Routes and flows of human trafficking

Study cases in the NL, CY, BU and RO

@TRACE_EU http://trace-project.eu

Victims of 152 different citizenships have been identified in 124 countries worldwide (UNODC, 2014)

At least 510 trafficking flows have been detected (UNODC, 2014)

The majority of traffickers (64%) were convicted in their own country of citizenship. (UNODC, 2014)


5 hubs of human trafficking (EUROPOL, 2011)

North West criminal hub – the Netherlands and Belgium

The North East criminal hub – Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia and the Kaliningrad exclave

South East criminal hub – Bulgaria, Romania and Greece

Southern criminal hub – Southern Italy

South West criminal hub – Spain and Portugal


Analysis for all THE 4 CASE STUDIES were based on data available at national level (competent authorities in the field of anti-trafficking data collection)

Official statistics available in each country (BU, CY, NL and RO) related to the victims and trafficker’s citizenship

Recordings, hearings, indictments regarding human trafficking

Desk-review Interviews with key stakeholders


The limited time to make the analysis

Little information available in the literature related to the routes of human trafficking

The limited possibility to differentiate for the routes for each form of exploitation in human trafficking.

The limited possibility at national level to document the transit routes of human trafficking


Internal trafficking in Romania & Bulgaria-own nationals

Internal trafficking in the Netherlands and Cyprus-own nationals

Transnational trafficking registered by Romania and Bulgaria-mainly own citizens trafficked abroad

Transnational trafficking registered by the Netherlands and Cyprus-foreign nationals trafficked within their borders


A country of origin for human trafficking in Europe

Internal trafficking perceived as a training for the transnational trafficking

Main destination countries irrespective of type of exploitation: Germany, Belgium, Austria, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, France and other



Transnational trafficking in Cyprus has lately more a trans-continental characteristic. More victims coming from other continents are identified trafficked in Cyprus (source country- Vietnam, Philippine, India) out of the total identified victims in Cyprus.

European source countries for Cyprus: Romania, Bulgaria, Lithuania and non-EU countries such as Ukraine, Moldova or Belarus.

Main type of transportation of the victims: air ways (connection through the capital’s airports: Bucharest, Sofia, Minsk, Vilnius)

Main citizens identified: Dutch nationals (an increase in the share out of the total identified victims from 25% in the previous years to 32% in 2013), followed by Bulgarians, Hungarians, Romanians, Nigerians.

Main flow of human trafficking to the Netherlands:Central and Eastern Europe and Africa.

Other source countries from Africa and Asia (Nigeria, Guinee, China, Sierra Leone, Filipine, Uganda) and South America (via Surinam).


Romania is a country of origin for human trafficking in Europe and a destination for internal trafficking

The main destination countries in the last 5 years were Italy, Spain, Germany, France, Austria, UK, Greece

Less than 10 foreign victims were trafficked and identified in Romania in the last 5 years


Data coverage: 2009 or more recent In general source countries are among the poorest

countries or the destination countries are more affluent (relative to the origin country).

Romania and Bulgaria have similar registered flows of human trafficking irrespective of the form of exploitation.

Domestic trafficking-a period of training of the victims for the transnational trafficking


Transnational flows of trafficking are in the majority of the registered cases mainly in Europe.

The routes from RO and BU go to Western and Nordic European countries.

The routes to NL and Cy are more complex, victims are coming from EU countries, European third countries (Moldova, Ukraine) , but also widening to countries from other continents, Asian countries (India, Sri Lanka), African ones (Morocco, Nigeria) or South-American countries (Brazil, Colombia).


Particularities for forms of exploitation: Flows of THB for labour exploitation in Europe tends to be

also trans-regional/from other continents (Nigerians or Chinese trafficked in the Netherlands) and Vietnamese or Indians trafficked in Cyprus.

Flows of THB for sexual exploitation and for exploitation through begging or other crimes are more often seen within Europe (origin and destination countries) but also within domestic trafficking

Flows of human trafficking in Europe-flexible-victims could suffer exploitations in more than one country


When victims are coming from other continents or other regions, traffickers use different strategies to emulate the legality: use to pass through the Turkish occupied area in Cyprus, manage to take identity papers for the victims from other European countries , through illegal smuggling, enter illegal with counterfeit identity papers.

In the same time a numerous number of victims are entering the destination countries legally, with genuine documents.



The routes within Europe are changing slightly

An increase of the Romanian and Bulgarian victims was observed lately to the Scandinavian countries (Sweden, Norway, Denmark) for labour exploitation (berry pickers) or possible for exploitation for committing illegalities or begging.

victims are travelling mainly with cars (owned by the trafficker or by someone from the criminal group) or buses or minibuses (with international transport companies)

travelling by air is observed mainly in the cases of trans-continental trafficking


Adelina TAMASSociologistE:mail: [email protected]

National Agency against Trafficking in PersonsROMANIAwww.anitp.mai.gov.ro


mailto:[email protected]

http://www.anitp.mai.gov.ro/

Routes and flows of human trafficking

Science

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