Human trafficking

Every year, millions of women, men and children all over the world are tricked or forced into situations where they are exploited by criminal groups or individual traffickers. This is called human trafficking.

What is human trafficking?

Human trafficking happens when a person is:

Tricked, trapped, or forced into being exploited for another person’s private gain or profit.
Exploitation happens through force, fraud, threats, abuse of power or abuse of a position of vulnerability.

Child trafficking

Child trafficking happens when children (anyone under 18) are taken from their safe environments, exploited because of their vulnerability, and used for different forms of exploitation and abuse.

Children who are alone or separated from their families are at much higher risk of being trafficked.

Trafficking is a crime and can take various forms, such as:

Sexual exploitation
Forced labour
Domestic servitude (being forced to work in a private home)
Slavery or similar practices
Forced begging or criminal activities
Removal and selling of organs

Why are refugees and displaced people at risk of human trafficking?

In times of crisis and conflict, traffickers exploit chaos, weakened state systems, and the breakdown of the rule of law to target those forced to flee.

People who have been forced to flee and leave their homes and are displaced, whether within a country or across borders, are often more vulnerable because they are in conditions that traffickers are quick to exploit, such as:

Be separated from their family members
Lose their sources of income and homes
Have no support networks

Traffickers know this and target people in these difficult situations.

Be aware:

Anyone is at risk of human trafficking, regardless of nationality, legal status, age, gender, education or social status. Stay alert. Know the risks. Protect yourself and others.

Warning signs: How traffickers may approach you

Many people may want to help you on your journey to safety, and after you arrive in the host country. However, not everyone is honest or is who they claim to be; some individuals may wish to take advantage of your situation.

Be careful if someone:

Asks for your passport or other identification documents (unless it is public authorities, for example, at border check points)
Asks for your phone, laptop or other means of communication
Tries to separate you from your family or others you are travelling with
Isolates you from people who speak your language
Offers a job, scholarship or opportunity that sounds too good to be true
Pressures you to work or perform services or sexual acts, including to repay ‘debts’.
Offers help (food, accommodation, documents) but expects ‘services’ in return
Promises to help you get registered, relocated or resettled to another country in exchange for payment (except for regular transportation fees)
Hires you but does not pay you or only pays part of what was promised
Hires you, but does not giving you decent working conditions or limits your movement, for example, by making you work long hours with no rest or in dangerous conditions, by taking your documents, locking the door or threatening to report you to the authorities
Forces you to steal or to carry or sell drugs, or to commit other unlawful activities
Threatens you or your loved ones to make you work or obey

How to protect yourself and your family:

Be alert and follow your own intuition about people you don’t know. If something feels wrong, take your time and ask for advice.
Keep your documents safe. Make copies on your phone and send them to someone you trust.
Stay in regular contact with your family and other people you trust.
Be cautious with job or study offers. Always ask for written contracts and check if the organization is real. Look for reviews and ask trusted persons.
Ask questions and make sure you receive clear, convincing answers before you accept or sign anything. Don’t be afraid to take your time and seek advice.
Get information from trusted sources like official websites or humanitarian organizations.
Know your rights and where you can get help.

Warning signs with transportation

Some people may offer to help you cross a border irregularly into another country. But instead of helping, they might:

Trick and exploit you to make money
Hand you over to others who profit from your situation.
Put you in risky and dangerous situations during your journey
Take you to a different location than promised
Abandon you on the route
Force you to work to repay your travel debt

Although many people may genuinely offer to help you, others may use false promises of accommodation, transport, food, or a job to:

Pressure you into sexual acts, work or other services you disagree with.
Harm you physically
Take your documents or other belongings
Force you to work for them for free

Safe transportation tips:

Use organised transport services from trusted providers, if possible.
Always agree on a clear price before starting the trip.
Stay with your family, friends or those you arrived with.
Don’t give your documents to anyone

Stay safe online:

If you reach for help in a Facebook Group or on social media, be cautious with offers that seem too good to be true. Scammers often use social media and messaging apps to target people in crisis.
If an offer feels rushed or too perfect, take time to pause, reflect and try to verify.
Never send money up front, particularly via untraceable methods. Genuine help doesn’t come with secret payments or pressure.
Be very cautious if they ask for excessive personal information early on, like pictures of your passport or financial details or if they pressure you to accept very quickly.
Be careful of offers of engagement and marriage that come through the internet.
Take time to verify the credibility of the source, consult official websites, and consult trusted organizations and people.

Finding safe accommodation

Choose organized accommodation, shelters, reception centre, hostel, and non-governmental organizations that offer accommodation, which are well-known, if possible.
If using an online platforms, select hosts with good ratings and positive reviews.
If you stay with private individuals, try to ask around about the person first.
Don’t accept being separated from your family
Don’t give away your documents.
Always agree on a price beforehand.
Tell someone you trust where you will be staying and with whom.

Be very cautious with offers that are:

Advertised only for women and girls
Using fake or suspicious pictures
Asking for “services” like babysitting or household chores in exchange for the accommodation.

Need help?

Select the country you are in to find out about the organizations that can help you.

I need help in:

Watch: How to say safe

UNHCR has a short information video on “How to stay safe”

Available also in Українська  and Русский.