Between 50 and 100 Bulgarian citizens fall victim to human trafficking every year, Ernesta Ruseva from the National Commission for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings (NCCTHB) told BTA.
The figure, while alarming, is not a complete picture of the problem. Ruseva emphasized that in recent years there has been a tendency for more and more third-country nationals arriving in Bulgaria with residence and work permits to become victims of exploitative schemes. "But mainly they are Bulgarian citizens who have sought opportunities for a better life in Western Europe and who, unfortunately, have fallen into the trap of exploitation", she explained.
Despite their frequent separation from loved ones, Ruseva noted that in most cases the victims manage to contact relatives or acquaintances who report the problem. Additional communication channels include hotlines, with the most important being the phone number 0 800 20 100, supported by a non-governmental organization 24/7, seven days a week, in several languages. For contacts from abroad, the zero is replaced with the international code for Bulgaria – 359 800 20 100.
One of NCCTHB"s initiatives to raise awareness is the mobile "Escape Room on Wheels_, which arrived in Lukovit today. The event is part of a broader national information campaign for the prevention of sexual and labor exploitation, covering 11 cities with a total of 13 events until October 9.
So far, about 150 people have gone through the interactive game, mainly high school students from the upper grades – aged 14-16 and older, but there are also adult participants. Ruseva emphasized that such a crime can befall anyone, regardless of age. "Such a crime can happen to anyone – no one knows what awaits them, so it"s good for everyone to be informed and warned in advance", she commented. It is expected that by the end of the day about 60 people in Lukovit will participate in the interactive experience.
The game is conceived as a series of codes that participants must decipher, passing through three separate rooms. Throughout, an audio recording tells real stories of trafficking victims. "The interactive game is very interesting because people manage to truly put themselves in the place of those who have experienced trafficking, who have been exploited, whether sexually or labor. People manage to imagine what this means, to briefly go through the reality that trafficking victims go through while they are being exploited. Everything inside is quite realistically arranged, including the smells_q_, Ruseva shared. According to her, this is a much more emotional approach, stimulating empathy. The full disclosure of the problem and the taking of preventive measures are key in the fight against human trafficking. The atmosphere in Lukovit is tense, but there is also a palpable desire for information among the citizens.