ASTRA

Over half a million people, mainly women and children, fall victim to trafficking every year. This problem particularly hits the Balkans, owing to the militarization of the region in the previous decade, its geographical position and the difficult economic situation. Today, Republic of Serbia is a country of destination, transit and origin of the trafficked victims.

ASTRA is a Belgrade-based local grass-root anti-trafficking organization established in 2000 as the first actor to raise the issue of human trafficking in Serbia. As a leader in the counter-trafficking effort in Serbia, since it was founded, ASTRA has applied holistic approach to the human trafficking problem, i.e. it has been dealing with all forms of human trafficking and all categories of survivors – women, children and men, focusing its activities concurrently on prevention, education, public awareness raising, direct victim assistance and reintegration, research and networking. ASTRA runs the first SOS hotline service in Serbia specialized for the problem of human trafficking, i.e. for preventive support and for assistance and support to victims of trafficking.