The Russian invasion of the Ukraine is on the lips and minds of almost everyone, showcasing both the worst and the best of humanity.
News channels are overwhelming us with video footage of pure evil, people that are being coerced or manipulated to kill and destroy. In contrast, many others are putting their differences aside and joining hands to provide a safe haven for those that are fleeing the conflict.
From a human trafficking point of view, alarm bells are already sounding... With more than 3 million refugees (and climbing), most of them desperate and vulnerable women and children, police in Poland have already issued warnings of sex traffickers pretending to be good Samaritans offering transport and shelter, only to force the women and children into prostitution to pay back their so-called debt. [1]
Desperate parents are sending their children alone to meet relatives across the border, but in some cases, there is no-one on the other side to meet them, or traffickers find them first... [2] Volunteers from legitimate organizations have their hands full dealing with the immediate needs of the refugees and are scrambling to deal with these additional security concerns.
For the refugees suddenly finding themselves in a foreign country, lacking basic necessities and separated from their loved ones, there is no choice but to believe in good faith that all those offering help have honorable intentions.
In desperate situations like these,
how would any of us be able to distinguish friend from foe?
Human trafficking truly is the exploitation of vulnerability, and in no way the fault of the victim. And as we focus our eyes on the millions of Ukrainians that are at risk of further exploitation, let’s remember that more than 40 million men, women and children are already victims of human trafficking. Every single one of them dreaming, hoping and praying for freedom.
It is time to stop watching the battle from the sidelines.
It is time to become a voice for the voiceless.
It is time to put on the armor of God and join the war against trafficking.
With our hearts. With our voices. On our knees.
Sources:
[1] https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10584105/More-1-5-MILLION-flee-Ukraine-police-warn-sex-traffickers-targeting-women-children.html
[2] https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/mar/12/children-going-missing-amid-chaos-at-ukraine-border-report-aid-groups-refugees
Yorumlar