Another illegal alien, blocked "slavery" channels, disappointing statistics - today human trafficking is one of the most important problems of modern society, not only criminal. Alas, this is not talked about as much as about budget issues or the coronavirus - however, it is precisely in the current difficult period that the problem of exchanging human lives has become even more acute.
Some statistics
Odesa Oblast, it is worth noting, occupies a leadership position in many areas - we are the first not only in the field of summer tourism, but also in "human tourism".
In total, from January 1 to the beginning of December 2020, 132 people were recorded in Ukraine who received the status of "persons affected by human trafficking," the Ministry of Social Policy's Facebook page says.
It is noted that a total of 28 people received the status of victims in Kyiv, 19 in the Donetsk region, and in third place - 11 people each in Odesa and Luhansk regions. At the same time, 128 persons were restored to this status, and 78 were denied its provision
The reason?
Combating human trafficking during the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic is one of the key projects of many public officials and those in power. The numbers are growing rapidly, as is the level of desperation of people - both organizers and those who are ready to "sell themselves".
— On the website of the Ministry of Social Policy there is a list of organizations that have a license to employ Ukrainians abroad. You should always carefully check those to whom you are ready to entrust your well-being and career. But no licenses, on the other hand, are guarantees of compliance with all agreements. Alas, the problem is both within the country and abroad, — publicist Yulia Sachenko said in a comment to ElitEkhpert.
In particular, UN experts call poverty and inequality the main factors that allow smugglers to lure them into their networks. Women more often than men perform low-paid work, including in the informal sector. Migration, refugee status, ethnicity, disability and confirmed HIV/AIDS – these factors increase the risk of exploitation even more.
In the context of a pandemic, the situation is only getting worse. In light of the quarantine introduced in many countries of the world, human traffickers use digital technologies and other modern means to recruit and exploit victims. In the most vulnerable position, again, are women who have suffered more than others as a result of the economic crisis, having been left without work and means of subsistence.
Earned money, attention!
The important side of the issue is foreign earnings, which often turn out to be disappointing statistical figures - Ukrainians like to be "thrown" on wages, cut income, tricked into working for non-existent firms, plantations and enterprises that do not comply with the terms of the contract. And this is in the best case.
— During this hour, a large number of people lost their jobs. Several tens of thousands more lost their jobs abroad and were forced to return to Ukraine. And all these people are now poor, unemployed, in the so-called "vulnerable state". Vulnerability is what "traffickers" look for in order to recruit them for further exploitation. In fact, this is a trap. And even if a person managed to escape from exploitation and labor slavery, but he was not provided with timely psychological and material assistance, he again returns to the same vulnerable state, risking, again, succumbing to the various persuasions of malefactors. This is called "retraffic", and, alas, in Ukraine it is - says Yulia Sachenko, head of the public organization "A 21 Ukraine".
During 2020, border guards together with law enforcement officers detained nine organizers and two accomplices, and also liquidated 9 channels of human trafficking. Criminals transported Ukrainians to the EU to work in underground tobacco factories, recruited Ukrainian male sailors to ferry migrants, and transported women abroad for sexual and labor exploitation, reports the press service of the Ukrainian State University.
Over the past hour, Ukrainian border guards, together with their international colleagues, stopped the activities of three illegal groups consisting of 10 people, liquidated nine channels of human trafficking and detained nine organizers and two accomplices.
Other problems
At the same time, the shadow labor market is flourishing in Ukraine itself. Again, total lockdowns and restrictions make their disappointing contribution to the statistics. According to experts, it is necessary to approach the solution of the problem in a comprehensive way - and regulate the legislation, and conduct explanations both with employers and with applicants. The government should start working for the people, not the other way around.
— We see that the pandemic and quarantine have exposed the obvious. People who work without officially formalized labor relations or those who are formalized for the minimum wage and receive the rest in an envelope lose their jobs faster than others and cannot count on social assistance. Moreover, in its full volume, it is proportional to the official salary at the previous place. With the advent of the pandemic, even employees who are indifferent to official labor relations felt their own vulnerability - you don't just lose your job, it is much more difficult for you to find it, and there is nowhere to get money to "stay" Going "into the dark" entails consequences not only for the economy as a whole, but also for a specific employer, — Yuliya Svyridenko, First Deputy Minister of Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture of Ukraine, said in a comment to ElitEkhpert.
