Hot Soup and a Blanket Don’t Mean You’re Safe from Human Trafficking – Gaps in the System of Receiving and Supporting Women from Ukraine in Poland After the Russian Invasion

ABSTRACT

The profound effect of military conflicts on exposure and vulnerability to human trafficking is well understood but rarely studied. The war in the Ukraine has caused a mass displacement of the country’s population, primarily women and children, who escape to stay alive. In a humanitarian response, the Polish society created a vast system to welcome and support these war refugees. In March and April of 2022, researchers from the University of Warsaw conducted a field study to examine the adequacy of the Polish relief system in safeguarding these refugees from human trafficking activities. The team conducted 54 interviews, field observations and informal conversations with service providers and refugees. The findings suggest that, while the Polish relief effort was heroic, the massive humanitarian program has not been able to pay adequate attention to the risk of human trafficking. Recommendations for broader policy and programmatic adjustments are presented in response to Ukrainians’ continued status as refugees due to the prolonged military conflict in their home country.

KEYWORDS:

• War in Ukraine
• refugees
• security
• victims
• human trafficking

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

¹ The European Union delegation in Kiev was evacuated two weeks before the outbreak of the war.

² According to recent data, when considering bilateral aid in terms of percentage of GDP, Poland ranked 7^th, with countries like Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania being at the top (see Armstrong, 2023).