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Factbook on Global Sexual Exploitation

Bulgaria


Trafficking

Poland is a destination country for trafficking in Bulgarian women it is a transit country for women from Ukraine, Lithuania and Belarus. At least 3,500 Bulgarian prostituted women are in Poland and more than 1,000 from Ukraine and Belarus (source: Polish Deputy Interior Minister). In 1997, police registered 200 cases of attempted smuggling of women to Western brothels. (Piotr Bazylko, "Poland, Ukraine to fight sex slave industry," Reuters, 16 July 1998)

Official Response and Action

Bulgaria has created an inter-agency body to fight the illegal traffic in women and girls. ("Rights - Women: Women Denied Rights Everywhere," IPS, 2 February 1998)

At least 3,500 Bulgarian women and 1,000 Ukrainian and Belarusan women are in prostitution in Poland. (Piotr Bazylko "Poland, Ukraine to fight sex slave industry", Reuters ,16 July 1998)

Prostitution

There are approximately 90 clubs for prostitution in Sophia, the first of which opened as a massage parlor in 1992. (Simeon Simeonov, Sophia Police directorate, "Bulgaria sex club urges lawmakers to legalize prostitution," EDT, 12 September 1997


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Coalition Against Trafficking in Women
Factbook on Global Sexual Exploitation
Donna M. Hughes, Laura Joy Sporcic, Nadine Z. Mendelsohn and Vanessa Chirgwin