How Ukraine combats human trafficking

When the state, international partners, and NGOs unite

On July 29, a meeting of the Interagency Working Group on the detection, prevention, and investigation of crimes related to human trafficking was held in Kyiv.

The meeting brought together representatives of the Office of the Prosecutor General, the National Police of Ukraine, the State Bureau of Investigation, the Security Service of Ukraine, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine, the National Social Service of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, as well as international and civil society organizations – IOM Ukraine, OSCE, UNODC – United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Caritas Ukraine, Save Ukraine, and the Counter–Trafficking NGO Coalition.

Key highlights:

According to the Office of the Prosecutor General, 235 criminal proceedings related to human trafficking are currently being investigated in Ukraine.

Since the beginning of 2025, 51 individuals have been served with suspicion notices in 75 criminal offenses, 26 indictments against 31 individuals have been submitted to the court, and 14 cases have already been reviewed by courts. Seven offenders received actual sentences.

Forms of exploitation include labor and sexual exploitation, forced begging, and involvement in criminal activities.
The Office of the Prosecutor General has a specialized department, and since 2021, an Interagency Working Group has been operating. Similar groups function in the regions, and nearly 300 prosecutors specializing in this category of crimes are engaged in the work.

«Human trafficking is a crime that destroys lives. Every case of exploitation must be identified, investigated, and victims must receive assistance»

Key decisions and proposals

The Counter–Trafficking NGO Coalition proposed strengthening cooperation of law enforcement agencies not only with the Migration Police, but also with the Cyber Police and the State Bureau of Investigation, in order to promptly refer victims to civil society organizations for the necessary assistance.
The participants agreed on the need to improve interaction mechanisms and deepen partnerships with international organizations so that assistance to victims is provided more quickly and comprehensively.

The training participants received practical advice from Child Rescue experts, who conducted intensive training modules using real cases, practical exercises, and group discussions.

Important helplines:

15-47 – countering human trafficking (for citizens abroad +38 044 284 19 39)
0 800 500 202 / 102 – National Police of Ukraine
527 – national hotline for countering exploitation
0 800 500 335 / 116 123 – prevention of domestic violence, human trafficking, and gender discrimination
0 800 500 225 / 116 111 – National Child Hotline

Human trafficking is a crime that knows no borders. But by uniting the efforts of the state, international partners, and civil society organizations, we are taking another significant step toward ensuring that every person in Ukraine is protected and that no crime goes unpunished.