Here’s a recent news post from Turkish Weekly about human trafficking cases in Romania.
You’ll see that human trafficking cases are actually growing in Romania. Many people think that human trafficking and sexual exploitation is in decline, yet the numbers don’t back that up.
The National Anti-Human Trafficking Agency in Romania is working hard to address the issue, yet it’s going to take more than a government agency and NGOs to address this problem. It’s going to take an uprising of concerned citizens to make an impact in their own country.
In a written statement released to SETimes, the National Anti-Human Trafficking Agency said that last year it assisted 807 victims, both in legal proceedings and counseling. More than 60 victims were repatriated last year, 27 of whom suffered sexual exploitation, 22 were exploited for labor while 10 were used for begging, the agency said.
The agency also said that it gives great importance to raising awareness of human trafficking, organising more than 1,250 prevention actions in as many education institutions in 2011.
But specialists warn that combating the growing phenomenon takes more than education.
“Authorities need to develop the poor communities where most of the victims come from so that people have a viable alternative,” Iana Matei, head of the Romanian anti-human trafficking organisation Reaching Out, told SETimes. “They can easily do that by accessing European funds,” she added. – Read the rest of the story here.
Iana Matei’s words are very true. To truly prevent human trafficking, we must do more than just educate and raise awareness. Hopefully the education and awareness leads to action, yet many times it doesn’t move past an informative nature. If you’re interested in joining a movement of people engaged in preventing human trafficking & sexual exploitation in Romanian please be sure to contact us!