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Silence on child exploitation/ Minors on the streets of Tirana, in the hands of tutors

2025-07-15 13:19:00, Denoncim CNA

In the heart of the capital, amidst the noise of cars and the footsteps of passers-by, a painful reality appears before our eyes every day: minor children begging on the streets of Tirana.

Many of them are forced onto the streets by their own parents or guardians, becoming victims of open and continuous exploitation.

Although the Municipality of Tirana and relevant institutions claim to have programs in place to help children in need, cases on the streets show the opposite - the phenomenon is not only not disappearing, but seems to be increasing.

VIDEO- Bitter reality in the heart of Tirana/ Minors exploited until late at night
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The exploitation of street children is not only a social challenge, but an alarm for the entire society. Every child deserves their childhood, and not to spend it in the rain, dust and indifference, let alone be a victim of exploitation.

Faced with this reality, silence is no longer an option.

Institutions must act, not tomorrow, but today. Because every day on the street is a day stolen from their childhood and their lives.

In the Tirana of 2025, the scene of minor children begging on the streets is not just painful – it is an alarm bell.

According to data from the State Agency for Child Rights and Protection, last year 141 children were registered in a "street situation" in Albania, of whom 37 turned out to be victims of trafficking, although the official figures do not seem to be the real ones, as with a brief observation on the main streets of Tirana, it is easy to see that the reality may be even more bitter.

In 2024, a local organization registered 240 cases of children involved in street work or begging in Tirana, while in the first quarter of 2025 alone, 102 new cases were registered.

Dozens of cases of parents being prosecuted have been officially reported, but this does not seem to stop them from returning to the streets with their children.

State and local institutions, including the Municipality of Tirana and the ASHDMF, should assess: Is increasing the level of family and social support sufficient? Or should the identification and rehabilitation systems be completely reformed?

Children in street situations remain an unresolved concern over the years, although there is no shortage of programs and funds to treat and eradicate this phenomenon.

State organizations and institutions are also not lacking, nor are laws, which are clearly formulated, but reading and implementation fail. The protection of children from any kind of abuse through exploitation as an economic resource or mistreatment from parental neglect of their care, is present.

Article 54, point 3 of the Constitution of Albania, states:

"Every child has the right to be protected from violence, abuse, exploitation and use for work, especially below the minimum age for child labour, that may harm his or her health, morals or endanger his or her life or normal development."

Law No. 18/2017 on the Rights and Protection of Children, article 64, point 1 guarantees "the protection of children from economic exploitation of minors".

Child protection structures have the duty to actively identify and prioritize any reported case of exploited children, including children in street situations.

"These structures are responsible and have the right to take concrete actions, with the support of State Police bodies, to remove the child from a situation of economic exploitation or a street situation," the law states.

About 2 years ago, at least from the information that has been officially provided, the police and the Municipality of Tirana organized the establishment of several working groups that would monitor the terrain with the aim of identifying, assessing needs, providing assistance or referring cases and holding those responsible legally accountable.

The plan of measures was aimed at protecting children, but why did this goal not continue in 2024 or even to this day? Why does the state police not react, but even if they react, it is not visible from the situation on the streets.

In these hot July days, the situation remains extremely alarming. The high temperatures have shifted the exploitation of minors to the late evening hours, as can be seen from these, where their parents or guardians sit on this bench, while the minors wander between vehicles to take what little money they can be offered./ CNA