Mrs. Ban, the Spouse of the UN Secretary General Mr. Ban Ki-moon, saying farewell to a former victim of trafficking she met at the IOM Rehabilitation Centre in Kyiv (2011)

Ukraine is a country of origin, transit and destination for trafficking in men, women and children. Internal trafficking is also a growing problem. According to a research commissioned by IOM, over 110,000 Ukrainians became victims to human trafficking since 1991, which makes Ukraine one of the largest “suppliers” of slave labour in Europe.

The IOM Ukraine Counter Trafficking (CT) Programme was launched in 1998, with a strategy to support government and civil society efforts to combat trafficking in human beings and to ensure victims’ access to assistance and justice. IOM follows a holistic and multi-disciplinary approach to tackle the problem of human trafficking, working in four interrelated areas:

1. Prevention and advocacy

IOM places special emphasis on preventing human trafficking in cooperation with government agencies from the social and education systems, law enforcement, other international organizations as well as a network of civil society organizations throughout Ukraine.

IOM raises awareness and informs about the risks of falling victim of trafficking through special information campaigns targetting the general population, specific risk groups, youth, unidentified victims as well as state and non-government professionals who might be in contact with (potential) victims, a National Counter-Trafficking and Migrant Advice Hotline (which assisted close to 80,000 inquiries since 2006), advocacy trainings for NGOs and journalists, development of educational materials for secondary schools and universities, and various other innovative methods.

2. Prosecution and Criminalization  

In order to enhance the access of victims of trafficking to justice, IOM provides comprehensive capacity building services to the criminal justice chain in Ukraine, including the police, investigators, prosecutors, and the judiciary system as such. This includes thematic trainings, technical assistance, networking with countries of transit and destination, capacity building in the sphere of mutual legal assistance, strengthening victim/ witness protection mechanisms and other. IOM also partners with the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine to enhance the identification of (potential) trafficking victims at the country’s borders and to improve the cooperation with specialized police units.

3. Protection and Reintegration

IOM Ukraine started assisting Ukrainians who had become victims of trafficking (VoTs) in 2000. Together with a network of partner NGOs throughout Ukraine, from January 2000 to April 2011 IOM provided comprehensive reintegration assistance to more than 7,500 VoTs, which, depending on the individual needs of each beneficiary, included legal consultation and representation in criminal and civil court; medical care, psychological counselling, shelter, vocational training, small-grant program supporting those trafficking survivors who aspire to set-up their own business and other forms of assistance. Since 2002, IOM operates a Medical Rehabilitation Centre, the only one of its kind in Ukraine, where comprehensive medical care and psychological assistance are provided to beneficiaries free of charge in a safe and confidential manner. From 2002 to 2010, more than 1,700 victims benefited from the Centre’s services.

4. Partnership is the basis of all of IOM’s counter-trafficking efforts. Working with a growing circle of partners, including various government agencies, international organizations, civil society, private companies and individuals and facilitating cooperation among them is the key to effective action against human trafficking in Ukraine and to greater national input and ownership. 

IOM’s main achievements include the identification and reintegration of more than 7,500 VoTs, including medical treatment of 1,700 VoTs at the IOM Rehabilitation Centre, with the result of over 90% of VoTs being successfully employed/ self-employed or enrolled into an education institution. Further, over 210 VoTs benefited from the IOM´s Micro-Enterprise Development Programme, setting up 157 micro-enterprises and creating close to 300 new jobs.  Moreover, IOM has established itself and remains the leading agency aiding the national criminal justice system in the development of an effective response to trafficking; in particular, IOM facilitated the creation of a specialized law enforcement department within the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine.