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Poland sees signs women fleeing Ukraine may be trafficking target

16 March 2022 02:20 (UTC +04:00)

Poland has seen indications that human traffickers may be targeting refugees fleeing the Ukraine war, officials and aid workers said on Tuesday, and although trafficking cases have not been confirmed, preventative efforts are now being put in place, APA reports quoting Reuters.

Nearly two million people, mostly women and children, have arrived in Poland since Russia mounted an invasion of Poland's eastern neighbour last month, shelling cities and killing civilians.

Poland's human rights ombudsman Marcin Wiacek visited the border region on Tuesday to discuss trafficking risks with a local head of the Polish Border Guard, Andrzej Popko.

"Police officers ... are very conscious of these risks and we've already had instances where there was a suspicion of such situations," Wiacek told reporters.

Traffickers have long focussed on vulnerable people in eastern Europe, especially women and minors who are mainly trafficked for sexual exploitation, according to a U.N. study.