Solutions from Ukraine: transportation services launch awareness campaign to combat human trafficking risks
Over the span of a few months, trolleybuses, trams, buses, and intercity trains in Ukraine will be educating Ukrainians about the dangers and warnings of falling prey to exploitation and human trafficking.
Rubryka reports this.
What is the problem?
"We are aware that human traffickers have specifically targeted Ukrainians for several decades now. According to the International Organization for Migration, an estimated 300,000 Ukrainians have been trafficked since 1991. With the recent full-scale invasion by Russia, criminals have seized new opportunities as millions of people were forced to flee their homes and quickly move to unfamiliar territories,"Theodora Dell, Deputy Head of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), noted.
What is the solution?
So, for the next few months, trolleybuses, trams, buses, and intercity trains will be raising awareness among Ukrainians about the dangers of being exploited or trafficked.
How does it work?
The "They took advantage of you" campaign is being carried out by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Ukraine in partnership with the All-Ukrainian Coalition of Public Organizations to Combat Human Trafficking. This initiative is being funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Ministry of Justice of Sweden.
On May 21, the "Kyiv – Kharkiv" train, which includes evacuation flights from the Kharkiv region, departed from the Kyiv railway station for its first trip as part of the information campaign.
Public transport started following its routes in 10 regional centers: Vinnytsia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, Odesa, Poltava, Rivne, Ternopil, Uzhhorod, Khmelnytskyi and Chernihiv.
The information campaign is explicitly aimed at people in an unknown situation, heading to another city or even a country, and are, therefore, more likely to encounter fraudsters or accept a risky offer of employment or housing in a new place.
"We carefully selected cities where a large number of displaced individuals have sought refuge, as the ongoing war and forced migration throughout the country only increases the vulnerability to modern-day slavery. In 2023, the International Organization for Migration in Ukraine identified and provided aid to 374 victims of human trafficking, with 23% of them being displaced individuals. Another 663 people were found to have been exploited for labor. The findings by IOM demonstrate that anyone, regardless of education, gender, or age, can become a victim to criminals who exploit their difficult circumstances. Our aim is not only to assist those who have already suffered but also to prevent and raise awareness," the Deputy Head of IOM Representation in Ukraine, Steven Rogers, said.
Nils Dahlqvist, the second secretary of the Embassy of Sweden in Ukraine, added:
"We cannot allow people escaping war to be subjected to exploitation and abuse."
Thanks to the external design, public transport will attract people's attention, telling stories about the most common forms of exploitation:
- labor exploitation,
- sexual exploitation,
- forced begging,
- sex for survival.
Inside, passengers will also find information on the signs of human trafficking, tips on how to keep yourself safe, and contacts.
National Anti-Trafficking and Migrant Counseling Hotline 527 and Government Anti-Trafficking and Violence Hotline 15-47 and links to www.stoptrafficking.org.
For reference:
It is essential to mention that a mobile app was developed in Ukraine that enables a woman who is a victim of violence to contact the police without making a phone call.
It was also reported that the first portal for reporting sexual crimes against children was launched in Ukraine.
