Geneva - The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is worried about the risk of trafficking in persons as well as sexual exploitation and abuse in Ukraine and the region as the number of vulnerable people fleeing the war continues to rise.
Over three million people have fled Ukraine, including 162,000 third country nationals (TCNs). The deteriorating humanitarian situation and resulting large scale and complex movements correlate with an increase in threat to personal safety, putting people on the move at heightened risk of exploitation. While cases of human trafficking are less likely to be identified in the immediate aftermath of mass displacement, initial reports from within and outside of Ukraine indicate the potential for traffickers to exploit the vulnerabilities of those fleeing the war.
