The present project aims at countering trafficking in persons in Ukraine by building upon the achievements of previous and current counter-trafficking initiatives, addressing relevant needs and gaps, and considering the expected developments in the upcoming years. As trafficking in persons is a very complex phenomenon and fighting it is a multi-faceted task, it requires a comprehensive approach to address its various aspects. Thus, the intervention under the project will be structured under the following components:

• Advocacy and capacity-building through continuous support of the necessary legislative change and training governmental and non-governmental service provider to combat trafficking in persons in Ukraine effectively and sustainably;
• Prevention of trafficking, including targeted prevention actions and comprehensive awareness raising of various types of trafficking in persons;
• Reintegration assistance to victims to ensure their sustainable reinsertion into society; and
• Economic empowerment to increase the economic potential of victims of trafficking and selected at-risk groups.

A three-year programmatic approach coordinated by the implementing partners in three countries: Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova. The programme activities are developed in the three main programmatic areas – Advocacy, Capacity Building and Provision of Services – within each country’s or regional 3-year strategic framework.

Programme’s Development Goal:

To contribute to/improve national and regional responses to trafficking in Eastern and South-Eastern Europe

The Four Immediate Objectives:

• National counter trafficking strategies and mechanisms are strengthened
• Adequate assistance services are available and accessible to VoTs
• Prevention services effectively reach vulnerable groups, causing them to seek advice to avoid being trafficked
• Strengthened international & regional co-operation on responses to trafficking

The specific feature of the project is its integrated approach towards prevention of human trafficking through (a) social work and awareness raising in vulnerable groups completed with (b) the mobilization of initiative groups.

The project aims to address a range of social gaps which put children and young people at risks of human trafficking such as:

• insufficient level of awareness about the problem and its consequences among schoolchildren, students, their parents and the society in general;
• low level of capacities of social sphere practitioners and secondary education specialists in addressing human trafficking;
• insufficient number of alternative opportunities for children and youth at community level.

The overall goal of the Project is to contribute to successful prosecution of trafficking-related crimes with Ukraine as a country of destination through strengthening the capacities of law enforcement agencies of Ukraine in application of mechanisms of proactive crime detection and victim protection techniques.

Project Objectives:

Objective 1. Strengthen the capacities of the law enforcement to identify potential VoTs and proactively detect trafficking crimes on the territory of Ukraine;

Objective 2. Strengthen the capacities of the law enforcement to provide adequate protection to foreign VoTs.

Expected results:

• Sustainable normalization of child VoTs’ lives ensured through provision of comprehensive and professional reintegration assistance, development of referral mechanisms and capacity building of service providers.
• Prosecution and criminalization of child trafficking is enhanced through capacity building and networking of relevant law enforcement agencies.
• Strengthened national mechanisms for combating child trafficking in Ukraine through advocacy, training and networking activities.

The objective of the Project is to strengthen national mechanisms for the reintegration and rehabilitation of victims of human trafficking (VoTs) in Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine by increasing the involvement of the National Red Cross Societies in VoTs identification, referral and assistance to ensure sustainable access to services for VoTs.

The project foresees IFRC and IOM to lead a series of consolidated efforts and engagement of stakeholders in Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine, including governments, national Red Cross societies, international and non-governmental organizations, to further build efficient national mechanisms for the referral of VoTs.