Human Trafficking in Wartime: Security, Vulnerabilities, State Responsibility

As part of the THBxOC 2025 Forum in Stockholm, a panel discussion «Human trafficking in the context of russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine: Security, exploitation, and vulnerabilities» took place, focusing on how russia’s war against Ukraine not only exacerbates humanitarian crises but also creates new opportunities for human trafficking and the exploitation of vulnerable groups.

Julia Sachenko – a member of our Coalition and an expert in countering human trafficking and protecting children’s rights – joined the event, presenting the Ukrainian experience and the position of civil society within the international security discussion.

• systemic vulnerabilities arising from war, mass displacement of people, and the destruction of protection mechanisms;
• new forms of exploitation used by criminal networks in conflict settings;
• human trafficking as a complex security challenge, not exclusively a social or humanitarian issue;
• the illegal transfer and exploitation of Ukrainian children;
• the need for effective interstate cooperation to identify survivors and hold perpetrators accountable.

Julia Sachenko emphasized that war does not create isolated risks, but rather a systemic field of vulnerabilities that criminal networks actively exploit. Without a coordinated response from states, international organizations, and civil society – at both national and international levels – countering human trafficking remains fragmented and insufficiently effective.

The panel also included representatives of the OSCE, EUAM Ukraine, the governments of Poland and Sweden, as well as diplomatic and expert institutions working at the intersection of security, human rights, and criminal justice.