Balkans declared ‘safe’

The United Nations Office on Drugs & Crime (UNODC) on May 29 released a 126-page report, “Crime and Its Impact on the Balkans and Affected Countries,” stating, “Surprising as it may be, the Balkan region is one of the safest in Europe.”

For the purposes of the report, the Balkans were defined as the nine nations of the Stability Pact: Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania and Serbia.

The report’s preface continued: “At present, the levels of crime against people and property are lower than elsewhere in Europe, and the number of murders is falling in every Balkan country. The trend is likely to continue as these countries strengthen their justice systems, raise their living standards, become more integrated with the rest of Europe, and reap the benefits of having a well-educated and highly skilled workforce.”

“This Report provides evidence that the Balkans are departing from an era when demagogues, secret police, and thugs profited from sanctions busting, and the smuggling of people, arms, cigarettes and drugs. While South Eastern Europe is still a major transit route for heroin, and some countries of the region remain affected by organized crime and corruption, the stereotype of the Balkans as a gangsters’ paradise no longer applies — though serious problems remain.”