The state guarantees protection – but it is important to know your rights

Particularly vulnerable are those who were forced to flee the combat zones, those who found temporary shelter abroad, or those looking for work without official employment.

On September 20, 2011, Ukraine adopted the Law “On Combating Trafficking in Human Beings,” which became the legal foundation for developing a victim assistance system. Since then, the state has guaranteed additional protection to victims of human trafficking – greater than that provided to victims of other crimes.

Criminal liability for the crime of human trafficking is provided for in Article 149 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

• obtaining official status as a person affected by human trafficking;
• compensation for material and moral damages from the perpetrators;
• one-time financial assistance to cover immediate needs;
• assistance with employment or retraining;
• temporary shelter;
• support in obtaining or resuming education;
• free medical, psychological, social, and legal assistance — even before receiving official status.

Specialists from the NGO "Egiida-Zaporizhzhia," which is part of our Coalition, represented the interests of five victims in court cases during 2024–2025. As a result of the hearings, courts issued verdicts and awarded compensation for material and moral damages in their favor.

In Zaporizhzhia, you can receive free legal consultation and full lawyer support by contacting

the NGO “Egiida-Zaporizhzhia” via the hotline: +380 982 462 478.

• The Unified Contact Center of the Free Legal Aid System also operates: 0 800 213 103 – calls from landlines and mobile phones are free throughout Ukraine.