Prostitution in Bulgaria

Prostitution in Bulgaria is itself legal, but organised prostitution (brothels, prostitution rings, or other forms of procuring) is prohibited. In the past, the Bulgarian government considered fully legalising and regulating prostitution.
The sex trade is a major source of income for Bulgarian criminals.
UNAIDS estimates there are 10,000 prostitutes in the country, and in 2013 there were 20,000 Bulgarian prostitutes working abroad and this was a source of foreign exchange earnings for Bulgaria. Because of poor socioeconomic conditions, a high number of Romani women are involved in prostitution. Nine NGOs offer outreach services to prostitutes in the main cities.
Legal situation.
Article 155 of the Criminal Code prohibits procuring and keeping premises used for prostitution:
Vagrancy and public order laws are used against prostitutes soliciting.
Sex trafficking.
Bulgaria once maintained a reputation as a transit country for sex trafficking, but subsequently, it has become known as a destination where the sex trade takes place. The country remains one of the primary source countries of human trafficking in the EU. Bulgarian women and children are subjected to sex trafficking within the country, as well as in Europe, and the Middle East. Romanian girls are subjected to sex trafficking in Bulgaria. Government corruption creates an environment enabling some trafficking crimes, and officials have been investigated for suspected involvement in trafficking.
The Bulgarian government has stepped up its efforts to eradicate human trafficking. Authorities launched 66 sex trafficking investigations in 2016, compared with 71 investigations in 2015. Authorities prosecuted 72 defendants with sex trafficking in 2016 (55 in 2015). The government convicted 34 sex traffickers in 2016 (47 sex traffickers convicted in 2015). Only 12 of the 34 convicted traffickers, 34 percent, received a prison sentence that was not suspended, a similarly low rate as in the previous three years.
The United States Department of State Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons ranks Bulgaria as a 'Tier 2' country.