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PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHSF #0124/01 0601154
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 291154Z FEB 08
FM AMEMBASSY SOFIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4802
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC
RUEAHLC/HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHINGTON DC
RUEAUSA/LABOR DEPT WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 08 SOFIA 000124 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR G/TIP (Hall), G, INL, DRL, IWI, PRM, EUR/PGI, EUR/NCE 
(TURNER) 
DEPARTMENT PASS TO USAID 
DOJ FOR OPDAT, ICITAP, CEOS, AND CRD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM KCRM KWMN SMIG KFRD ASEC PREF ELAB BU
SUBJECT: BULGARIA: 2008 ANTI-TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS (TIP) REPORT 
 
REF: STATE 2731 
 
¶1.   SUMMARY:  This cable provides Embassy Sofia's input for the 
eighth annual Anti-Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report.  Bulgaria is 
primarily a country of origin and transit, and to a lesser degree a 
country of destination for human trafficking.  The past year has 
seen a significant energizing of the government's leading 
anti-trafficking agency - the National Commission for Combating 
Trafficking in Persons (the Commission).  It is finally fully 
staffed, has its own office and receives sufficient resources to 
implement prevention campaigns as well as to coordinate a 
comprehensive approach to victim identification and protection at 
both national and local level.  The government has continued to 
implement anti-trafficking legislation and related regulations 
emphasizing the close cooperation between law enforcement and NGOs 
in countering trafficking. 
 
¶2.  Senior GOB officials, even President Georgi Parvanov, spoke out 
publicly against trafficking in persons, demonstrating renewed 
government commitment to this issue. After strong public statements 
by the Prosecutor General, the Interior Minister publicly opposed 
efforts to legalize prostitution initiated within his ministry in 
¶2006.  Anti-trafficking advocates worried that legalization would 
fuel human trafficking. This about-face by the GOB is significant, 
given the powerful business interests, including the National 
Tourism Board, who initially advocated for legalization. 
 
Primary point of contact on trafficking is Political Officer Joslyn 
Mack- Wilson (mack-wislonjg@state.gov, tel: +359 2937 5276, fax: 
+359 2937 5320).  Approximately 100 hours of staff time were 
required for the completion of this report.  END SUMMARY. 
 
-------- 
OVERVIEW 
-------- 
 
¶A.   Bulgaria is primarily a country of origin and transit, and to a 
lesser extent a country of destination for trafficking in persons. 
Law enforcement officials reported an increase in the number of 
cases of Bulgarian citizens trafficked within the country.  Internal 
trafficking is primarily for purposes of sexual exploitation, 
particularly in the resort areas along the Black Sea coast and in 
border towns with Greece. 
 
Most victims trafficked from or through Bulgaria are sent to 
Germany, Belgium, France, Italy, Spain, Austria and other Western 
European countries.  Bulgarian victims are also trafficked to 
destinations in the Balkans - Greece, Turkey, and Macedonia.  The 
business of prostitution in these areas has traditionally centered 
around bars and nightclubs, but NGOs report that law enforcement 
pressure has caused a shift toward call-girl operations managed from 
private apartments.  Because they operate away from the public eye, 
such prostitution networks are harder for NGOs and law enforcement 
to monitor and may contribute to a less clear picture of 
intra-Balkan trafficking networks. 
 
The prosecution service reported 288 victims of trafficking in 2007, 
of them 53 were under the age of 18. 
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported 
assisting 61 victims in Bulgaria in 2007, compared to 82 victims 
assisted in 2006.  Of the victims assisted in 2007, 3 were foreign 
women trafficked to or through Bulgaria. 
 
The Supreme Cassation Prosecution Service gathers information from 
all prosecution offices on all trafficking cases from their 
initiation through sentencing.  The International Organization for 
Migration (IOM) maintains information on the number of trafficking 
victims based on cases it has actually assisted in its centers. 
NGOs, including the Nadja Centre Foundation (NCF) and Animus 
Association Foundation (AAF), also maintain information on the 
number of trafficking victims that they have actually assisted. 
 
Under the auspices of a multinational project, funded by the United 
States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented 
by the International Center for Migration Policy Development 
(ICMPD), the National Commission for Combating Trafficking in 
Persons (the Commission) has been designated a focal point for 
collection and maintenance of statistical data on victims of 
trafficking.  During the year, the Commission's staff actively 
participated in the development of a transnational referral 
mechanism and was trained to use special software for victim 
registration, which would compliment the referral mechanism.  The 
Commission has started preparations for convening a working group, 
 
SOFIA 00000124  002 OF 008 
 
 
comprised of all government and non-government agencies that deal 
with victims of trafficking, to develop local procedures for data 
entry. 
 
According to the Ministry of Interior's General Directorate for 
Combating Organized Crime (GDBOP), IOM and NGOs, young women aged 
between 18 and 24 tend to be most vulnerable to become victims of 
trafficking.  Also, the IOM and the NCF identify those with lower 
education and those with problematic family relations as groups more 
at risk of being trafficked.  Minorities, particularly Roma, are 
more vulnerable to trafficking: Roma account for over one-third of 
trafficking victims, much higher than their estimated population 
proportion of between 6 and 7 percent.  Roma children are 
particularly vulnerable to internal and external trafficking for 
purposes of begging and delinquency.  Selling of babies, both in 
country and abroad, also occurs within the Roma community. 
Trafficking of pregnant women and forcing them to sell their 
children abroad remains an elusive problem because the women are 
free to travel and can not be stopped by border police. 
 
¶B.   Bulgarian trafficking victims tend to come from regions with 
high unemployment and poor economic conditions.  The NCF noted 
higher numbers of victims originating from the southwest and the 
northeast of the country while the AAF reported an upward trend in 
the number of victims originating from the northwest.  The GDBOP and 
IOM reported that foreign victims came from Romania, Moldova, 
Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, Lebanon and Central Asia.  The GDBOP, IOM 
and AAF identified Germany, Switzerland, Norway, Italy, the 
Netherlands, Greece, Turkey, Belgium, France, Spain, Austria, the 
Czech Republic, Poland, Macedonia as destinations for victims 
trafficked from and through Bulgaria. 
 
In larger cities such as Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna and Burgas, sexual 
exploitation tends to be controlled by organized criminal 
organizations while small crime groups and freelance operators are 
involved in smaller cities and towns.  Foreign victims were 
principally recruited through promises of work, while the majority 
of Bulgarian victims were recruited individually through close 
friends, relatives or acquaintances.  Although printed job 
advertisements are used less frequently, model agencies continue to 
publish ads serving as a front to attract victims.  A recent trend 
is for traffickers to recruit young educated girls from poor 
families by offering them generous education opportunities abroad. 
 
 
Both Bulgarian and foreign victims of trafficking generally traveled 
using genuine rather than forged documents.  This was universally 
true in cases involving Bulgarian citizens, who do not require visas 
to travel to the EU.  Victims also tend to be moved frequently from 
one place to another avoiding detection from law enforcement 
authorities for undocumented stays. 
 
 
¶C. The Ministry of Interior (MOI), Ministry of Justice (MOJ), 
Ministry of Labor and Social Policy (MLSP), Ministry of Health 
(MOH), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Ministry of Education, 
State Agency for Child Protection (SACP), Central Commission for 
Combating Juvenile Delinquency, Supreme Court of Cassation, Supreme 
Cassation Prosecution and National Investigation Service (NIS) are 
all involved in anti-trafficking efforts and are represented on the 
National Anti-Trafficking Commission. 
 
According to the law the Commission serves as a major focal point 
responsible for coordinating government's anti-trafficking efforts. 
The Commission was energized by the June 2007 appointment of a 
functioning secretariat and started actively assuming its 
responsibilities as the lead anti-trafficking agency.  The 
Commission, which by law is comprised of representatives of 
different ministries at deputy ministerial level, has previously 
experienced difficulties in sustaining its day-to-day operations. 
By contrast, the 2007 staffing of the Commission's secretariat with 
eight persons helped lay the groundwork for political decision 
making and actual implementation of policies.  The secretariat 
identified a core group of Ministry experts and further developed 
their capacity as key consultants on the National Strategy and other 
issues as they arise.  This provided an opportunity for a closer and 
continuous engagement with all key players.  The Government equipped 
the Commission with essential resources for its daily operation - 
premises, vehicle, equipment and supplies. 
 
In January 2008, the first local commission was formally established 
in the coastal city of Burgas.  The local commissions replicate the 
structure and composition of the National Commission at municipal 
 
SOFIA 00000124  003 OF 008 
 
 
level and are administratively subordinate to both the Commission 
and the mayor.  In February, two more local commissions were 
established in Varna and Sliven, both identified as regions with at 
risk population.  The National Commission has bought equipment and 
supplies to support the work of the newly established local 
commissions and has planned staff training. 
 
 
¶D.   Officials at high levels of government are committed to 
combating trafficking and implementing effective rule of law.  The 
government's ability to address trafficking continues to face 
challenges, including widespread public corruption and bureaucratic 
procedures.  There is no wide-ranging pattern of corruption related 
to trafficking in persons, however low salaries for government 
officials and lack of resources expose individual border and customs 
officials to bribes and threats from criminal groups involved in 
trafficking.  The Commission, as a new and uniquely structured 
organization, is still establishing clear procedures for 
communicating and cooperating within the state bureaucracy but has 
managed to win the commitment of key experts from all relevant 
agencies.  After the withdrawal of major donors in the area, EU 
funds are eyed as a replacement by both the government and the NGO 
sector, but they seem difficult to access. 
 
¶E.  During the reporting period, the Commission has started to 
assume its obligation to systematically monitor the government's 
anti-trafficking efforts and implement the overall anti-TIP 
strategy.  In January 2008, the Commission hired a polling agency to 
assess public knowledge of the problem.  The results of this 
national opinion poll will be used as a basis for developing 
government's future prevention campaigns.  Again in January, the 
Commission requested information from all relevant agencies on their 
2007 activities to compile an assessment report of government's 
anti-trafficking efforts. 
 
-------------------------------------------- 
INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION OF TRAFFICKERS 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶A.   In 2002, amendments were adopted to the Criminal Code that set 
specific punishments for trafficking.  Section 159.A of the Criminal 
Code corresponds to the Palermo Protocol and provides for 
punishments according to the Protocol.  Section 159.B addresses 
recidivism and severe forms of trafficking and provides for 
punishments according to the Protocol.  A 2004 amendment to the 
Criminal Code allowed for prosecution of intermediaries involved in 
baby smuggling. Further revisions to the Code, in effect since 
October 2006, specifically criminalized trafficking of pregnant 
women for the purpose of baby selling. A separate provision punishes 
the mothers who consent to the sale, both in the country and abroad. 
Police reported disrupting 13 cases of baby selling as of October. 
The Criminal Code also punishes rape, slavery, forced prostitution 
and activities related to prostitution.  Current Bulgarian 
legislation allows for the investigation and prosecution of all 
forms of human trafficking, not only the most severe forms mandated 
by the Palermo Protocol.  Trafficking is among the offenses covered 
by the 2005 Asset Forfeiture Law, which allows for confiscation of 
illegally acquired property.  Victims of trafficking can also sue 
for civil damages. 
 
¶B.   All forms of human trafficking are equally penalized, 
regardless of the form of exploitation.  The punishment for 
trafficking in persons may include 1 to 8 years in prison and fines 
up to approximately $5,000 (8,000 leva).  If aggravated 
circumstances exist -- e.g., a minor or kidnapping was involved -- 
penalties increase to 2 to 10 years in prison and fines of up to 
approximately $6,250 (10,000 leva).  Penalties for trafficking 
persons across borders increase to 3 to 10 years' imprisonment and 
fines of up to approximately $9,375 (15,000 leva).  The same 
increased punishment is provided for trafficking of pregnant women 
for the purpose of baby selling.  If the act of trafficking was 
carried out in connection with an organized crime group or 
constituted a serious repeat offense, penalties increase to 5 to 15 
years' imprisonment with fines of up to approximately $12,500 
(20,000 leva) and the possibility of forfeiture of assets.  In 2007, 
the Prosecution Service did not maintain statistics on the number of 
imposed suspended sentences.  However, it has been designated a 
focal point for the maintenance of a traffickers' register under the 
ICMPD-implemented project for the development of a transnational 
referral mechanism.  The register, expected to be operational in the 
first quarter of 2008, will encompass 40 different indicators for 
the flow of the criminal proceeding against any given trafficker, 
including the type of sentence passed. 
 
SOFIA 00000124  004 OF 008 
 
 
 
 
¶C.  As described in paragraph B, labor trafficking is covered by the 
same legal clauses and warrants the same punishments as other forms 
of trafficking.  Labor recruiters and employers who falsely entice 
workers or forcibly hold them in the destination countries can be 
punished with up to 10 years imprisonment.  After Bulgaria's 
accession to the European Union, law enforcement officials report an 
increase in Bulgarian citizens trafficked abroad for labor purposes, 
especially for seasonal work to Greece, Italy and Spain.  In 2007, 
the prosecution service launched 16 new investigations of 
labor-trafficking cases.  For the same period, the courts imposed 2 
sentences against labor traffickers and there were no acquittals. 
 
 
¶D.   Sentences for rape range between 2 and 8 years' imprisonment; 
sentences increase to between 3 and 10 years if the perpetrator is a 
repeat offender, or if the victim is underage or a descendent 
relative.  In cases where rape results in serious bodily injury or 
suicide of the victim, sentences range between 10 and 20 years. 
 
¶E.   Prostitution is not prohibited by law but is also not legally 
regulated.  In February 2006 the Ministry of Interior set up a 
working group to draft legislation to regulate prostitution.  The 
drafting group, backed by powerful business interests kept a low 
profile, occasionally leaking statements highlighting the health 
benefits for the prostitutes and the tax revenues for the state 
budget.  In October 2007, both the Interior Minister and the Chief 
Prosecutor publicly opposed legalizing prostitution, emphasizing its 
potential to fuel organized crime.  These public comments 
effectively ended the debate, marking a victory for anti-trafficking 
advocates. 
 
Under the Criminal Code, the activity of a prostitute is not illegal 
but a variety of activities often associated with prostitution, such 
as pimping, are illegal.  Penalties for related activities include 
up to 3 years imprisonment for pimping and up to 5 years 
imprisonment for operating organized prostitution establishments. 
Forced prostitution is illegal and is punishable by up to 6 years 
imprisonment for perpetrators or between 3 and 10 years imprisonment 
for government officials involved in the activity. Inducement to 
prostitution is punishable by up to 3 years' imprisonment. Prior to 
the October 2006, revisions of the Criminal Code, the penalty rose 
to 10 to 20 years if the crime was performed by or through an 
organized crime group, if the victim was a minor under age 18 or 
legally incompetent, if two or more persons were induced into 
prostitution, or if the offense was repeated. In October 2006, 
amendments to the law inadvertently created a loophole that 
significantly limited penalties for inducement to prostitution.  In 
a particularly notorious case, a defendant who was appealing his 
12-year sentence when the law was amended was released because the 
new maximum penalty for his crime was three years.  After a public 
outcry, Parliamentarians moved to correct the loophole and in 2007 
increased the penalties. 
 
 
¶F. In 2007, the prosecution service investigated 209 trafficking 
cases under the special provisions of the Criminal Code.  179 of the 
investigations concerned trafficking for the purpose of sexual 
exploitation and 22 dealt with labor exploitation.  As a result, the 
prosecutors filed in court 62 indictments against 97 individuals, 
all of whom were Bulgarian nationals.  A total of 75 persons were 
convicted on trafficking charges and 3 were acquitted.  Of them, 71 
were sentenced for trafficking for sexual exploitation and 2 for 
labor exploitation.  Sixty-two of the sentences went through all 
stages of appeal and the convicts started serving their sentences. 
In some of the cases, the prosecutors pressed multiple charges 
against the perpetrators and where there was not sufficient evidence 
to prove the trafficking charges, the perpetrators were prosecuted 
for enticement into prostitution.  Additionally, 4 investigations 
were launched under the Criminal Code's provisions on money 
laundering which involved the proceeds from human trafficking. 
Offenders convicted of trafficking generally served the full 
sentences mandated by the court. 
 
¶G.  The government and its international and NGO partners provide 
front-line law enforcement officers with training in the 
identification and investigation of cases of trafficking.  In 2007, 
the UNHCR and NCF continued implementing a Memorandum of 
Understanding with the Border Police and the Police Academy under 
which over 600 law enforcement officers have been trained.  Training 
modules employed by government agencies emphasized sensitivity and 
the importance of differentiating between trafficking victims and 
 
SOFIA 00000124  005 OF 008 
 
 
offendes.  IOM worked closely with law enforcement officils to 
strengthen their victim identification capcit and continued its 
education campaign among scial workers with a particular emphasis 
on the saff of the three crisis centers for children.  The 
Department of Justice (DoJ/OPDAT) in cooperationwith the NCF 
organized 5 regional seminars in al appellate regions for judges 
and prosecutors focsing on curbing corrupt practices related to 
traficking in humans. DoJ/OPDAT also completed a seris of five 
regional workshops for prosecutors and police on forfeiting the 
assets of human trafficking.  These workshops were designed to 
orient prosecutors and law enforcement officials to the need for 
cutting off the money supply that fuels human trafficking, 
especially through use of financial profiling, bringing money 
laundering cases, and applying asset forfeiture procedures. 
Consular officers posted to Bulgarian embassies and law enforcement 
personnel received training on recognizing trafficking victims and 
how to refer victims to the IOM and NGOs for legal, medical and 
psychological assistance. 
 
 
¶H.   The GOB actively cooperates with other governments in 
investigating and prosecuting cases of trafficking.  In 2007, the 
GDBOP participated in two major international police operations 
targeting human traffickers. There were Bulgarian liaison officers 
from the MOI working in Athens, Berlin, London, Madrid, Paris, 
Prague, Skopje, Vienna, Warsaw, at Europol in The Hague, at the SECI 
Center in Bucharest, and in other locations.  These liaison officers 
actively worked on international trafficking investigations. 
Bulgarian law enforcement authorities continued joint investigations 
with Italian and Greek counterparts into the trafficking of 
Bulgarians for labor exploitation. 
 
¶I.   In 2005, the Bulgarian Parliament adopted an amendment to the 
Constitution allowing the extradition of Bulgarian citizens for 
crimes committed abroad pursuant to international treaty.  Under the 
terms of the Palermo Protocol, this provision applies to human 
trafficking as well as other crimes.  Implementing legislation 
allowing for the extradition of Bulgarian nationals has been in 
force since July 2005.  During the year, the Prosecution granted 29 
requests for extradition on trafficking charges. Twenty-five of them 
were Bulgarian nationals and 4 were third-country nationals. 
 
¶J.   There is no evidence of government involvement in or tolerance 
of trafficking on an institutional level.  However, there have been 
reports of low-level law enforcement officials being involved in 
trafficking-related corruption. 
 
¶K.   During the year no government officials, including police 
officers, were charged with or convicted of trafficking. 
 
¶L. Reporting not applicable to Bulgaria. 
 
¶M.  Although Bulgaria does not have an official child sex tourism 
problem, it is increasingly becoming a destination point, especially 
along the sea coast, for sexual exploitation.  Trafficking of 
victims to resort areas, mostly internal, often involves young girls 
aged between 14 and 18, who are considered children under Bulgarian 
legislation. 
 
 
------------------------------------ 
PROTECTION AND ASSISTANCE TO VICTIMS 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶A.   The 2003 Anti-Trafficking Act created a special immigration 
status for foreign trafficking victims who choose to cooperate in 
trafficking investigations.  The status provides for full residency 
and employment rights until the end of criminal proceedings.  For 
foreign citizen victims who choose not to cooperate in trafficking 
investigations, the GOB provides 10 days plus one month for 
recovery; if at the end of the recovery period victims still choose 
not to cooperate in the trafficking investigation, they are 
transported to their country of origin.  The recovery period for 
foreign citizen child victims, at the recommendation of the SACP, is 
ten days plus two months. 
 
¶B. The Ministry of Labor and Social Policy (MLSP) operated three 
crisis centers for children victims of trafficking and other forms 
of violence.  The centers, designed to help rehabilitate and 
integrate the children through specialized treatment and education, 
are under 24-hour police protection.  Each center offers 
psychological and medical assistance to victims and has the capacity 
to shelter 10 kids aged between 6 and 18 for a period of up to 6 
 
SOFIA 00000124  006 OF 008 
 
 
months.  The center's social workers seek to ensure the safe return 
of the children to their biological families after this period 
expires and, whenever necessary, to find them appropriate employment 
or accommodation in a specialized institution or a foster family. 
One of the crisis centers, in the village of Balvan, is accommodated 
in a building which was previously allocated by the municipality to 
a local NGO for social services to vulnerable groups.  The center 
continues to work closely with the NGO benefiting from its 
experience and established network of social consultants in nearby 
localities.  The five social consultants, initially supported by the 
NGO to engage in trafficking prevention activities, are currently 
employed by the municipality.  During the year, the MLSP started 
negotiations with Sofia's municipal authorities on the allocation of 
premises to be used as a shelter for children victims of trafficking 
who are repatriated from abroad. 
 
The Government referred adult trafficking victims to the IOM and 
NGOs (primarily the NCF) for sheltering and assistance with legal 
and other needs.  In 2007, IOM sheltered 61 victims of trafficking. 
Additionally AAF assisted 63 victims in their crisis unit.  The 
Anti-Trafficking Act provides for repatriated Bulgarian trafficking 
victims to receive the same assistance and care as foreign and 
Bulgarian trafficking victims identified within the country.  NGOs 
and government agencies do not distinguish between foreign victims 
and Bulgarian citizens in providing assistance to trafficking 
victims.  Trafficking victims receive medical, psychological and 
psychiatric care by IOM and NGOs such as AAF and NCF. 
 
¶C.   The Government supports the IOM and NGOs in their assistance to 
trafficking victims.  Part of this assistance includes use of 
facilities, at below market rates, and police protection for 
IOM-operated shelters and safe houses throughout the country. NOT 
FOR PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION:  IOM's financial standing as of March 2008 
is uncertain and the Government has not allocated any direct funding 
for its activities.  The Commission has researched the possibility 
to request supplemental funding outside the normal budget cycle and 
has indicated readiness to resort to these procedures should urgent 
victim protection needs arise. 
 
¶D.   In 2007, the prosecution service identified 288 victims of 
trafficking, of which 53 were minors.  MOI law enforcement personnel 
routinely refer victims of trafficking to IOM and NGO partners, 
particularly the NCF.  Children victims were referred to the three 
state-run centers, under an established children referral mechanism 
coordinated by the SACP.  In 2007, the Commission participated in a 
multinational project for development of a transnational referral 
mechanism.  Jointly with NGO partners, the Commission started 
implementation of a project funded by the Dutch government for the 
elaboration of a comprehensive national referral mechanism compliant 
with the transnational procedures.  The first phase of the project 
focuses on mapping existing referral practices, both formal and 
informal, and developing a needs assessment. 
 
¶E.  Prostitution in Bulgaria is not prohibited by law but is also 
not specifically addressed. 
 
¶F.   According to the IOM, victims are treated with full respect for 
their rights, according to international norms, and are not treated 
as criminals.  Victims are generally not detained, fined, or 
prosecuted for minor offenses. 
 
¶G.  The GOB encourages victims to assist in the investigation and 
prosecution of trafficking cases and provides special status for 
foreign citizen victims who choose to render such assistance.  A 
witness protection program is available to Bulgarian citizen victims 
who choose to render similar assistance.  All trafficking victims 
have the right to seek assistance from government agencies, and 
these agencies are obligated to assist them.  Victims can also file 
civil suits for material and moral damages suffered. 
 
¶H.   Trafficking victims who have chosen to cooperate have been 
afforded witness protection under the Criminal Procedure Code, which 
includes withholding of the victim's identity and physical 
protection by police officers.  2004 legislation established a more 
sophisticated government witness protection program, which offers 
special protection measures to witnesses, victims, defendants, 
suspects, convicts, and experts providing essential testimony, 
explanations, or information in serious cases, including 
trafficking, as well as their close relatives.  Protective measures 
for witnesses range from being provided a personal guard and 
temporary placement in safe houses to changing residence or 
workplace to changing identity in extreme cases.  The legislation 
also provides for witnesses to be transferred abroad if there are 
 
SOFIA 00000124  007 OF 008 
 
 
not sufficient security guarantees in country. 
 
¶I.   In association with the IOM and NGOs, the Government conducted 
trafficking prevention and awareness programs, including programs 
for law enforcement officers and consular officers posted to 
Bulgarian embassies abroad.  These programs included segments 
addressing the legal provisions relating to human trafficking as 
operational and psychological treatment for trafficking victims. 
 
¶J.   The Government referred repatriated Bulgarian trafficking 
victims to the IOM and NGOs for legal, medical and psychological 
assistance.  The Anti-Trafficking Act provides for repatriated 
Bulgarian trafficking victims to receive the same assistance and 
care as trafficking victims identified within the country. 
 
¶K.   In 2007, the Government provided direct assistance to children 
victims of trafficking in the three shelters operated by the MLSP. 
Opening one crisis center for adult victims of trafficking is part 
of the Government's anti-trafficking draft strategy for 2008.  In 
2007, the IOM continued to be involved in addressing trafficking and 
assisting trafficking victims. The AAF and NCF also provided 
assistance to trafficking victims.  All three organizations report 
having excellent cooperation with Government officials, on a 
national and local level, including support for shelters and 
awareness/prevention campaigns, providing protection and support to 
the organizations and their representatives. The government does not 
allocate direct funding to such groups, but works with them closely 
on identification and referral.  NOT FOR PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION: NGOs 
and government officials also cooperate to facilitate prosecution of 
trafficking perpetrators by providing witness protection and 
assistance to victims of trafficking who testify against their 
traffickers. 
 
 
---------- 
PREVENTION 
---------- 
 
¶A.  Government officials at all levels are committed to combating 
trafficking in persons.  Political will to address the problem 
received a new impetus in 2007 with high-level public figures, 
including the President, the Interior Minister and the Chief 
Prosecutor, condemning the devastating effects of trafficking. 
 
¶B.  In October the Commission organized a national awareness 
campaign to officially acknowledge the EU day for combating human 
trafficking.  Activities included a press conference, widely covered 
in national media, an expert workshop, a discussion with university 
students preceded by a ceremony for signing a Memorandum with the 
university and an exhibition.  The Commission produced more than 1 
000 posters to advertise the campaign.  In December, in partnership 
with the U.S. Embassy, the Commission organized several events to 
commemorate the 16-days of activism to eliminate violence against 
women, including a press conferences and a round table on 
prostitution.  The highlight of the campaign was the Bulgarian 
premier of the documentary film, "Cargo: Innocence Lost," by U.S. 
director Michael Cory Davis, which was attended by Deputy Prime 
Minister and senior magistrates.  The Commission gained rights to 
use the movie in its prevention activity and produced 3 000 posters 
to publicize future educational screenings for vulnerable groups. 
As part of a joint project with the NGO Face to Face titled "Every 
child can become victim of trafficking, especially the child we 
rarely see", the Commission published and started distribution of 1 
000 posters and 5 000 brochures.  The Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs continued to implement a trafficking awareness program aimed 
at standardizing identification and referral procedures for victims 
of trafficking by Bulgarian consular officers posted abroad. 
 
¶C.  The energizing of the Commission has provided momentum to the 
anti-trafficking sector.  The Commission enjoys excellent relations 
with international partners, NGOs and governmental agencies; and 
representatives from these sectors comment that the appointment of a 
functioning secretariat has significantly improved coordination 
within the sector. 
 
¶D. Effective monitoring of immigration and emigration patterns is 
hampered by the fact that travel between Bulgaria and its neighbors, 
as well as to the EU is largely visa-free.  In addition, the overall 
number of trafficking victims is a tiny fraction of the hundreds of 
thousands of Bulgarian citizens working abroad legally.  The 
National Border Police actively monitors airports and land border 
crossings for evidence of trafficking in persons; however, with 
Bulgaria's membership in the EU, passport control for EU citizens is 
 
SOFIA 00000124  008 OF 008 
 
 
becoming less stringent. 
 
¶E.  As described in section C. of the Overview the Commission serves 
as a multi-agency institution with policy-level membership and its 
own dedicated expert-level staff.  It is the main point of contact 
on government's anti-trafficking policy for international and local 
partners.  The Commission's effectiveness has been reinforced with 
the 2007 establishment of an expert advisory group, with 
representatives from all agencies that are members of the 
Commission.  In addition, the National implementation team for the 
development of the transnational referral mechanism, which includes 
representatives of the Prosecution Service, GDBOP, Border Police, 
AAF and the Commission, serves as a task force for refining return 
procedures.  The Commission also hosts regular meetings of a 
coordination group, comprised of international donors and NGO 
representatives, to promote cooperation and advancement of 
anti-trafficking efforts. 
 
¶F.   The government's current National Strategy for Combating Human 
Trafficking was adopted by the Commission in June 2007 and was 
approved by the Council of Ministers in September 2007.  It was 
developed in consultation with all relevant government agencies, as 
well as NGOs and the IOM.  The strategy has been disseminated to all 
relevant implementing partners.  In February 2008, the Commission 
circulated a draft 2008 Strategy, developed by the expert group, for 
comments and input to all relevant agencies and NGOs. 
 
¶G.  In 2007, the Commission launched awareness campaigns to educate 
citizens about the dangers of sex trafficking (See Prevention, B). 
Such efforts were directed at potential victims, customers, as well 
as educating law enforcement and services providers about sex 
trafficking.  In January 2008, the Commission announced the results 
of a public opinion poll which will be used as a basis for 
developing the government's future prevention campaigns.  In 2007, 
the Ministry of Interior rejected plans to legalize prostitution. 
 
 
¶H.  Bulgaria does not have an identified problem with child sex 
tourism by Bulgarian nationals. 
 
¶I.  Reporting not required for Bulgaria. 
 
 
BEYRLE