A/HRC/44/45/Add.1 Annex Report of the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children, on her visit to Montenegro I. Introduction 1. On the invitation of Montenegro, the Special Rapporteur conducted an official visit to the country from 1 to 8 November 2019 to assess the situation of trafficking in persons, especially women and children, and identify the progress made and remaining challenges in combating that human rights violation. 2. The Special Rapporteur would like to express her sincere gratitude to the Government for the invitation and the full cooperation extended to her prior to and during the visit, which demonstrates the country’s commitment to combating trafficking in persons. 3. In Montenegro, the Special Rapporteur met with ministers and government officials from the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health, the Office of the Head State Prosecutor, the Supreme Court and the Police Directorate, the President of the parliamentary Committee on Human Rights and Freedoms and the Deputy Ombudsperson for children rights, social prevention and youth and her staff. She visited the registration and reception centre for foreigners and asylum seekers in Spuz and the alternative accommodation centre for asylum seekers in Konik. She also met with civil society organizations working on the issue of trafficking in persons and related matters and visited two shelters, one in Niksic and one in Podgorica. She also held discussions with the United Nations resident coordinator and representatives of United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, as well as with members of the diplomatic community present in Montenegro. II. Main findings A. Forms and manifestations of trafficking in persons 4. Despite the fact that insufficient official information is available, it is known that Montenegro is a country of transit and destination for migrants following the so-called “Balkan route”. Given their situation of vulnerability, migrants face the risk of being trafficked and exploited during their journey. However, internal trafficking also occurs, especially affecting Roma communities. 5. Trafficking is believed to be particularly present in the coastal part of the country and to occur primarily during the summer season, and trafficking in persons for the purposes of sexual exploitation, labour exploitation, domestic servitude and begging has raised concerns. In a recently identified case, two Pakistani men were victims of trafficking in persons for the purposes of labour exploitation within the context of the hospitality industry. Civil society expressed concern that the actual number of cases was greater than what had currently been identified. Civil society reported allegations of women and girls trafficked for sexual exploitation in clubs and hotels, as well as in yachts placed outside the coast of Montenegro, but there has been no official identification of such cases. Potential victims in coastal towns would be both nationals of Montenegro and those of neighbouring countries. 6. Children, particularly from non-domiciled Roma communities, are vulnerable to forced and organized begging, while girls, both from Montenegro and abroad, have reportedly been sold into marriage in Roma communities in Montenegro and other countries. The cases identified in the past year in which prosecution had been initiated include the case of a Roma girl who was sold by her father for €5,000 into an arranged 2