Diana Tușa: Romania remains a country with many victims of human trafficking, but is intensifying the fight against traffickers

PSD MP Diana Tusa warns, on the European Day Against Trafficking in Persons, that Romania faces a dual reality: it is the main country of origin for victims in the European Union, but also one of the countries intensifying its fight against traffickers.

Between 2013 and 2023, more than 12,000 Romanian citizens were registered as victims of trafficking in persons in the EU. In Romania, 451 victims were identified in 2023, 610 in 2024 and 707 in 2025. In the first six months of 2026, 430 victims were reported, 32% more than during the same period last year. In 2025, approximately 80% of victims were sexually exploited.

Tusa emphasizes that Romania opened the most trafficking-in-persons cases at Eurojust in 2023 and 2024. In recent years, legislation has been amended to punish exploitation through coercion or abuse of vulnerability, while victims have gained access to free legal assistance provided by lawyers of their choice. A financial compensation mechanism has also been introduced, including compensation from confiscated assets.

The MP also mentions Law No. 201/2026, which explicitly includes materials generated using artificial intelligence in the category of sexual abuse of minors. Her message is that the effectiveness of the fight is measured by protecting victims, convicting traffickers and recovering money derived from crimes.