Despite the context of war, Ukraine has been able to adopt a series of legislative and political measures to ensure that victims of trafficking have access to justice and effective remedies, notes the Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA), in a report published on Thursday 12 June.
The report states that Ukraine remains primarily a country of origin for victims of trafficking, who are exploited both abroad and within the country.
This is mainly labour exploitation, followed by sexual exploitation, involvement in criminal activities and exploitation in armed conflict, with the war of aggression launched by Russia in February 2022 having “considerably increased the risks of trafficking”.
GRETA’s recommendations to Ukraine include setting up a public compensation system accessible to victims of trafficking regardless of their citizenship or residence status, guaranteeing effective access to compensation and introducing child-friendly procedures.
GRETA is also calling for a specific legal provision relating to the non-punishment of victims of trafficking for their involvement in illegal activities and is calling for advice to be provided to the professionals concerned on its application.
Link to the GRETA report: https://aeur.eu/f/hb2 (Original version in French by Véronique Leblanc)