Human Trafficking and the Ukraine Crisis
Amidst the Russian invasion of Ukraine, there is another atrocity affecting refugees in direct connection with this war - human trafficking.
While war brings with it unimaginable violence and unspeakable horror, the refugee crisis it creates and all that entails is another reality of war that must never be overlooked. The vulnerabilities that a conflict of this magnitude produces in those forced to flee their country directly increases the threat of human trafficking amongst those people.
*Human trafficking involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act. It is a crime that targets the most vulnerable in our societies, and this most certainly includes refugees. According to the International Organization for Migration, since Russia began invading Ukraine in late February, over 3 million refugees have fled the country. As stated by the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, this marks “the fastest-growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War II.”
****Millions of people fleeing the crisis in Ukraine have been forced to leave behind everything they know - their homes, their jobs, their possessions and more.
As they are left with instabilities in every area of their lives, they become extremely susceptible to the schemes of traffickers.
As stated by Exodus Road, “human trafficking is not a separate issue, rather it is a symptom of a refugee crisis that breeds the exact conditions that human traffickers prey upon — economic impoverishment and a lack of better options. Where a refugee crisis prevails, there is a strong likelihood that so too does human trafficking.”
Sadly, many traffickers see the refugee crisis as an opportunity for their own gain. As people are desperate to leave their war-torn situations, find help, and have their most basic needs met, they are likely to accept any help they are offered. **This makes them increasingly vulnerable to falling prey to traffickers who offer them false promises of stability, security and/or employment.
Traffickers look at refugees’ needs and offer to fill those places of lack, while later forcing labor or sexual exploitation.
There have already been many troubling reports of the trafficking of refugees coming into the neighboring countries of Ukraine. ****According to a survey done by World Vision, ninety-seven percent of respondents in Romania reported hearing of instances of human trafficking amongst Ukrainian refugees.
***There have also been reports of Polish men detained for rape charges after falsely offering help or shelter to refugee women. Referring to a 19-year-old victim, police stated, “she escaped from war-torn Ukraine, did not speak Polish. She trusted a man who promised to help and shelter her. Unfortunately, all this turned out to be deceitful manipulation.”
Former British Prime Minister, Theresa May, confirmed that human trafficking is taking place in Poland, with photo evidence at the borders showing a chaotic number of refugees crossing over.
“The human traffickers moved in within a day or so of refugees starting to come across the borders,” she said. “It’s a sad reflection on human nature that the very point where these women and children are fleeing Ukraine for their safety, to find refuge elsewhere, the criminal gangs have moved in to make money from the trafficking of what they consider to be yet another commodity – that is, human beings.”
**Many international anti-trafficking organizations have come together to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its role in perpetuating the heightened risk of human trafficking in the region.
Their letter calling for change reads, “as long as the military invasion of Ukraine continues, the vulnerability of displaced people in the country to human trafficking will increase due to deteriorating rule of law and impunity; further forced displacement; humanitarian need and socio-economic stress and social fragmentation.”
We at Rescue America are devastated by the events unfolding in Ukraine and the effects they’re having on all those affected. Our hearts and prayers go out to those being forced to flee their homes, only to run into the hands of exploiters wishing them even further harm. During this time, we invite you to join us in prayer for the people of Ukraine and the millions of refugees in dire need. We pray the promises of Psalm 91 over each one of them, that He will save them from the fowler’s snare, and that under His wings they will find refuge.
Though we are a national anti-trafficking organization, we stand in support of all those working internationally in Ukraine and its neighboring nations to combat this increasing problem of human trafficking amongst the rising number of refugees.
If you feel led to support the anti-trafficking efforts in Ukraine and the surrounding regions, follow the links below for organizations working directly to support victims and alleviate the threat of human trafficking amidst this crisis:
Sources
*Department of Homeland Security
**Hope for Justice International
***Police Statements in Wrocław, Poland, as reported by Newsweek
****Exodus Road - Ukraine Crisis: How Refugees Are Vulnerable to Human Trafficking
