Netherlands records increased number of Ukrainians affected by human trafficking

In the Netherlands, the number of Ukrainians who became victims of human trafficking has increased significantly.

Source:  NOS, as European Pravda writes

Details: Of 814 reports of human trafficking over the past year, 51 concerned Ukrainian victims; in 2021, there were only seven.

According to Conny Rijken, the Dutch National Rapporteur on Human Trafficking, this is due to the fact that more Ukrainian refugees arrived in the Netherlands. "Refugees in general are more vulnerable to exploitative practices," she said.

Most reports relate to labour exploitation, especially among people working through temporary employment agencies.

Quote: "Refugees often do not know the situation in the Netherlands and do not speak the language. This makes them vulnerable to such practices," said the speaker.

According to Rijken, it is important to disseminate information about exploitation at refugee reception sites.

At the same time, there may be more victims of exploitation. It is estimated that there are about 5,000 victims every year, and only a few cases are reported to authorities and relevant organisations.

Rijken also believes that investigative organisations should pay more attention to human trafficking.

Background: 

• On Wednesday, 18 October, the German government proposed steps to speed up the integration of tens of thousands of Ukrainian refugees into its labour market, calling on companies to loosen German language requirements and offer additional training.
• Earlier, EU countries agreed to extend the temporary protection mechanism for refugees from Ukraine for one year, from 4 March 2024 to 4 March 2025.

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