UN warns that the war in Ukraine drives human trafficking in Europe

The United Nations Office Against Drugs and Crime (UNODC) warns in a new report, issued this Tuesday in Vienna, that the Russian invasion of Ukraine is driving human trafficking in Europe.

”Conflict is a risk factor for human trafficking, because it places people in a very vulnerable place, so they can be exploited by traffickers.”, he explained to EFE Angela Melead author of the UNODC 2022 annual report on trafficking.

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”Most of the victims come from conflicts in sub-Saharan Africa, but where we are now seeing the greatest risk of increased human trafficking is the conflict in Ukraine.”, he adds.

UNODC estimates that Ukrainian victims of trafficking could be as much as 5% of the total number of people falling into trafficking networks in Europe, five times more than before the start of the war in February 2022.

”Already in 2014 we saw how the conflict in Ukraine unleashed more victims. At that time, the number of people fleeing Ukraine was much lower (compared to now)”, he explained.

The conflict in Ukraine in 2014, with Russia’s illegal annexation of the Crimean peninsula and fighting in the Donbas region, meant that in 2016 the number of Ukrainian victims of trafficking and exploitation in Western Europe had risen. multiplied by four, recalls the UNODC.

”(Now) with 5 to 6 million people leaving the Ukraine seeking refuge that clearly increases the danger that they end up in a vulnerable situation where traffickers can easily exploit these people”, warns Me.

To improve the situation of those who fall into trafficking networks and are exploited at work or sexually, the UN calls for victims to have more access to essential services and humanitarian support.

MORE INFORMATION: The European Union agreed on a package of around 540 million dollars to arm Ukraine

At the same time, the UNODC recommends that States improve anti-trafficking training for military personnel, but also for United Nations personnel and blue helmets in conflict zones.

The UN report analyzes data from almost 190,000 victims of trafficking detected between 2017 and 2020 around the world and denounces impunity for this crime, considered a modern form of slavery.

Trafficking is the capture and retention of a person in order to exploit them. Although sexual slavery is the most well-known crime, other victims fall into forced labor or are forced to practice begging, among other crimes.

Source: Elcomercio

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I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.