Ida Ismail
In the middle of the night, the illuminated streets of the "former Blloku" in Tirana fill with music, cars and people enjoying the nightlife. But, amidst the lights and noise, another reality appears: Minor children, with bouquets of flowers in their hands, wandering among the cars to sell. They are mainly aged between 7-13 years old, who instead of sleeping, spend the late hours of the night asking for a few lekë.
In many cases they are not alone. Some of them are accompanied by adults who watch them from a distance and collect their profits at the end of the night. The seemingly innocent sale of a flower often hides behind it a chain of exploitation, where someone else benefits, not the child.
This phenomenon, once limited to the spring season with mimosa flowers, has today become an everyday part of the city: In front of tourists during the day, in front of bars at night. For most of these children, this “work” is not a choice, but an obligation, often imposed by their families, who benefit from their work.
Laws exist, but protection is lacking
Lawyer Alban Duraj says that the Albanian legal framework is complete to prohibit the economic exploitation of children, but the problem lies in implementation.
"The laws are clear, any form of exploitation for monetary gain is prohibited and punishable, both nationally and internationally. But, on the ground, children continue to work, be exploited and left without protection," Duraj emphasizes.
The legal framework is broad:
- The Constitution (Article 54) guarantees special protection for children from violence and exploitation.
- The Labor Code prohibits the employment of children under 16 years of age, except in cases of "light work" that does not harm their health or education.
- The Law on Child Protection (No. 18/2017) prohibits any form of work that endangers the health, education or development of a child and provides for fines of up to 100 thousand lek for violators.
- The Criminal Code (Article 124/b) considers it a criminal offense to force, induce, or exploit minors for work or begging, punishable by up to 5 years in prison.
The exploitation of children on the streets of Tirana is not only a consequence of poverty, but also of a lack of institutional accountability. The State Agency for Child Rights and Protection has a key role in identifying and addressing cases of exploitation, but it seems to be failing to act on this phenomenon.
Meanwhile, police patrols at night stop vehicles for alcohol tests, but do not intervene to remove children who wander the streets to sell flowers.
"Children do not have to be on the streets. It is the duty of the state to protect them, not leave them in the hands of those who profit from their poverty," Duraj adds.
In Tirana, children begging or selling flowers have become a common sight. Passersby are used to seeing them, and often help them out of pity. But every coin given, in fact, feeds a hidden system of exploitation.
GRETA's latest report, the Council of Europe expert group against trafficking in human beings, of June 2025, assessed Albania's progress in implementing the Convention on Action against Trafficking, but warns that efforts are still needed to guarantee real protection, support and justice for victims, especially in the field of protecting the rights of minors.
The report again raises the ongoing concern about children working or living on the streets, describing this as a form of economic exploitation linked to trafficking. Although the law obliges municipalities to create field teams to identify these children, most of them have not yet implemented this obligation. The organization “Nisma ARSIS” is one of the few that provides support to street children, including those who work, but its capacities are limited.
Instead of being at school or asleep, these children stand at traffic lights and in front of bars until after midnight, at risk of traffic, violence, or abuse. And while the laws speak of protection, the reality on the streets tells another story: A society that has learned to coexist with the exploitation of its children. /acqj.al
