site.btaLabour Migration Pitfalls and Opportunities Discussed at International Conference in Sofia

An international conference mottoed Human Trafficking: The Route of Labour Migration – Pitfalls and Opportunities for Third-Country Nationals, was held in Sofia on Thursday. The event was organized by Bulgaria's National Commission for Combating Human Trafficking (NCCHT) in partnership with the Romanian office of the International Justice Mission (IJM).

Participants from various institutions and intergovernmental organizations, migration experts, law enforcement representatives, and national industry, trade union and non-governmental organizations discussed the practical aspects of policies in this field. The discussions also covered the links between legal employment opportunities and the risks of falling into human trafficking faced by citizens of third countries.

Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister and NCCHT Chairman Atanas Zafirov said human trafficking is a crime that demands collective and decisive action. "We are facing a dynamic and evolving migration landscape," Zafirov added. According to him, the NCCHT plays a crucial coordinating role, and our national mechanism for victim support is a model of coordinated action. Bulgaria is committed to continuing the fight against human trafficking by enhancing the legislative framework, Zafirov said. He emphasized the importance of improving labour legislation, including in the area of labour intermediaries. According to him, Bulgaria’s full membership in Schengen opens up many opportunities related to market access but also poses certain risks. "We must ensure that every person seeking a better life and honest work is protected," Zafirov said during the forum.

Emil Radev, Member of the European Parliament (GERB/EPP), Vice-Chair of the Committee on Legal Affairs, said: "We should not allow labour migration to be a trap for exploitation." In Radev's view, labour migration is a reality that cannot be ignored, especially at a time when Europe is experiencing labour shortages in certain sectors. "In today's world, looking for work increasingly means crossing borders, but this should not be at the expense of violating human rights", the MEP stressed.

EU Anti-Trafficking Coordinator Diane Schmitt noted that trafficking in human beings for labour exploitation has increased by 51%, with 63% of registered victims being non-European Union (EU) nationals, i.e. migrants. She said migrants need to know how they can seek legal work abroad and how to avoid fake offers. They need to know how or what their rights are and where they can get support in case something goes wrong, Schmitt said. The European Commission has launched an awareness-raising campaign on human trafficking in general and is currently in contact with Bulgaria for its second phase, she added. She said migrants are often at a higher risk of being exploited and traffickers take advantage of their vulnerability. While the focus of the conference is on labour migration, labour mobility and exploitation, let's not forget other forms of trafficking and possible links, Schmitt urged. For example, sexual exploitation, forced begging, forced criminality. She highlighted that many victims of trafficking are EU citizens, including many Bulgarian citizens. There is a link to migration, but the fight against trafficking is not only about migration, the EU Anti-Trafficking Coordinator stressed.

Shawn Kohl, Director of the European Programme for Combating Human Trafficking at the IJM, said that Bulgaria, both a source and destination for trafficking victims, is facing a growing challenge in the area of labour exploitation. "As Bulgaria marks just over a month since joining Schengen, we are at a critical moment, reflecting on the opportunities and responsibilities that this transition brings in shaping national and EU policies on labour migration," Kohl commented. "Improved cross-border cooperation is crucial for ending human trafficking, and we must be smarter in how we approach this issue." He added that businesses also have a role to play in ensuring ethical hiring practices and fair treatment of migrant workers. "We need to be smarter, better coordinated, and ensure that the business model of selling human beings will be stopped. Just saying these words – buying and selling human beings – is incredibly difficult. But we must speak these truths and bring them to light in order to address them," Kohl said.