With the aim of facilitating and promoting the exchange of information between the two countries on good practices in the protection of unaccompanied minors, Terre des hommes organized a three-day study visit in Lyon, France with representatives of the French justice and protection system for minors and Albanian institutional actors from the Ministry of the Interior, the Special Structure Against Organized Crime and Corruption (SPAK), the General Prosecutor's Office, as well as the State Agency for Children's Rights and Protection.
The meetings served to identify the opportunities for expanded operational partnership between the French and Albanian authorities, with a focus on strengthening the system of referral and exchange of information to guarantee a better protection of unaccompanied children in France.
This visit was organized with the support of the Permanent Representation of France to the United Nations and international organizations in Vienna (PP UN Vienna), within the project "Prevention and protection from trafficking of unaccompanied Albanian minors in France", implemented by Terre des hommes Albania.
This project follows the round table discussion on Albanian minors who are victims of human trafficking for criminal purposes and forced begging in France. The discussion was organized in November 2022 by the French Embassy in Albania and brought together approximately forty key stakeholders from both countries. The information is based on a study conducted by sociologist Olivier Peyroux on Albanian minors who are coerced into criminal activities and begging in France. The study primarily focuses on activating key stakeholders in Albania and France and using an interdisciplinary approach to locate, identify, protect, and support victims, as well as collect information about their involvement in criminal offenses.
