TRAFFICKING IN UKRAINE: A HIDDEN AND HORRIFIC CRIME

Human Trafficking is the slave trade of the 21^st century. It pits the weakest and most vulnerable against the powerful and ruthless who profit from devastating human suffering. It is the third most profitable and the fastest growing organized criminal activity in the world. In Ukraine, the most widespread form of human trafficking is the sexual exploitation (forced prostitution, pornography) of young girls and women. Ukraine is the second highest source of sex trafficking victims into the EU and is one of the top seven “source countries” of trafficked persons in the world. An estimated 100,000-500,000 have fallen victim to this crime since the fall of communism. Few criminals have ever been imprisoned because of corrupt police, judges, and government officials.

How are victims recruited?

Traffickers take advantage of poverty and unemployment to lure victims by the promise of a better life. Job agencies often target rural areas and in 70% of cases, a female recruiter (neighbor, friend or relative) makes the first contact. Internet marriage sites, modeling or tourist agencies are also used.

What happens when a woman is trafficked abroad?

Ukraine victims are trafficked to Russia, Poland, Turkey, Western Europe and the Middle East. Instead of the promised job, victims are taken to brothels or apartments where their passports are taken away and they are forced into prostitution against their will. They are broken down through physical beatings, rape and phychological torture to ensure compliance. Family members are threatened to prevent escape. Many are moved and resold several times in various countries. Living conditions are subhuman and many are forced to service up to 20 men per day. Few victims are ever rescued, so PREVENTION IS CRITICAL.

Who is at higher risk for sexual exploitation?

• Homeless children.
• Girls who must leave orphanages at age 16-18.  Corrupt staff may be involved.      
• Girls (ages 13-18) from families in crisis (alcoholism, domestic violence and abuse). 
• Children from ethnic minorities, especially Roma Gypsy children.
• Women (ages 18-26) single, basic secondary education, from small towns and villages.

Tanya’s Story

Tanya, comes from a small town in Ukraine.  Abandoned by her father at the age of four, she set out when she was twenty to find work to help her mother care for an invalid brother. Though she had completed technical school, there was no work to be found since most of the plants and factories in the town had shut down. The situation was desperate. There were times when her family survived on bread and water alone. 

According to La Strada, Tanya, who was described as “slim and pretty,” was offered an incredible opportunity when a friend of her mother’s proposed a job abroad in 1998. The woman told Tanya that wealthy Arab families in the United Arab Emirates were hiring maids. These jobs were allegedly paying up to $4000 a month. Tanya couldn’t believe her luck.

But when she arrived in Abu Dhabi she was taken to a brothel where a pimp told her that he had bought her for $7000. From that moment on she was to work as a prostitute until she paid off her so-called debt. After 3 months of captivity, Tanya managed to escape. She bolted to a nearby police station and recounted her tale. Incredibly, she was charged with prostitution and sentenced to 3 years in desert prison. 

In 2001, psychologically crushed and ashamed, Tanya was released.  Nothing had happened to her pimp. Branded a prostitute by the Muslim nation, she was summarily deported back to her Ukraine.  

Nadia’s Story

My name is Nadia. I’m 22. Three years ago I came to Kyiv from Donetsk and entered one of the universities. I completed the first three years of my studies with the financial help of my parents. I had many friends and was rarely sad.

But then there was a great change in my life. My father died in an accident. My mother was left alone with my two younger sisters. I went back to Kyiv hoping to find a well-paying job and to continue my studies by correspondence. While looking for a job, I was introduced to Edik who was sympathetic to my situation and promised to help me. In a couple of days Edik contacted me with information about a well-paying waitressing job in Germany.

When my documents were ready, Edick offered to drive me to Germany. He introduced me to two girls, Lilya and Valya, from Kremenchuck, whom I was told were going to be working at the same restaurant. The four of us set off in Edick’s car.

We drove all day and spent the night in a cheap hotel. The next day a stranger came to our room. He explained in poor Russian that we had been brought to a brothel and that the following day we were to begin serving our clients in bed.

I was in this brothel for over 7 months. At first I refused to work, and resisted for quite a long time. I was severely punished for my resistance and warned that I had not the slightest chance of escaping. They took my passport. I didn’t know the language. And they kept reminding me that I had a debt of 1,000 German marks which I had to pay back as soon as possible. They said they would kill me if I did not work off this money within a month and nobody would even know about it. I was locked in an empty room for several days without food. I was beaten and threatened that they would harass my family. They knew absolutely everything about my relatives. Only then did I understand that Edick was a pimp.

There were many other girls who lived with me. They were mainly from Slovakia and Poland, and they understood Russian. I lost all contact with Lilya and Valya. Nearly every day there were endless clients, in the evenings as well as in the afternoons. We were forbidden to refuse to serve any of them. Most clients were drivers of transport trucks. I realized that the brothel was located by a highway. They made me dye my hair blond and use make-up in order to attract clients. I had to pay for the cosmetics out of my pocket. I also had to pay for all medical services myself (I had to consult a doctor rather often).

One evening two of our clients, after having drunk too much, did not want to pay for the time they spent with girls. They started a fight and the police came. They checked for documents and arrested everyone who did not have any. That is how I got into prison. From there I was allowed to get in touch with the Ukrainian Embassy, which helped me to return home. I would like all those who made me work as a prostitute to be brought to court.

What HART is doing in preventing trafficking:

The fact that boys and girls are being trafficked in Ukraine is an alarming reality. HART is and has been involved addressing this issue through:

Partnerships. We are partnered with ministries in a variety of cities throughout Western Ukraine providing assistance to young boys and girls leaving the orphanage system or those that are currently living on the streets. These ministries provide a “safe home”, food, clothing, educational opportunities, vocational training and legal assistance for these 'at risk' young people.

Educational videos. We are currently supporting one of our partners in producing an educational video on “The Truth About Human Trafficking”. The video is intended to raise awareness and deepen the understanding of trafficking in Ukraine to children, youth and young adults. The videos will be shown in schools, post-secondary institutions and Church groups. HART is also distributing resources (laptops) to partners for their classroom presentations on this issue. We anticipate hundreds of children and young adults in Ukraine being educated about trafficking through the videos and lectures.

Please This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it   our office if you would like to support our partners by contributing towards preventing trafficking.