Human trafficking in Europe
Countries Source/Transit/Destination Country Tier
Albania source 2
Bosnia-Herzegovina source , transit , destination 2
Bulgaria source , transit , destination 2
Croatia source , transit , destination 1
Kosovo source , transit , destination 2
Macedonia source , transit , destination 1
Moldova source , transit , destination 2 WL
Montenegro source , transit , destination 2
Romania source , transit , destination 2
Serbia source , transit , destination 2
Country Snapshot
Human trafficking in Europe is a regional phenomenon of the wider practice of trade in humans for the purposes of various forms of coercive exploitation. Human trafficking has existed for centuries all over the world, and follows from the earlier practice of slavery, which differed from human trafficking in that it was legally recognized and accepted. It has become an increasing concern for countries in Europe since the fall of Communism. The transition to a market economy in some countries has led to both opportunity and a loss of security for citizens of these countries. Economic hardship and promises of prosperity have left many people vulnerable to trafficking within their countries and to destinations in other parts of Europe and the world. Unique to the Balkans are some of the situations that support trafficking, such as organized crime, and the recruitment strategies that perpetuate it. While some generalizations can be made, the countries within this region face different challenges and are at varying stages of compliance with the rules that govern trafficking in persons.