We continue to inform about monitoring activities.
In order to analyze the situation of a possible increase in vulnerability to falling into a situation of human trafficking and strengthening the response to challenges related to the emergence and spread of COVID-19 and the introduction of quarantine measures, in November 2020, the NGO "La Strada-Ukraine" conducted the monitoring "Combating Human Trafficking : challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic".
Monitoring is aimed at studying:
– the impact of the COVID 19 pandemic on the quality of the response of entities that carry out measures in the field of combating human trafficking;
– inclusion in regional target programs of measures to respond to the consequences of the COVID 19 pandemic, including whether additional funding has been allocated for activities to prevent and combat human trafficking;
Some conclusions of the monitoring:
– border closures and transport restrictions (for the duration of strict quarantine measures) made it impossible for people to move abroad;
– citizens who have lost their sources of income due to quarantine measures have become more vulnerable to falling into the situation of intrastate human trafficking;
– mass release and return to Ukraine of labor migrants who were subjected to labor exploitation abroad;
– sexual exploitation (exploitation for the purpose of prostitution) became the most widespread form of human trafficking;
- human trafficking in the form of labor exploitation prevails in second place.
Taking into account new trends related to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the regions, measures are being taken to prevent labor exploitation of citizens:
- preventive measures to clarify labor legislation and to prevent labor exploitation, including in the conditions of introduced quarantine measures;
- measures of state supervision (control).
Monitoring conclusions:
1. Vulnerability to falling into a situation of domestic human trafficking has increased in relation to citizens who have lost their sources of income due to quarantine measures;
2. Since the introduction of quarantine measures in Ukraine (March 2020), no additional funding has been allocated for activities to prevent and combat human trafficking in any oblast from which responses were received.
3. No changes were made to the regional anti-trafficking programs aimed at responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
4. Preventive work has moved to an online format: relevant information is posted on the websites of regional, district, city state administrations, the social network Facebook, Telegram channels, etc. are used.
5. Strengthened informational preventive work to increase the level of public awareness of the risks of falling into a situation of human trafficking in the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Recommendations:
Regional state administrations:
1. To carry out an analysis of the needs of the region in the conditions of increased vulnerability to falling into the situation of intrastate human trafficking in relation to citizens who have lost their sources of income due to quarantine measures.
2. Take measures to prevent labor exploitation, including in the conditions of introduced quarantine measures.
3. To study the possibility of allocation (redistribution) of financial resources for the prevention and combating of human trafficking in the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic.
4. Taking into account the COVID-19 pandemic and the introduction of quarantine restrictions, change the forms of work with victims or potentially victims, including by transferring to an online format.
5. To carry out informative preventive work to increase the level of public awareness of the risks of falling into a situation of human trafficking in the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The monitoring results were presented during the round table "Combating human trafficking: challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic" on November 26, 2020.
You can read the full text of the monitoring at the following link: https://la-strada.org.ua/download/monitoryng-vplyvu-covid-19
The monitoring was carried out as part of the project "Advocacy to improve the response of the state and policy against human trafficking", which is implemented with the financial support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway
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