Bulgaria is a source and transit country for the illegal trafficking of people, according to a report issued by the U.S. State Department released last Thursday.
In the 2001 Trafficking in Persons report, Bulgaria has been placed together with 47 other countries in Tier 2 of the report, which features countries whose governments do not fully comply with the standards of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000, but are making “significant efforts to bring themselves into compliance with them.”
The document points out that even though the Bulgarian government does not yet fully meet the minimum standards, it is making “significant efforts to combat trafficking despite a lack of resources and low-level corruption.” According to the report, Bulgaria does not have specific trafficking laws but can use other provisions to prosecute trafficking.
“The Government does investigate trafficking, encourages victims to testify, and has two police units dedicated to the problem,” the document reads. “Statistics on prosecutions are unavailable, but it appears that few, if any, traffickers have been prosecuted yet. No government programs exist for prevention or protection of victims; however, the Government provides in-kind assistance to NGOs, and refers victims to NGOs for repatriation.”
According to the Act, beginning in 2003, countries which do not comply with the standards of combating trafficking and do not make any efforts in that direction – placement in Tier 3 – will be subject to certain sanctions, principally termination of non-humanitarian, non-trade-related assistance and might face U.S. opposition to assistance from international financial institutions.
“Our report should make it abundantly clear that trafficking is going on all over the world, in both developed and developing countries, even within the United States,” said U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell at a briefing last Thursday. “We hope that this report will help to focus international attention on this abhorrent practice, and galvanize systematic worldwide efforts to combat it.”
According to the report, at least 700,000 persons, especially women and children, are trafficked each year across international borders. The document covers events through April 15, 2001. The coverage focused on trafficking of women and girls for commercial sexual exploitation as well as trafficking of people for forced labour. Data have been collected with the assistance of embassies and NGOs in the respective countries.
Other countries placed in tier 2 together with Bulgaria include Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, France, Sweden, Brazil and Japan. Among the 23 countries in Tier 3 are Russia, Turkey, Albania, Romania, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Greece.
In the 2001 Trafficking in Persons report, Bulgaria has been placed together with 47 other countries in Tier 2 of the report, which features countries whose governments do not fully comply with the standards of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000, but are making “significant efforts to bring themselves into compliance with them.”
The document points out that even though the Bulgarian government does not yet fully meet the minimum standards, it is making “significant efforts to combat trafficking despite a lack of resources and low-level corruption.” According to the report, Bulgaria does not have specific trafficking laws but can use other provisions to prosecute trafficking.
“The Government does investigate trafficking, encourages victims to testify, and has two police units dedicated to the problem,” the document reads. “Statistics on prosecutions are unavailable, but it appears that few, if any, traffickers have been prosecuted yet. No government programs exist for prevention or protection of victims; however, the Government provides in-kind assistance to NGOs, and refers victims to NGOs for repatriation.”
According to the Act, beginning in 2003, countries which do not comply with the standards of combating trafficking and do not make any efforts in that direction – placement in Tier 3 – will be subject to certain sanctions, principally termination of non-humanitarian, non-trade-related assistance and might face U.S. opposition to assistance from international financial institutions.
“Our report should make it abundantly clear that trafficking is going on all over the world, in both developed and developing countries, even within the United States,” said U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell at a briefing last Thursday. “We hope that this report will help to focus international attention on this abhorrent practice, and galvanize systematic worldwide efforts to combat it.”
According to the report, at least 700,000 persons, especially women and children, are trafficked each year across international borders. The document covers events through April 15, 2001. The coverage focused on trafficking of women and girls for commercial sexual exploitation as well as trafficking of people for forced labour. Data have been collected with the assistance of embassies and NGOs in the respective countries.
Other countries placed in tier 2 together with Bulgaria include Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, France, Sweden, Brazil and Japan. Among the 23 countries in Tier 3 are Russia, Turkey, Albania, Romania, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Greece.
