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War in Ukraine. Lessons from regional crisis response on countering human trafficking

Participants of the roundtable event

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) gathered stakeholders and IOM country offices for a pivotal regional roundtable event on countering human trafficking and exploitation related to the war in Ukraine.

The war in Ukraine has led to unprecedented displacement, severe humanitarian needs, and increased socio-economic vulnerabilities. The conflict has resulted in the deaths and injuries of thousands of civilians, including children, and caused significant damage to vital infrastructure, disrupted essential services and livelihoods, and prolonged displacement. Such displacement and the broader humanitarian crisis heighten vulnerability to protection risks, including human trafficking, exploitation, gender-based violence and family separation. Displaced and conflict-affected communities, both within Ukraine and in the refugee host countries, are particularly affected.

While significant counter-trafficking effort have been undertaken by the Government of Ukraine and by neighbouring countries, with support from IOM and other United Nations agencies, the protracted nature of the crisis, along with increasingly strained coping strategies, means the risks continue to persist.

The event, co-hosted by IOM Ukraine and IOM Poland, featured active participation from government representatives, NGOs, UN Agencies, EU agencies, and IOM staff from eleven countries, as well as representatives from the U.S. and Swedish Embassies in Poland.

The aim of the event was to explore lessons learned from the Regional Crisis Response in order to strengthen anti-trafficking efforts in the context of the war in Ukraine. Specifically, it sought to:
 

  • Understand what data, research and lessons learnt are available and how can these help to inform the response.
  • Identify the best practices of preventing human trafficking, including through identifying risks factors and drivers of human trafficking, and provide recommendations to address them.
  • Enhance practical operational guidance to improve the identification, referral of trafficking survivors and others at risk, focusing on rights and protection needs.
  • Support effective and coordinated action of partners involved in anti-trafficking responses at country and regional levels. 

Learn more about IOM’s Counter-Trafficking efforts and check-out the resources on the topic available in the Platform.

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