The COVID-19 pandemic has had detrimental effects to Bulgarian society as a whole, yet it has affected disproportiantely vulnerable groups by deepening economic disparities and by reducing the capacity of governments and civil society to provide support to those at need. Two such vulnerable groups are victims of human trafficking and drug users.
UN has warned that the economic crisis unleashed by the outbreak of COVID-19 is hurting economies, regardless of income level. Economic crisis inevitably inflates human trafficking as traffickers have ample opportunities to recruit people who have lost their jobs and are willing to undertake risky migration. The COVID-19 economic crisis has both increased the vulnerability to trafficking of risk groups such as disadvantaged minorities, those living in poverty and those lacking skills and qualifications. At the same time UNODC has warned that quarantine measures tightened the trafficking loop around those, who are already in exploitation, by limiting their opportunities to move and escape traffickers, to report to law enforcement and seek help from service providers.
The World Health Organization has observed increased level of fear, worry and concern and a general deterioration of mental health due to the threat of the pandemic and the imposed necessary movement restriction measures. The WHO warns of expected increase level of alcohol and drug use due to restriction measures.[1] Drug use could be expected to rise, as people have trouble coping with loss of jobs or loved ones.
While the pandemic has increased the risk of exploitation and drug use, it has at the same time undermined the capacity of governments and civil society to provide help to those in need: victims of trafficking and drug abusers. The social services, providing help to these two groups have either shut down (as in the case of the Pink house – the only service offering help to drug abusers), or have for certain periods ceased accepting new victims – as in the case of the government shelters for victims of trafficking and the crisis centers for victims of domestic violence and human trafficking. The expectant new waves of the pandemic is likely to lead to further challenges in providing care to rights of victims of trafficking and drug users.
Although these two groups appear separate, there is in fact an overlap between them, which exacerbates their vulnerabilities. Polaris Project reports that about 15 percent of human trafficking survivors surveyed in 2014 disclosed induced substance abuse.According to the 2017 Federal Human Trafficking Report, traffickers exploited victims’ substance abuse issues in one third of active criminal sex trafficking cases in 2017. One study suggests the prevalence may be even higher, with 84 percent of sex trafficking survivors reporting substance abuse during their victimizations and 25 percent reporting heroin use specifically.5 Although these studies are based on data from the US, the situation in Bulgaria could not be much different. Across the globe, traffickers target particularly drug users but also often force drug abuse in the course of exploitation to make victims more susceptible to the harsh reality.
Thus the COVID- 19 crisis had direct effect of drug users and victims of trafficking, but also in their relation to society as a whole. On the one had, the pandemic has provided human and drug traffickers with an increase on the supply side of potential victims – both drug users, and victims of human trafficking. Unfortunately, while illegal businesses flourish, the public tolerance towards victims often fades. This is especially true with regards to drug users, as evidenced by the recent public protests against the opening of a center for treatment of drug dependencies in one of the Sofia neighbourhoods. While victims of trafficking are protected by several international conventions, discrimination exists towards those, coming from marginalized minority groups.
In this context more in-depth knowledge is needed to assess the impact of the COVID-19 upon these vulnerable groups, and to determine the overlap of the groups particularly in Bulgaria. The knowledge would be used to prepare stakeholders to address their needs during recurring waves of the pandemic and will provide guidance on how to respond to their needs beyond the pandemic.