News Archive

On November 21-22, Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Combating Trafficking in Persons, Antoaneta Vassileva, and the National Commission Expert Group traveled to Varna for a workshop organized by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) with USAID support. The Expert Group made recommendations to the 2008 National Program for Prevention and Combating Trafficking in Human Beings and Victim Protection. IOM also organized meetings for Ms. Vassileva with mayors and deputy mayors of Varna, Bourgas and Sliven, as well as with representatives of the local administration and police. The officials expressed their willingness to establish local anti-trafficking commissions.

The National Commission and Expert Group participated in the final event of the project called “Open Your Eyes: You Can Get Help!" implemented by the recipient of an IOM/USAID small grant, St. Ivan Rislki Charity Association in the villages of Balvan and Resen. The project represents a model of local partnership, focusing on several community centers for at-risk groups in the villages and strengthening the capacity of the Crisis Center for young victims of trafficking in the village of Balvan. Teenagers from the village of Resen conducted a counter-trafficking lesson in the presence of the Expert Group and the people of Resen and treated everybody to sandwiches they had prepared themselves.