a race against time… supporting UKRAINIAN refugees in the fight against trafficking

War. Crisis. Poverty.

These are the trademarks fueling the trafficking industry and have been for many years. As the numbers of refugees entering western Europe due to the war in Ukraine continue to rise, addressing the needs of these truly at-risk people is urgent.

Recently, we got a first-hand look at the situation on the Polish/Ukrainian border while delivering a van load of supplies and food to a refugee camp situated there. Watching a woman cross into Poland on foot carrying her small child, I couldn’t help but wonder how long and arduous her journey had been. Thankfully, the Polish community living there has rallied together to receive these women and children. In many cases, the people arriving at these camps are being moved further into western Europe, away from the congestion at the border due to the sheer number of people arriving. At the camp, we were asked to take a family of 6 to Germany who had made their way from Kyiv. They listened to what Germany had to offer by way of housing and support options then huddled together to confer with one another before accepting the offer for transport. After this, the Polish police stationed at the camp performed a thorough examination of my and the other driver’s passport and recorded our information. I couldn’t help but wonder how many people offering similar transport opportunities outside of regulated camps would not be getting vetted to the same degree.

The vulnerability I saw in front of me highlighted the ease of exploitation in times of crisis. Anyone accepting help from a stranger in such a situation is taking an unimaginable risk. After returning home, my thoughts were revolving around what we as an organization could do to highlight the very real risk of falling prey to traffickers and other forms of sexual exploitation in Germany. Reports of trafficking cases were already starting to surface and the urgency was evident.

Simultaneously, our incredible network of city officials and social services reached out to us looking to mobilize a task force. A few phone calls later and members of our team met to collaborate with the local criminal police and our city’s health department to strategize an outreach initiative to reach the Ukrainian refugees being housed in our city and region. The need for housing and other necessities is being met by the groundswell of public charity and is being well coordinated by the city administration. For this reason, our primary focus is now on victim identification, prevention, and educating new arrivals about the risks of human trafficking and how to protect themselves. Our incredible team serving on the ground in Germany has had over 11 years of experience helping survivors of trafficking and providing real help to those who need it the most. We are glad that in such a moment of crisis like this one, we can bring our expertise to support Ukrainian women and children fleeing war. Your partnership makes this possible. Thank you for standing with us!

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ To this day, especially in times of ‘disaster,’ I remember my mother’s words, and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers — so many caring people in this world.” - Mr. Rogers