We mobilize resources at the Ukraine border to prevent human trafficking

A refugee crisis, such as the one caused by the war in Ukraine, is a breeding ground for cases of human trafficking

After the start of the war declared on February 24 with Russia’s attack on Ukraine, the International Organization for Migration estimates that more than two million people have already fled Ukraine. As the conflict lasts, the United Nations estimates that this mass exodus could reach up to 5 million people.

This context brings together all the aspects for human trafficking and smuggling networks to act and take advantage of the desperation and confusion of those who flee to capture new victims of exploitation. The borders with the neighboring countries of Ukraine: Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania and Moldova, are now areas of Europe with a very high risk of a significant increase in crimes related to human trafficking.

Before the current conflict, human trafficking was already a major social problem in Ukraine. According to data from the International Organization for Migration, Ukraine is the country in Eastern Europe where the most people have been victimized of human trafficking, specifically 117,000 between 1991 and 2007.

Eight years of internal conflict and with Russia have displaced 1.4 million inhabitants. Open warfare now only increases the vulnerability of hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians, especially women and children. It is estimated that before the war, unemployment forced 8 out of 10 women to leave the country, who ended up being sexually exploited in different European countries.

The priority of international agencies and organizations working on Ukraine’s borders with other countries at the moment is the safety and protection of all fleeing people. Likewise, guarantee that they can access assistance services, identification and evaluation of their needs. Thirdly, and importantly, protect the most vulnerable people: women, children and adolescents.

It is precisely in these groups that human trafficking networks find the perfect victims to deceive or take advantage of. Trafficking networks subsequently move these people to other cities or other countries to exploit them in various ways. In the case of Ukraine, the main destinations of trafficking victims so far have been mostly labor exploitation and sexual exploitation.

We have begun to mobilize resources to prevent more children and women from being victims of these crimes.

Since the commitment of Mumbai Smiles is to the eradication of human trafficking, we believe it is necessary to intervene in the area and for this we have mobilized resources to Krakow and to the Ukrainian border with Poland in Przemyśl, where we have been in contact with the authorities for days to coordinate the most necessary actions. The priorities of the organization will be the prevention of new cases of human trafficking and the identification of specific needs that allow the protection of potential victims. In short, work so that people seeking refuge can do so with guarantees and avoiding the danger of trafficking networks.

Our General Director and Founder, Jaume Sanllorente, is currently in Poland in charge of coordinating emergency actions, for whose support we have launched a fundraising campaign.

Collaborate with this Emergency in Ukraine and help us prevent girls, boys and women fleeing the war in Ukraine from being captured by human trafficking networks.

It is necessary to act to continue fighting peacefully against poverty, human trafficking and their worst allies from the conviction that peace is the only way forward.

We will continue to inform you of our actions as always through our usual social media platforms.