In the past two and a half years, 64 foreign women have been prosecuted for exploiting prostitution. Albania has become not only a tourist destination but also a place where the number of girls exploited for sexual services is increasing. According to police, most come from Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europe. The main centers of prostitution are Tirana, Durrës, Vlora, Saranda, Elbasan, and Shkodra. The Vatra Center reports that some girls arrive through employment agencies to work as waitresses, dancers, or baristas, or even on tourist visas, only to end up victims of trafficking.
By Sebi Alla
The two months Xh.Sh spent between Saranda and Vlora were far from tourism. Together with her friend, from May 16 until July 18 of this year, she found herself in two rooms of an apartment, where men frequently came to receive sexual services. One month after being detained by police, Xh.Sh. (note: initials changed for security and ethical reasons) still shows signs of trauma, fear, gratitude for the shelter and free food, but also the ongoing drama that haunts her. In her testimony to Faktoje.al, amidst uncertainty and fear, she blames herself more than the still-unidentified “tutor.” “Because of a wrong choice and misplaced trust in someone, I went through this situation; these are all my decisions, so I have to bear the consequences,” says 38-year-old Xh.Sh., who recalls with difficulty providing sexual services to up to five men a day. She has a minor son in China, which is her greatest worry. From the day she arrived in Rinas, her passport was taken by her tutor, who remains unidentified.
“At night, I cry more. I miss my son,” she says, constantly clenching her hands and giving very short answers when asked about the people who exploited her. Fear and caution remain because she still does not know her fate, even though the police have referred the case for “engaging in prostitution” and she has been recognized as a “trafficking victim.”
This is a glimpse into the life of a Chinese woman who ended up in Albania’s prostitution oasis, which in the past three years has grown as much as tourism in the country.
From 4 Continents
In recent years, partly due to the growing number of foreign tourists, well-organized criminal groups have increasingly viewed Albania as a potential haven for bringing women into the country for prostitution. According to official sources from the State Police, Asia, Latin America, Africa, and Eastern Europe are the four continents from which women arrive throughout the year, especially during the summer season, on tourist visas or work permits; these women face a high risk of being exploited in prostitution. “Currently, we are identifying victims from different continents (Africa, Asia, and Latin America), who are brought to Albania or transit through our territory. At the same time, there are cases where Albanian and foreign women take on organizing roles in these networks, not just as victims,” the State Police told Faktoje.al.
“We are identifying girls coming from countries such as Ghana, the Philippines, China, Brazil, Vietnam, Colombia, Ukraine, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Peru, and others,” law enforcement officials highlight. Entela Avduli, representative of the “Vatra” Center in Vlora, also stated to Faktoje.al that cases of trafficking involving foreign women exploited for sexual services have been steadily increasing.
“In 2024, across all centers, 39 cases have been handled, the majority involving girls trafficked for prostitution purposes, mainly from Asia and Latin America. In our center alone, 22 women are currently receiving support this year,” Avduli said
Police figures: “Prostitution involving foreigners is increasing”
“For 2023 – 70 cases were documented (police operations), involving 161 perpetrators (2 foreign nationals). For 2024, 76 cases have been documented, involving 133 perpetrators (27 foreign nationals), and for the period January – June 2025, 37 cases have been documented, involving 81 perpetrators (25 foreign nationals),” official sources from the State Police told Faktoje.al regarding the number of foreign nationals involved in trafficking and prostitution. These figures concern cases reported under “exploitation of prostitution,” according to Article 114 of the Penal Code, while the number of individuals prosecuted in a free state for engaging in prostitution is much higher.
Prostitution: Ballerinas and Baristas with Work Permits
From the outset, identifying these cases is very challenging for the State Police. Girls arriving from Asia, Latin America, Africa, and Eastern Europe come in two main ways: on tourist visas or work permits. “They arrive through employment agencies to work as waitresses, dancers, baristas, etc., but some also come with tourist visas. The cases we’ve handled involved fully organized networks managing them for prostitution. Someone would find them a job, then a recruiter, someone else would secure the premises, or even clients,” says Entela Avduli, a director at the Vatra Center. This center specifically addresses trafficking cases and provides psycho-social services, as well as shelter and security for trafficking victims. Cases uncovered by police are referred to the three “Vatra” centers nationwide, as well as other NGOs that specialize in sheltering and integrating both local and foreign trafficking victims.
“Elite” prostitution Girls choose their clients.
“There are several online platforms which, according to our checks, are registered via IPs in Ukraine and operate for prostitution purposes. Girls communicate online with clients, Albanian or foreign, provide their age, photos, and once the price and sexual services are agreed upon, they arrange a meeting at a specific location, which could be an apartment rented without a contract or a motel,” an officer from the anti-trafficking sector told Faktoje.al on condition of anonymity. This form of prostitution is considered more “elite” because the girls themselves choose this type of work somewhat independently. Most participants are women from Eastern Europe and Latin America. Payments range from 100 to 300 euros.
Another cover for prostitution remains massage and beauty centers. “There are many massage centers, mainly those employing foreign women, which also provide sexual services for payment,” the officer added, noting that authorities have successfully targeted networks in some cases when agents went undercover, subsequently identifying women offering paid sexual services.
Massage centers “shelters for prostitution”
“What often happens is that an older woman, who has previously engaged in or exploited women for sexual services, effectively manages these centers and supervises the employed women. She sets prices and creates a sense of security, but in many cases, the women are kept isolated, their passports are taken, or they are threatened that if they leave or report the situation, there will be consequences,” says an anti-trafficking officer. He adds that most of these women are Asian, offering paid sexual services through massage centers.
Another form of exploitation involves individuals who either own or are connected to some of the owners or managers of bars, nightclubs, or hotels. “In nightclubs or small hotels, we have found cases where foreign women, and sometimes Albanian women, appear to work as dancers, waitresses, or baristas, but when clients request sexual services, they are provided by these women,” the officer explains. He stresses that this is a more severe form of exploitation because these women are often mistreated, and significant sums of money from sexual services are kept from them.
Women Exploiting Women
Recruitment and exploitation networks…
Although cases of prostitution exploitation are increasing and involve women as perpetrators, the number of convicted or detained women for this crime remains low. Official data from the General Directorate of Prisons show that five women, one with a final sentence and four others in detention, have been prosecuted for prostitution exploitation. However, the number of women prosecuted under precautionary measures such as “house arrest”, “mandatory check-ins”, or “released pending investigation”, many of whom are foreign nationals, is much higher. This is partly because courts consider the fact that they are women and often impose more lenient measures.
“We are seeing more and more cases where organized foreign groups are involved in prostitution exploitation or other criminal activities,” says Entela Avduli, representative of the Vatra Center. “The women are recruited. Their “work” is arranged. Someone meets them at Rinas, usually a taxi driver assigned specifically for them, takes them to a hotel or rented house, and then these women provide sexual services for payment,” Avduli adds.
A fact confirmed by police structures, which emphasize that in the majority of uncovered cases the exploited women came voluntarily and were aware that they would be exploited for prostitution purposes, but over time they come under pressure from these criminal networks that retain their passports or even threaten them through relatives they left in their home country.
A blind eye to tourism?
While the number of foreign women providing sexual services in Albania is increasing, law enforcement structures are somewhat unprepared, and this is because this type of prostitution does not involve the classical elements of violence from groups that exploit women against their will. Many of them choose Albania to engage in prostitution for payment, also due to the large number of foreign tourists in the country.
“It is almost like a ‘demand-supply’ situation for paid sexual services, and not by chance during the tourist season, the women who offer sexual services for money move to coastal areas,” a police source told Faktoje.al. Avduli expressed the same view, referring to cases handled by the Vatra center. The most problematic areas are Tirana, Durrës, Vlora, Saranda, Elbasan, and Shkodra. “The State Police has drafted and is implementing a detailed plan of measures for the 2025 summer tourist season, with a special focus on tourist areas, to guarantee order, public safety, and to prevent criminal activities, including trafficking for purposes of prostitution,” the police officially state.
Victims of trafficking: We need to escape as soon as possible!
Girls who have been trafficked and prosecuted for prostitution are sent to treatment centers and placed under constant monitoring by the police and the Office of Immigration and Asylum. “Most of them are repatriated voluntarily. While another part remain here, and we have found them safe employment since they receive a special residence permit from the Immigration and Asylum offices,” says Entela Avduli, representative of the Vatra Center, adding that usually they stay in the centers for up to three months, but there is also another major challenge regarding documentation. Many of the women arrested and prosecuted for “engaging in prostitution” do not have passports, as their pimps had taken them the moment they first stepped onto Albanian soil. “For victims of trafficking in general, both foreigners and Albanians, what we identify is only the tip of the iceberg, because trafficking is a process and a phenomenon with networks and methods that require time to be uncovered and dismantled,” stresses Avduli. One of them is Xh.Sh, who in her testimony states that her passport was taken by “someone I didn’t know,” but who had told her that a better life awaited her shortly after arriving in Albania. “I came because someone told me they would help me get a visa for Italy, where it is easy to go from here,” says Xh.Sh, but what she found was two months of slavery and an ongoing drama, without identity and burdened by the sorrow of leaving behind her son in China, whom she says is cared for by an elderly man. “Maybe I won’t tell my child, because I don’t want my child to be ashamed of me…” concludes Xh.Sh, one of the hundreds of foreign women who see Albania as an oasis where one can earn money by offering sexual services.
