The majority of people leaving Ukraine towards the European Union are women and children. Travelling under difficult circumstances, there is a danger of people going missing or being separated while on the road. In this article, you will find practical advice how to stay safe from human traffickers, if you are fleeing the war in Ukraine.
UNICEF is sounding the alarm over the risks associated with human trafficking for women and children fleeing the war in Ukraine. The UN estimates nearly 10 million Ukrainians have now been displaced. Pope Francis, in his Angelus prayer, called for their protection.
In Poland, officials have begun seeing signs that gangs may be preying on vulnerable women and children fleeing the war in Ukraine.
The migrants were found dead in a refrigerated truck in the United Kingdom in 2019.
Farm laborers from Asia flock to the European country known for its booming agricultural exports. The workers are often brought by gangs of traffickers and are forced to endure inhumane living conditions.
Migrant smuggling is a global crime that exposes migrants to life-threatening risks. The EU’s New Pact on Migration and Asylum puts preventing and combating smuggling at the center of its comprehensive approach to migration.
The Save the Children organization has said that there are at least 1,660 victims of human trafficking in Italy, with ever more minors falling victim to the phenomenon.
The EU border agency Frontex has denied having documented any "collusion" between NGOs and human traffickers. French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner had claimed earlier in the week that Frontex knew of NGOs aiding smugglers.
A court in Berlin has sentenced two people, living in Greece and accused of trafficking minors, to almost two years on probation. The Asian couple, however, only played a small role in a major trafficking ring, the court found.
Fifteen migrants, including an 11-year-old boy, were discovered in poor health condition inside a horse van inside which they had traveled from Slovenia to France.
The crime of people smuggling carries a penalty of 5 to 15 years in prison and high fines. But usually, the people sent to prison are migrants who claim they were forced to navigate the Mediterranean by Libyan gangs who evade capture.
Children account for at least 28% of human trafficking victims worldwide, a percentage that rises to between 62 to 64% in regions including sub-Saharan Africa, Central America and the Caribbean. UNICEF says that refugee children are especially vulnerable to trafficking.