Experts from the National Commission on the Fight against Trafficking in Persons announced at a forum that Bulgaria and Ukraine are the countries with the largest number of victims of trafficking in persons. They suggest that measures be taken against this problem, starting with the organizing school classes in which the students will discuss problems like trafficking, since they are the biggest group at risk.   

The themes which were discussed at the forum were the mechanisms for work and protection of the victims of trafficking, the legislative system, the ways and the forms of prevention, the role of the state institutions and the ways they work together in dealing with this problem.

Antoaneta Vasileva, a chairperson of the forum, stated that Bulgaria is a major crossroads to Europe for trafficking in persons. After the victims reach Central Europe, they are forced into prostitution or put in the position of slaves and exploited.   

She pointed out the groups at risk, the reasons for and the ways to involve people in trafficking, as well as the methods used by the traffickers to attract the victims – through offering work abroad which has a better payment and work conditions, offering high quality education, marriage, kidnapping, emotional attachment of the victim to the trafficker, etc.

It is estimated that a trafficker invests around 500 Euro for a girl used for sex services while the profit from the illegal activity is around 1500-2000 Euro per week. However, there is no concrete data about the profits which the trafficker receives. Statistics show that during 2007, 85 people were sent to prison for trafficking in persons.

Complied from:  Bulgaria and Ukraine Have Largest Number of Victims of Trafficking, DraikNews.bg – Haskovo – 25.07.2008