Repatriation of a foreign victim of trafficking to the country of origin A foreign national who is a victim of trafficking may be repatriated only after a reliable risk assessment has been made, which shows that there are no factors threatening the victim’s life or health in the country of origin. Safe repatriation follows the mechanism described in the steps above. Forced removal from Bulgaria – expulsion – is organised when:

• The residence permit has expired;
• The criminal proceedings against the traffickers have ended;
• The trafficked person has valid identity documents;
• There is direct flight to the country of origin.

• Foreigners who have received protection status

According to the ARA, a foreign national who entered the Republic of Bulgaria to seek protection or who has already been granted protection may not be returned to a country in which their life or health are at risk on the grounds of race, religion, nationality, affiliation with a social group or political opinions and/or convictions and they are exposed to a threat of torture or other forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (Article 33, paragraph 1 of the Geneva Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and Article 4, paragraph 3 of the ARA). Voluntary return is also supported by the structures of non-government organisations such as IOM or Caritas.