The US recommends to the authorities in North Macedonia to carry out stricter investigations, prosecute and punish suspected human traffickers, as well as not to expel officials who are suspected of cooperation, Telegraph Macedonia reports.

The government of North Macedonia does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of human trafficking, but it is making significant efforts in this direction, according to this year's Report on the Prevention of Human Trafficking, which was published last night by the US State.

Department.

According to the report, North Macedonia is on the second level together with eighty countries of the world, among which are Albania, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Italy.

By comparison, in the top tier number 1, are the USA, Canada, France, USA, Finland, where efforts to prevent human trafficking are significantly higher.

In the 2021 report, it is stated that the authorities of North Macedonia have undertaken efforts for the judicial resolution of some cases and have developed an approach that is oriented towards the post-traumatic protection of victims and children from human trafficking.

However, it added that standards in some key areas have not been met.

"The number of charges against human traffickers has decreased, while the police still face a lack of sufficient funding and equipment to conduct proactive investigations," reads part of the report.

The text states that the Public Prosecutor's Office for the Prosecution of Organized Crime and Corruption did not have sufficient resources, personnel and digital management capacity to deal with all the cases under its jurisdiction.

Criticism has also been made of insufficient funding for the necessary police teams.

/Telegraph/