The Romanian authorities have taken significant steps to combat trafficking in human beings, but additional efforts are needed to protect vulnerable groups from trafficking risks, identify and assist victims, and punish the perpetrators, according to a new report published today by the Group of experts on action against trafficking in human beings (GRETA) of the Council of Europe.
The report evaluates the measures taken by Romania since 2021 to prevent vulnerable people falling victim to trafficking, to detect and support victims, and to punish the offenders, paying particular attention to how offenders use information and communication technology to identify and exploit their victims, and the way law enforcement uses this technology to combat this crime.
GRETA welcomes recent legislative changes which increase the sanctions for human trafficking and improve victims' access to legal aid and compensation. Other positive steps are the adoption of a new National Strategy against trafficking in human beings (2024-28) and the establishment of an Interministerial Committee for strategic intersectoral coordination of the fight against trafficking in human beings.
Sexual exploitation, forced labour and begging predominate
Romania remains predominantly a source country for victims of human trafficking but is however increasingly becoming also a destination country. Between 2020 and 2024, the Romanian authorities identified 2,662 victims of human trafficking, nearly half of whom were children. The main form of exploitation of the identified victims was sexual exploitation, followed by forced labour, forced begging and exploitation in criminal activities. The majority of the identified victims were Romanian nationals trafficked within the country or to countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, France and Spain.
The report notes that children from Roma communities, children in institutional care and children in street situations are particularly vulnerable to human trafficking. Since many identified victims had previously been in institutional care, GRETA underlines the need for the Romanian authorities to increase resources to the child-protection services and to implement social and economic measures and programmes aimed at supporting children in vulnerable situations.
GRETA also highlights serious gaps in protecting persons with disabilities living in residential centres and calls upon the authorities to ensure a regular, effective and independent monitoring of these centres.
Migrant workers at risk
GRETA expresses concern about the risks of trafficking and exploitation faced by the increasing number of migrant workers, particularly from South Asia, whose vulnerabilities are heightened due to language barriers, deceptive recruitment practices and inadequate protection. It consequently calls on the authorities to strengthen labour protection, introduce licencing of recruitment agencies which act as intermediaries for migrant workers and monitor fraudulent online job advertisements.
While welcoming the adoption of a new National Mechanism for identification and referral of trafficking victims in 2023, GRETA expresses concern about persistent barriers to proactive victim detection, including insufficient training of professionals and a shortage of labour inspectors. The report also highlights the need to improve the assistance to victims of trafficking by guaranteeing adequate and safe accommodation, appropriate funding and access to health care.
In recent years, the Romanian authorities have detected an increased use of online platforms for recruiting and exploiting victims, including through sex video chat activities. To tackle this risk, they have carried out awareness-raising campaigns on online exploitation risks and training programmes for police officers and prosecutors. Moreover, the Romanian Police use forensic software to detect online sexual exploitation. GRETA welcomes these steps and encourages the authorities to continue investing in training and digital tools to conduct proactive investigations, and to strengthen cooperation with ICT companies and internet service providers.
More training needed for authorities
The report notes that in the 2020-24 period, 764 individuals were convicted of human trafficking offences. To avoid human trafficking cases being requalified as lesser offences, GRETA stresses the need for further training and specialisation of investigators, prosecutors and judges. Other issues of concern highlighted in the report are the excessive length of criminal proceedings in human trafficking cases and the involvement of public officials in human trafficking.
The number of victims of human trafficking awarded compensation by courts has increased, but few of these victims actually receive compensation as assets confiscated from perpetrators are not always designated for victim compensation. GRETA calls upon the authorities to review the legislation in order to enable victims of trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation to claim compensation from their traffickers for the earnings from exploitation in prostitution that were withheld from them by traffickers.
The Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) is an independent body which monitors the way countries implement the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings. All 46 member states of the Council of Europe are bound by the Convention, as well as non-member states Belarus and Israel.
