The number of street children in Albania today is thought to be over 340, Minister of Interior Saimir Tahiri stated as he addressed anti-human-trafficking conference in Tirana on Friday.
Interior Minister pointed to the facts that a large number of children are seen begging or illegally working in the country’s streets.
“As a parent, I feel sad seeing children begging. According to report, in Albania there are 340 street children, but we all know this number is much higher. This phenomenon should be eradicated,” Tahiri stated.
He called for strict implantation of the legislation and the Criminal Code providing for 10 years’ imprisonment for those who abandon children.
“Every begging child is primarily a victim of his or her family. Police will immediately seek implementation of the legislation envisaging 10 years’ imprisonment for those abandoning their children or forcing them to beg on the streets,” he said, adding it’s time to strengthen identification mechanism of human and children trafficking cases.