Prevention Effort Thwarts Trafficking in Women
Mila, a divorced mother, worked in a Zhytomyr city hospital. On her modest physician’s salary, she supported her 10-year-old daughter and elderly parents. Her income was so small that she barely could make ends meet. Always looking for that elusive good-paying job, she regularly scanned the regional newspapers in search of advertisements for migration or employment abroad.
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IOM Counter-Trafficking poster warning Ukrainians about the dangers of falling
prey to traffickers by featuring a passport stamped with the word “SOLD”
Photo Credit: IOM |
One day she found an ad for a well-paying job caring for the elderly in Italy. Mila called the agency inquiring about the terms of the contract and criteria she had to meet as a potential employee. Her interest piqued by what she was initially told, Mila asked if she could come by the agency to talk in detail about the offer. An office worker politely declined and suggested they meet at a city park.
The agency’s representative turned out to be a handsome young man with endearing communication skills and a seemingly genuine concern. He seemed to take Mila’s financial problems very seriously and offered to help her prepare for work in Italy. He promised to take care of all visa and passport requirements within a week and offered the agency’s assistance in covering visa support services and air tickets. He told Mila that she could repay the expenses they would incur from her first salary in Italy. Mila agreed without hesitation.
On her way home, Mila was flush with excitement and thoughts of her new life. However, her mood changed when a friend told her about a television program she had recently seen about human trafficking and ways to avoid becoming a victim of this modern day slavery. The program also highlighted the work of Avenir, a counter-trafficking NGO in Zhytomyr that publicizes the work of illegal and criminal phantom agencies, which recruit citizens and turn them into powerless slaves. Avenir belongs to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) counter-trafficking partner NGO network. Part of its trafficking prevention activities are funded by the USAID project, Counter-Trafficking in Persons in Ukraine.
Mila contacted the NGO to find out more about the agency that was recruiting her. With help from the Zhytomyr Ministry of Interior Counter-Trafficking Unit, the NGO discovered that the agency recruiting Mila was not registered and did not officially exist. Mila was shocked. She realized she had barely escaped a direct assault on her freedom, health and the future of her family.
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