site.btaBulgaria Remains Country of Origin for Victims of Human Trafficking to Western Europe

Bulgaria continues to be predominantly a country of origin for victims of human trafficking to more economically developed countries in Western Europe. This is what Ernesta Ruseva, chief expert of the National Commission for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, told BTA.

The new forms of trafficking in human beings included in the amendments to the European Anti-Trafficking Directive have been identified as such or as having a direct bearing on this crime at the national level. Trafficking in pregnant women for the purpose of selling the newborn, which in practice also includes illegal adoption, for example, is included in the Criminal Code in view of the specificities of this form of trafficking in Bulgaria. Fortunately, according to official data from the prosecutor's office, in recent years these cases have drastically decreased, Ruseva said.

Forced marriages are also seen as a crime close to trafficking in human beings, which can constitute or lead to detention in forced submission or sexual exploitation, she added.