A brief history of the regulation of human trafficking in Hungary

Abstract

In my study, I briefly examine the history of the regulation of human trafficking in Hungary, from the Csemegi Code
to the legally effective Penal Code.

Human trafficking as a concept and as a phenomenon is not new, its historical roots are very deep and can be linked to slavery.
The appearance of the crime of human trafficking in Hungarian criminal law is not the result of its domestic development, but was introduced into the European and Hungarian legal system due to the obligation created by accession to international conventions.

Although trafficking in human beings was first introduced into the Hungarian Criminal Code with the 1998 amendment of the 1978 Criminal Code, it has undergone significant changes three times, mainly with regard to international legal acts. As the international nature of human trafficking is undeniable, various international conventions, guidelines, protocols, reports and strategies play an
important role.

Act V of 2020 fundamentally changed the legal situation of human trafficking.