Organized crime on the balkan route (analysis of the G. I. report – on organized crime on the balkan route)

Organizirana kriminaliteta za regijo Zahodnega Balkana predstavlja enega najresnejših problemov. Vse od obdobja vojn v nekdanji Jugoslaviji se je organiziranost kriminalnih skupin ter prisotnost korupcije občutno stopnjevala. Kljub morebitnemu zmotnemu prepričanju, da se stanje izboljšuje, so množične migracije od leta 2015 dalje ponovno opozorile na problematiko balkanske tihotapske poti, ki je delovala nemoteno s strani zgodovinskih, političnih in gospodarskih sprememb ter se ohranila do danes. Z analizo poročila Global Initiative je v diplomskem delu predstavljeno aktualno stanje organiziranega kriminala na Zahodnem Balkanu, s poudarkom na najranljivejših območjih, na katerih se nahajajo kriminalna žarišča. Opisan je tudi ekosistem kriminala, za katerega je značilen klientelizem, pokroviteljstvo ter v nekaterih primerih prevzem države. Ugotavljamo, da je balkanska pot še vedno aktualna. Glede na gospodarsko ranljivost regije ter oslabljeno pravno državo se poudarja potreba po implementaciji učinkovitih strategij, ki bodo prispevale k uspešnosti državnih institucij v boju proti organizirani kriminaliteti. Medtem, ko lahko razvoj na lokalni ravni ter ukrepi organov pregona zmanjšajo prisotnost določenih kriminalnih dejavnosti na posameznih žariščih, se bodo le te, brez krepitev dobrega upravljanja in integritete, pojavljale drugje. Kriminalne mreže namreč kljub menjavam oblasti ostajajo povezane z državnimi strukturami, kar predstavlja težavo, ki jo bo potrebno odpraviti, če se države želijo pridružiti evropskim integracijam.Organized crime represents one of the gravest problems facing the Western Balkan region. Since the Yugoslav wars in the 1990s, the criminal groups\u27 organization, as well as the presence of corruption, has increased. Despite the wishful thinking that the situation is becoming more stable, the refugee crisis of 2015 once again alerted to the problem of the so-called Balkan route, which managed to remain active without being disrupted by historical, political, and economic changes. Through the analysis of the G. I.\u27s report, we present the current situation of organized crime in the Western Balkans, with particular emphasis on the hotspots of organized crime, located in the most vulnerable areas. We also describe the ecosystem of crime, firmly present in the region and characterized by clientelism, patronage, and in some cases, state capture. We note that the Balkan route continues to be active. Economic vulnerability and a weak rule of law emphasize the need to implement effective strategies that will contribute to the efficiency of state institutions in the fight against organized crime. While local development and law enforcement interventions may reduce criminal activity in some hotspots, others will arise in their place if governance and integrity are not enhanced. Despite the changes of power, criminal networks remain connected to state structures, which constitutes a problem that will have to be solved if the states wish to join the process of European integration