Despite the full-scale war, Ukraine is making efforts to investigate cases of human trafficking. Among other things, the authorized bodies cooperate in this matter with European partners. However, corruption still prevents the country from meeting the minimum standards for eradicating human trafficking, according to the US State Department.
The other day, the State Department published another report, which reflects the situation with human trafficking in different countries.
Regarding the shortcomings of the Ukrainian system, the report states: “Despite ongoing concerns about the corruption that contributes to impunity for trafficking crimes and investigations into complicit officials, for the seventh consecutive year the government has failed to secure a single conviction for such officials. Judges continued to hand down lenient sentences that did not include prison terms imprisonment for the majority of convicted traffickers, undermining broader anti-trafficking efforts.”
Among the U.S. recommendations for the Ukrainian government is to identify and confirm the official status of most victims to ensure their rights under human trafficking law. It is also recommended to simplify the procedure for granting the status of a victim of human trafficking to reduce the burden of self-identification and disclosure of confidential information.
In addition, the US calls for adequate punishment for the guilty, including officials. This requires expanding the training of law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and judges on the investigation and prosecution of human trafficking cases, as well as creating a national coordinator position to lead efforts to coordinate and implement anti-trafficking policies.
Due to the full-scale invasion of Russia, the Ukrainian government has redirected resources from anti-trafficking to humanitarian aid. At the same time, an increase in the provision of humanitarian services was noted, which may have reduced the risk for Ukrainians to become victims of human trafficking.
The report notes that 6.4 million refugees left Ukraine due to the war. Another 3.4 million Ukrainians are internally displaced persons. The majority of refugees and displaced persons are women and children. They are a particularly vulnerable group.
Russian troops forcibly relocated 1.6 million Ukrainians, including thousands of children, the elderly, and people with disabilities, to Russia, Belarus, and the occupied territories of Ukraine, the authors of the report emphasize. As of January 2024, the Russian authorities have returned about 500 children out of 20,000 deported to Ukraine.
The US advises Ukraine to strengthen the protection of unaccompanied children, intensify efforts to identify victims of human trafficking among IDPs, refugees and citizens of Ukraine forcibly deported by Russia to its territory or within the territory of Ukraine controlled by it.
