The UN warned of the “real danger” of trafficking in Ukrainian women and children

The United Nations warned of the “real danger” of trafficking in persons currently suffering from thousands of Ukrainian women and orphaned children who are fleeing the Russian invasion and who are “the main target” of the mafias.

“There are criminal gangs that have exploited Ukrainians in the past and it is very likely that they will be activated and exploited again now,” warns Ilias Chatzis, head of the fight against trafficking in persons at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), in an interview with EFE in Vienna.

Trafficking consists of the recruitment of persons to exploit them for sexual purposes, forced labor or to force them to engage in begging, among other crimes.

For Chatzis, this danger is of particular concern to orphaned children in Ukraine, who in his opinion are “the main target of traffickers”.

“Ukraine has a very large orphan population, so there is great concern about the welfare of these minors,” stresses the Greek UN expert.

WHAT COMES AFTER BORDERS

According to the United Nations, one-third of the victims identified in cases of trafficking are usually minors, “a huge number” that shows their vulnerability in a conflict situation, such as the current war in Ukraine.

UNODC estimates that “thousands of children travel without the company of their parents or guardians”, which also places them at “an increased risk of trafficking and other abuse”, says Chatzis.

“The risk to minors is not so much the crossing of borders itself, because the European Union and other countries (neighbors of Ukraine), such as Moldova, have adapted their policies to the needs of the moment. The problem is what happens next,” he warns.

According to Chatzis, international trafficking mafias need time “to recruit people, force them into prostitution or any other form of exploitation”, so the problem will start to worsen in the coming weeks and months.

VOLUNTEER REGISTRATION

At the same time, the UN expert urges States to have greater control over volunteers who volunteer at borders and in reception centres to help refugees.

“(Refugees) come from their countries with a bag in hand and two children in the other, to countries where they don't speak the language, and although they don't have to stay under the radar because they have papers, there are enormous challenges to protecting them from being exploited,” says Chatzis.

Faced with this risk, he recommends registering volunteers with the authorities to ensure that criminal networks do not use volunteering to achieve their ends.

“There is a lot of information and police presence, but the problem is still there because the number of refugees is very large,” he says.

More than 5 million Ukrainians have fled the invaded country since the conflict broke out on February 24, in addition to another 7 million internally displaced persons, according to UN figures.

This migration flow, according to Chatzis, requires countries to be “very aware of how and where these people are (at all times) to control them.”

“There must be a record, the authorities must have direct contact with each other to exchange information and understand what kind of traffic can become relevant to criminal networks,” says the Greek expert.

In this vein, he recalls that traditionally Ukrainian men have been engaged in harvesting and other agricultural tasks in Europe, but now that they are recruited for war in their country, women will probably occupy their posts.

For this reason, Chatzis warns, it will be necessary to see in the future whether Ukrainian women will be exploited in agricultural fields, in prostitution or in the domestic homes of the families that take them in.

(By Marina Sera - EFE)

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