Human traffickers exploit desperation of Ukrainian refugees and their children

Rosie Birchard:

We asked Tatiana's former employer for comment, but received no reply.

The Polish government, like the rest of the European Union, offers all Ukrainians fleeing war access to work and residence permits for up to three years. But despite its best efforts to protect refugees through one-off support payments, free hot lines and job search support, a lack of local knowledge and language barriers can leave some slipping through the net.

That's the global phenomenon. Migrants are three times more likely to be trapped in exploitative working conditions, often hidden in sectors like agriculture, construction or manufacturing. In Poland, thousands of manual jobs were once filled by Ukrainian men who lived in the country, but have now left to fight for their homeland.

Now migrants from across the world are filling those jobs, finding themselves newly vulnerable to exploitation.

E.U. Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson is tasked with tackling trafficking and organized crime across Europe. She has made it her mission to turn things around.

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