Criminal gangs are cashing in on the wave of refugees fleeing war-torn Ukraine and targeting them for sex work and human slavery.
More than a million people, mostly women and children, have fled the country since last week’s invasion by a Russian despot. Vladimir Putin.
European Union officials and UN fears that up to seven million people could enter neighboring countries such as Poland, Moldova, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary which, according to the campaigners, will spark a “worrisome surge in human trafficking”.
There are fears that some of the escapees will eventually become sex workers involved in crime, domestic slavery or forced labour, with many of them potentially ending up in the UK.
There are fears that some of those who escape will end up as sex workers involved in crime, domestic slavery or forced labour, with many of them potentially ending up in the UK.
There have already been reports of women and young families accepting offers of “free” travel across borders to neighboring countries, only to fall into the hands of criminal gangs who demand payment from them.
One 27-year-old woman from Ukraine said: “I heard from a friend who moved to Poland who told me that she went with a guy who said he would take her to Warsaw for free, but when they got there he asked for money.
“He was aggressive with her but didn’t hit on her, just saying he owed her money and would have to pay her by working for him.
“She started screaming and managed to run away while people were watching. We’re spreading information to people so they’re careful.”
Lauren Agnew, human trafficking policy expert for charity CARE, told MailOnline: “The war in Ukraine will make the human trafficking situation worse.
“This will have a vulnerable domino effect across Europe, with refugees at increasing risk of exploitation.
“There is no doubt that over time we will see a surge in the number of refugees caused by the fact that refugees are exploited by traffickers and potentially become sex workers, involved in criminal gangs or forced labor and domestic slavery.
A woman holds her dog after fleeing Ukraine at a border checkpoint in Medyka, Poland.
MailOnline has seen groups of men who once crossed the border into Poland, offering free travel to cities across Poland, and onward to Belgium and Germany.
More than a million people, mostly women and children, have fled the country.
“Not only are people dying because of the war, but this massive displacement of perhaps up to seven million people from Ukraine means that some of them will undoubtedly become victims of human trafficking.
“The countries to which refugees are fleeing are hotspots for criminal gangs, and they will see in these people a rich source for their exploitation.
“These gangs are cashing in on the insecurity of the refugees and the war is a business opportunity for them to make a profit and lure people to Europe and eventually the UK.”
Ms. Agnew explained that one of the gangs’ methods of exploiting women was to offer them “free transportation” to other places only to have them later order them to give money to pay for the trip that they don’t have, forcing them into debt and leaving them in their hands.
She added: “Human traffickers will wait in the wings to take advantage of the situation in Poland and other countries neighboring Ukraine.
“We have seen that the majority of visitors are women and children, men are not allowed to leave the country, which means that this group is more vulnerable.
“They are desperate, and in this state, some are ready to accept the first offer of help, perhaps without even thinking it over.
MailOnline has seen groups of men who once crossed the border into Poland, offering free travel to cities across Poland, and onward to Belgium and Germany.
Locals fear that some of them are gangs using the situation to hand over the women to traffickers.
An elderly woman is helped to cross a destroyed bridge as she tries to leave the city of Irpin, Kiev region.
Although many of them are real, locals fear that some of them are gangs using the situation to trick the women into the hands of traffickers.
Rafał Włodek, an employee at the reception center that was set up at Secondary School Number One, near the border in the Polish city of Przemysl, said: “We have received reports of people picking up refugees and offering to take them to another location. in Poland, but instead they ended up in secluded places and ordered to pay 1,000 złoty (£200) or be abandoned.
“There is no doubt that people are taking advantage of the situation, so we are putting together a trusted list of people who can transport women and children, because we want to avoid a situation where people are being trafficked and exploited.”
CARE said it would lobby MPs to strengthen legal protection for victims of human trafficking and “intensify efforts” to detect and prevent crime, given the situation in Ukraine.
Lauren added: “In the coming months, we will see an increase in the number of victims of human trafficking due to this situation, and statistically it is women who are the largest number of victims, as they end up being sexually exploited.”
“The gangs will see this war as an extremely profitable opportunity for their evil business, and, unfortunately, the victims will be women and children.”
A spokesman for the Ministry of the Interior said: “The government is committed to combating the horrific crime of human trafficking. We will continue to stop those who continue to exploit vulnerable people while providing dedicated support to victims to help them recover.
“We keep the situation in Ukraine under review and remain in close contact with the Ukrainian government.”