{"id":14028,"date":"2014-06-23T17:24:52","date_gmt":"2014-06-24T00:24:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.worldvision.org\/?post_type=media-center&p=14028"},"modified":"2017-01-30T17:31:17","modified_gmt":"2017-01-31T01:31:17","slug":"new-hotline-number-and-smartphone-app-make-reporting-trafficking-possible-more","status":"publish","type":"media-center","link":"https:\/\/www.worldvision.org\/about-us\/media-center\/new-hotline-number-and-smartphone-app-make-reporting-trafficking-possible-more","title":{"rendered":"New Hotline Number and Smartphone App Make Reporting Trafficking Possible for more Albanians"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

[vc_row][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_single_image image=”14029″ img_size=”medium” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]Tirana, ALBANIA (June 16, 2014) —<\/strong> Albanians now have the power to quickly, easily, and anonymously report suspected cases of trafficking, the illegal trading of human beings for forced labor or commercial sex work. Starting today, Albanians can report human trafficking from any mobile phone or landline for free using a new national hotline number and can use a new Android smartphone application to quickly report suspected trafficking and locate services for trafficking victims.<\/p>\n

“Today, this application marks a development that unites Albania with other developed countries through this unique hotline and mobile app, known internationally as a means to respond to cases of trafficking,” said Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama this morning. He spoke at the launch of the new national hotline number and app during a conference organized by the Ministry of Internal Affairs<\/a>\/National Coordinator Office for Anti Trafficking, World Vision Albania<\/a>, and the Vodafone Albania Foundation<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Government of Albania<\/a>’s previous national anti-trafficking hotline could not be dialed with a mobile phone. While almost all Albanians have access to a mobile phone, less than 15 percent have landlines, resulting in the old hotline number largely going unused. To change this, World Vision<\/a>, Vodafone<\/a>, and the Government of Albania worked together to identify a new pan-European six digit short code — 116 006. The new number is free of charge and can be used from any phone — mobile or landline. Trafficking reports from the hotline and app (which has the new number built into it) go directly to the operative office in the General Police Department, who will immediately send officers to respond per Albania’s Standard Operating Procedures put in place to combat trafficking in 2011.<\/p>\n

The new Android smartphone app called “Raporto! Shpeto” (Report! Save!) was developed through the support of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and NetHope. It can be downloaded for free from the Google Play store and contains the following features:<\/p>\n