The figures were announced Monday by Antoaneta Vasileva, Chief Secretary of the National Committee for the Fight against Human Trafficking, NCFHT.
Speaking for Bulgarian National Radio, BNR, Vasileva said that 541 Bulgarians were victims of human trafficking in 2011. Most victims were trafficked for sexual exploitation. Ninety of the victims were men, who were mostly exploited for labour.
She stressed that Bulgaria has good, modern and sound legislation to fight back against human trafficking.
"The number of those with effective sentences went up last year. For the first time since human trafficking has been considered a crime, we have sentences of over 10 years of jail time ? six such sentences in 2011. This is the first serious step in the right direction to show both citizens and criminals that the latter are not untouchables," said Vasileva.
Bulgaria was found to be a source country of women and children trafficked for sex in the 2012 Trafficking in Persons Report of the US State Department, which was released in June.
Men, women and children from Bulgaria were also trafficked for forced labour. To a lesser extent, Bulgaria was found to be a transit and destination country for traffickers.
"The Government of Bulgaria does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so," the report said.
Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov on Monday was expected to present a program for partnership between Bulgaria and the Netherlands in the fight against human trafficking.
The plan, which was prepared by NCFHT, aims to improve the country's policy for the prevention of human trafficking.
In the June State Department report, Bulgaria was advised to continue efforts to investigate, prosecute, and convict government officials complicit in trafficking and trafficking offenders.
The report also recommended that Bulgaria make efforts to ensure that no victims of trafficking are punished for acts committed as a direct result of being trafficked and continue efforts to reduce human trafficking, including extending prevention activities to more schools with a majority of Roma children.
Source: http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/bulgaria-tops-european-human-trafficking-figures
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