Children on the Move in Albania Response of Child Protection System to Their Needs

This Situational Analysis aims to inform the work and efforts of Mario project partners and of key private and public stakeholders on the functionality and effectiveness of the existing child protection system in Albania, to track and respond to the needs of children on the move, in terms of accessibility, inclusiveness and pro-activity. The main problems children face today in Albania are abuse, violence, exploitation, maltreatment, trafficking, discrimination, neglect, poverty and social exclusion, which have been for years the main focus of the attention of local and international non-profit organizations of the civil society. As at global level, children’s movement is also a widespread social phenomenon in the Balkans, which puts concrete threats to the lives of many children obliged to move for various social and economic reasons. In this situational analysis, researchers carried out extensive desk research, reviewing all the available documentation, particularly official documents and reports to understand the phenomenon of children on the move in Albania, its magnitude and how the current child protection system is tailored to identify and respond to their needs and issues. Children’s perception and views on how the movement has affected their lives and the relation between movement and the vulnerability of children have been assessed as well as children‘s needs and availability of services. The analysis made recommendation for creating a common database, for reviewing the regulatory framework and for better planning of social services at local level with focus to support families and children, and empowerment of CP Units throughout Albania, amongst others. It also put strong emphasis on the establishment of necessary preventative measures.