US State Department: Human trafficking, still a problem in Romania

Romania remains a significant source and destination for human trafficking, and the Romanian authorities’ actions to fight this phenomenon are insufficient, according to the US State Department. “The Government of Romania does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so. The government demonstrated strong law enforcement efforts but issued weak or suspended sentences that did not deter traffickers or keep victims safe when traffickers were released,” reads a US State Department report on human trafficking. Romanians is a significant source of sex and labor trafficking victims in Western Europe (particularly the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, and France) and Central and Southern Europe (particularly the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Greece). Romania is also a destination country for a limited number of foreign trafficking victims, including sex trafficking victims from Moldova and Poland and labor trafficking victims from Bangladesh and Serbia. The report recommends the Romanian state to allocate public funds to NGOs providing services to human trafficking victims and improve their access to psychological counseling and medical assistance. Romanian authorities have investigated 875 human trafficking cases in 2014, compared to 714 in 2013. Prosecutors indicted 534 people in 2014, a level comparable to 2013, according to the report. The report section on Romania can be found here. Romanian children saved from traffickers in the largest law enforcement operation in Europe Number of Romanian human trafficking victims drops below 1,000 in 2013 One in 1,000 Romanians live in modern slavery editor@romania-insider.com