Trafficking in Human Beings in Southeastern Europe - Iom

Trafficking in Human Beingsin Southeastern EuropeBulgariafrom the National Service for Combating Organised Crime; the National PoliceService; the National Border Police Service and the Gendarmerie Service.The National Service Against Organised Crime (NSBOP) was established in1997. It has a specialised unit dealing with illegal migration, organised illegalmigration of the labour force and trafficking in human beings, and 28 units allover the country dealing with organised crime, including 40 police officers whowork on the issue of trafficking. In 2001, a task force to combat organisedcrime engaged in human trafficking was established within NSBOP with representativesfrom the Border Police, the National Police and the Gendarmerie,and with a technical advisor from the FBI. This task force shares informationwith and co-ordinates with the SECI Centre. Within the framework of SECI,NSBOP adopted 26 bilateral and multilateral agreements that are being implementedin the area of police co-operation.An inter-institutional working group has been established in order to developa National Schengen Action Plan, which aims to develop measures to increasethe efficiency of border control and thereby reduce migration pressure in theRepublic of Bulgaria. The group has proposed the following amendments tothe Penal Code:• A legal definition of the term "trafficking in human beings" in Article93 of the general section of the new Draft Penal Code should be introduced;• The regulation in Article 156 of the Penal Code referring to "abductionfor the purpose of sexual exploitation" (also including cases of abductionoutside the state borders (Paragraph 2, item 3)) should be moredetailed with respect to the purposes of trafficking and its mechanisms.The National Border Police has established bilateral co-operation with the borderpolice of neighbouring countries, Romania and FYR Macedonia, on operationalcollaboration, exchange of information and prevention and eradicationstrategies.The National Agency for Child Protection is working on the Law on Child Abuseand Rights, which includes anti-trafficking provisions.International and foreign agencies (US Department of Justice, ABA CEELI 70 ,IOM) have supported various activities in relation to legal reform and lawenforcement:• Two Polish-Bulgarian governmental conferences on trafficking, inSpring 2000 in Poland and in November 2000 in Bulgaria, involvingrepresentatives of governments, international agencies and NGOs. Aworking group to prepare new anti-trafficking legislation was proposed;• Support for legal reform (Penal Code);• Support for drafting new legislation on trafficking and victim protection;• Exchange of information and support for the IOM information campaignand network of NGOs;• Establishing an informal working group to work with NGOs;• NGO and donor co-ordination and information sharing meetings;• Preparation of the National Plan of Action. A draft of the NPA was preparedby Animus/La Strada.The American Bar Association has hosted (provided space and coordination)an informal working group on human trafficking.6070.American Bar Association, Central and Eastern European Law Initiative.