280 ($740,150) to a civil society network to provide legal and psychological assistance and logistical support in eight county courts, compared with approximately €500,000 ($520,300) in 2023. Civil society reported the judiciary was not always familiar with legal protections available for trafficking victims, and some judges lacked sensitivity and an understanding of the impact of psychological trauma and required victims to provide statements or testimonies multiple times, causing re-traumatization. Courts maintained child-friendly interview rooms for children to provide testimonies to specialized professionals. The government reported all 21 victims identified in 2024 participated in investigations. Authorities previously reported victims often chose not to participate in investigations – particularly in sex trafficking cases or cases involving potential foreign victims – due to fear of retaliation, stigma, re-traumatization, or logistical challenges. The law entitled victims to restitution in criminal trials, but judges most often rejected claims for restitution and directed victims to file civil suits to request compensation. Civil courts were sometimes better positioned to assess emotional pain, but civil suits were expensive, lengthy, and required victims to re-testify about their exploitation, causing re-traumatization. The Constitutional Court ruled in November 2024 that a criminal case of “procuring prostitution” with indicators of trafficking should be sent back to a county court to reexamine a victim’s compensation claim for non-material damages in criminal proceedings. Experts reported that criminal judges lacked training, which complicated bureaucratic procedures and resulted in the failure to seize assets, and inadequate mechanisms to inform victims of their rights all perpetuated the absence of restitution in criminal sentences. The government did not provide information on courts awarding restitution in 2024 nor on victims receiving such restitution claims. The government operated a government-financed compensation program for victims of violence; however, the government did not receive any requests for compensation from trafficking victims.

The government increased prevention efforts.

The head of OHRRNM served as the national anti-trafficking coordinator and the secretariat for the senior-level national coordinating committee; the national committee did not meet in 2024 (once in 2023). The committee’s working-level operational team held 10 meetings, monitored cases, and drafted the 2024-2030 NAP. In October 2024, the government adopted the 2024-2030 NAP and an implementation plan for 2024-2026 and allocated funds for its implementation, including €262,170 ($270,810) for 2024, €398,568 ($414,740) for 2025, and €396,371 ($412,460) for 2026. The government also allocated €54,540 ($56,750) to OHRRNM, compared with €46,590 ($48,480) in 2023. The government organized awareness campaigns in areas with high tourism and separate campaigns for the public, students, and the Romani community. The government allocated €600 ($620) for the NGO-run hotline in 2024 and 2023. Observers reported difficulties in finding the hotline number, and the NGO-run hotline operated only from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. due to inadequate financial support; the hotline referred two trafficking-related calls to PNUSKOK. The government maintained a legal framework for regulating and licensing private sector employers, including foreign employment agencies. The law prohibited charging workers recruitment fees with fines for a violation ranging from €5,300 to €13,270 ($5,520 to $13,810); the government did not report the number of issued fines during the reporting period. Labor inspectors could issue administrative fines and/or file criminal charges against employers for nonpayment of salaries. Labor inspectors conducted inspections in a variety of sectors, such as agriculture, construction, elderly care, forestry, and service; however, the government did not report training labor inspectors on identifying trafficking crimes or reporting any potential trafficking crimes to law enforcement. The government made efforts to reduce the demand for commercial sex acts, including by criminalizing the purchase of commercial sex.

Trafficking affects all communities. This section summarizes government and civil society reporting on the nature and scope of trafficking over the past five years. Human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Croatia, and traffickers exploit victims from Croatia abroad. Traffickers also exploit Croatian women and girls in sex trafficking within the country and elsewhere in Europe. Traffickers exploit women and girls from Central Europe, neighboring countries, Brazil, Colombia, China, and Vietnam in sex trafficking in Croatia. Traffickers exploit men from Afghanistan, the Philippines, Nepal, Pakistan, Taiwan, and Thailand in forced labor in the agricultural sector. Traffickers also exploit men in forced begging and forced criminality, including theft and fraud. Traffickers increasingly use the internet, particularly social media platforms, to recruit children for sex trafficking. Undocumented migrants and asylum-seekers traveling or being smuggled through Croatia are vulnerable to trafficking, particularly women and unaccompanied children. Persons experiencing homelessness, children in the social welfare system, and persons with mental and physical disabilities are particularly vulnerable to trafficking.