People › Other ♦ Published: 7 minutes ago; 22:41 ♦ (Vindobona)
Through meetings at the highest political level and a cross-border expert conference, Bulgaria is sending a clear signal in favor of closer European cooperation on migration policy and the fight against human trafficking.
At the heart of current initiatives of Bulgaria is the partnership with the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), based in Vienna. / Picture: © Vindobona.org
Bulgarian Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev traveled with a high-level delegation to the ICMPD headquarters in Vienna. Bulgaria has been a member state of this international organization—which supports governments in developing efficient and sustainable migration strategies—since 2003.
During the talks in Vienna, the delegations discussed current migration priorities, regional challenges, and concrete opportunities for deepening bilateral relations. The ICMPD particularly highlighted Bulgaria’s leading role in the so-called Budapest Process—a cooperation forum for managing migration flows along the Silk Road region. Both sides reaffirmed their intention to rapidly expand their joint work on key issues of migration management.
Anti-Trafficking Day: Victims at the Center of the Fight Against Human Trafficking
Parallel to the political talks in Vienna, a conference of the Network of Anti-Trafficking Coordinators for Southeast Europe (NATC-SEE) took place in Sofia. On the occasion of the EU Anti-Trafficking Day, experts met under the chairmanship of Slovenia, with Bulgaria serving as host.
The event kicked off on October 15 with a joint roundtable, followed by the network meeting on October 16. The focus was on the topic “Involving Survivors in Measures Against Human Trafficking.”
Focus on Cross-Border Cooperation
Experts emphasized that effective protection must not stop at national borders. Daniela Saveklieva, Secretary of the Bulgarian National Commission for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings (NCCTHB), stressed: “Human trafficking does not stop at national borders. Yet all too often, the protection of victims still does.”
Bulgaria highlighted its National Mechanism for Referral and Support of Trafficked Persons, which connects government agencies, labor market and migration authorities, and NGOs. Antoaneta Dimitrova (NCCTHB) stressed that immigration status should not be a protection barrier.
On behalf of the ICMPD, Anti-Trafficking Team Leader Madis Vainomaa and technical expert Ivanka Hainzl contributed presentations on cross-border referral mechanisms as well as the results of a survey on human trafficking in the context of forced criminality.
New EU Legal Framework Drives Action
These discussions have gained renewed relevance due to the European Union’s legal framework. The two-year deadline for transposing the revised EU Anti-Trafficking Directive into national law expired on July 15, 2026. The updated directive provides EU member states with expanded tools for victim protection and cross-border law enforcement.
The meeting in Sofia was supported by the EU4FAST project (backed by GIZ, the EU, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands) and marks an important step toward a coordinated, victim-centered protection policy in Southeast Europe.