SUFFICIENCY OF PROTECTION
61 . The Home Office Presenting Officer submitted that , if the Appellant were returned to Albania, she would be protected by her own family. The Appellant had told Dr Ceasar and said in her evidence that when she did escape from her traffickers and went to her family home, she was rejected for having started a relationship against their wishes. As I have found, applying the requisite low standard of proof, that the account given by the Appellant is credible, I find that this is the case. It is also in accordance with the objective evidence relating to the position of women in Albania and the strict moral code which is expected of them. 62 . At the hearing, the Home Office Presenting Officer also made his submissions on the basis that the Appellant would give birth to her illegitimate child on or around 17 July 2018. Therefore, I have taken this into account when considering whether she would be sufficiently protected in Albania in the future . Having given birth to an illegitimate child will be a further barrier to being reunited with her family as in TD and AD the Upper Tribunal found that:
“Much of Albanian society is governed by a strict code of honour which not only means that trafficked women would have very considerable difficulty in reintegrating into their home areas on return but also will affect their ability to relocate internally. Those who have children outside marriage are particularly vulnerable. In extreme cases the close relatives of the trafficked woman may refuse to have the trafficked woman’s child return with her and could force her to abandon the child”. 63 . In the alternative, the Home Office Presenting Officer , and the Respondent in the refusal letter , relied on the fact that the Appellant would be able to turn to a shelter for support . In relation to the availability of shelters in Albania, I note that in TD and AD the Upper Tribunal found that:
“There is now in place a reception and reintegration programme for victims of trafficking. Returning victims of trafficking are able to stay in a shelter on arrival, and in ‘heavy cases’ may be able to stay there for up to 2 years. During this initial period after return victims of trafficking are supported and protected. Unless the individual has particular vulnerabilities , such as physical or mental health issues, this option cannot generally be said to be unreasonable; whether it is must be determined on a case by case basis”. 6 4 . T he medical evidence indicates that the Appellant is an individual who does have particular vulnerabilities. In particular, in a letter, dated 26 June 2017, Dr Ceaser confirmed that the Appellant was experiencing symptoms of Type 2 Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, also known as Complex Trauma and that she often experiences thoughts that life is not worth living. She also noted that if the Appellant feels under threat she will immediately try to remove herself from the situation. This and other parts of the medical evidence indicate that there is a serious possibility that the Appellant would not be able to benefit from a reception and reintegration programme. 65 . At the hearing the Respondent did not submit that the Appellant would be able to turn to the Albanian police for support. This correlated with the unchallenged assertion by the Appellant in her asylum interview that the police had collaborated with her traffickers and that some of those who sexually exploited her were themselves policemen. 66 . For all these reasons and applying the requisite low standard of proof, I find that there would not be a sufficiency of protection for the Appellant in Albania.