Increased Interest In Ukrainian Pornography Encouraging Human Trafficking

As Russia’s war of aggression rages on, more than 10 million people in Ukraine have become either internally displaced or refugees abroad.

However, there is another pressing problem awaiting most of the displaced Ukrainians as UNICEF has sounded the alarm over human traffickers looking to exploit women and children.

In his Angelus prayer on March 20, 2022, Pope Francis called for the Ukrainians’ protection, stressing: “Let us think of these women and children who in time, without work, separated from their husbands, will be sought out by the ‘vultures’ of society.”

Chaos has long been known to favor disappearances. International organizations helping out the displaced Ukrainians also said the “vultures” are ready to take advantage of the situation.

It’s estimated millions of children have fled the war-ravaged country since clashes erupted. UNICEF said the young souls in particular are at a greater risk of “trafficking and exploitation“.

While minors usually represent 28% of the identified victims of trafficking, in the case of Ukraine, the share of potential victims may be higher as the refugees are mostly women and children. The UN agency also highlighted the risk to an alarming number of unaccompanied minors.

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Ukrainian Pornography Encouraging Human Traffickers To Act More Often

A few months back, Thomson Reuters researchers identified an increased interest in Ukrainian pornography since Russian troops marched into the country in February 2022.

They sounded the alarm over the increased interest potentially encouraging human traffickers to act more often and called for urgent action to strengthen protections.

There is also a real risk of Ukrainian women getting intercepted at the border and deceptively forced into the prostitution racket after being lured with the promise of safe passage. It’s all the more reason why the reception and transfer mechanisms must be bolstered.

Nonetheless, there are certain factors that have been creating unique challenges for the socio-economic integration of Ukrainian refugee women.

These could be care burdens, risks of exploitation, the breakdown of family units and uncertainties about the length of stay, among others.

However, there are other factors that are likely to improve their integration prospects compared to other refugee women, such as their relatively high educational levels and some favourable policies like having immediate access to employment after registering.