(Reuters) – The European Commissioner for Home Affairs warned on Monday that Ukrainian children could be victims of human trafficking as they flee their country to escape the Russian invasion.
Ylva Johansson told a press conference in Estonia that about half of the 3.3 million Ukrainians who have fled to European Union (EU) countries since the start of the war have been children, and that “many more millions” were expected.
Ukraine has a large number of orphans and children born to surrogate mothers who have not been picked up by their parents. This increases the risk of them being abducted or becoming victims of forced adoptions, she said.
“There is a huge risk of trafficking vulnerable children.”
So far, very few unaccompanied children have been reported at EU borders and few cases of human trafficking, she said.
However, the police, activists and Ukrainian women’s organizations have reported some “alarming” cases, she added, recalling that such abuses were common in cases of mass migration.
“We should not wait to have proof of many cases of trafficking, because then it could be too late,” said Ylva Johansson, adding that a vast awareness campaign about this risk should be carried out immediately.
She said risks could arise at borders, where criminals disguised as volunteers or relief workers could take advantage of vulnerable people by offering shelter to migrants.
(Report Francesco Guarascio; French version Elena Vardon, told by Jean-Michel Blot)