The Plight of People – Human Trafficking in Bulgaria

The United Nations Organization adopted the Palermo Protocol in the year 2000 to Prevent,
Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children. The protocol
defines Human Trafficking as;

“the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons, by means of the

threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the
abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or
benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose
of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of
others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor or services, slavery or practices similar
to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs.”

Almost two decades later from the adoption of the protocol, the number of human traffickers is
still a big figure in many parts of the world. The number of cases of trafficking of persons is still
a major concern in many nations specifically in Asia and Europe. The following article would be
focusing on some major reasons and purposes of ‘Human Trafficking’ in Bulgaria, a developing
nation in Eastern Europe.

Human Trafficking in Bulgaria

Bulgaria, a country in Eastern Europe, became a part of the European Union (EU) in the year
2007. After a huge fall of communist form of government, the political sense of the nation
changed drastically. The changed scenario led to many economic and social problems which
included high rate of poverty and unemployment. Even after having a consistent economic
growth and high level of foreign investments since the year 2004, the country still lacks a strong
judiciary and organized crime still remains a major challenge.

According to the U.S. State Dept Trafficking in Persons Report (June, 2009);
[Extracted from U.S State Dept Trafficking in Persons Report 2009]

Bulgaria is a source, transit, and, to a lesser extent, a destination country for men, women, and
children from Ukraine, Moldova, and Romania trafficked to and through Bulgaria to Germany,
Belgium, France, Italy, Spain, Austria, Norway, the Czech Republic, Poland, Greece, Turkey,
and Macedonia for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor. Ethnic
Roma women and children remain highly vulnerable to trafficking. Children are trafficked
within Bulgaria and to Greece and the United Kingdom for the purposes of forced begging and
forced petty theft.
Around 15 percent of identified trafficking victims in Bulgaria are children. Bulgarian women
and some men are trafficked internally, primarily to resort areas along the Black Sea coast and in
border towns with Greece, for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor.
The Government of Bulgaria does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the
elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so.

Reasons of Human Trafficking

1. Fall of the government: Due to the failure of the communist regimes in the continent,
the government of the country fell miserably leading to people indulging in organized
crimes more easily. The effects of the failure also further led people to indulge in crimes,
mainly trafficking of persons.
2. Unemployment: One of the major after effects of the failure of government.
Unemployment led many people to be sex workers or work as cheap laborers ultimately
leading the traffickers to take advantage of their misery.
3. Poverty: An after effect of Unemployment, poverty remains one of the key reasons for
people to indulge themselves in such activities which eventually are used by human
traffickers for their advantage. From forced labor to begging rackets, the traffickers use
people’s poverty to their benefit and purpose.
4. Refuge: A large number of Syrian refugees are a part of the people in the country of
Bulgaria. The refugees, in order to stay and keep a shelter on their heads, are often easily
convinced by human traffickers to be exploited in sex industry, especially children and
women.

Purpose of Human Traffickers

The two major purposes for Human Trafficking in Bulgaria are;

 Sexual Exploitation: This type of exploitation generally includes women and children,
who are either forced to work in sex industry (pornography) or are sold in the sex market
(prostitution/brothels/pedophiles). Traffickers are often very familiar to the victim, such
as neighbor, friend or even lover.
 Forced Labor Exploitation: The victims are often forced to work at places far away
from their homes, hidden locations including mining camps and shady agricultural
fields. The victims are lured into work by binding contracts but later on are made to
work like slaves in form of forced labor.

Mechanisms of Prevention

1. Education
2. Employment
3. Migration
4. Labor Safeguards
 5. Health Services
6. Internet Protection

Author – Rhythm Katyal, Second Year Learner, Symbiosis Law School NOIDA