Odessa, Ukraine, is a beautiful resort town located on the Black Sea with scenic views of the water, elegant architecture, and some of the best spas in the region. But resorts in Odessa are serving up a lot more than just beautiful scenery. The area is a crossroads of human trafficking between Eastern Europe and the rest of the world.
Ukraine has long been a major source and transit country for women and girls trafficked into the sex industry. In fact, it was Ukrainian, Russian, and Eastern European women who first drew notice of many law enforcement agencies and human rights groups, creating an initial impression that human trafficking was a regional problem. While we now know human trafficking to be a global phenomenon, Ukraine remains a major player in the sex trafficking industry and Odessa remains a hub for transit.
Why is Odessa such a popular spot for transporting human trafficking victims? First, it's a tourist location and resort town, which means demand for commercial sex may be higher than other areas of the Ukraine. Second, it's a port town with enough tourism that a few more women being loaded onto boats, planes, and trains will likely go unnoticed. And third, it's almost the exact midway point between Europe and the former Soviet countries and Russia. Add to that the fact that it's close to Romania and Moldova, also source countries for trafficked women, and you have the perfect staging ground for an international trafficking ring.
But despite the uphill battle, Ukrainians are making progress in their efforts to fight human trafficking. Prosecutions of cases have increased, and local NGOs have been able to assist thousands of women. And many NGOs believe awareness and prevention efforts have reduced the number of women trafficked to and through Odessa. But they also know that there have been thousands they weren't able to save before they were shipped to other locations in Europe and the U.S. And they're worried that the current recession in the region will leave more women vulnerable to the trade in Odessa.
Tourism in Odessa is just reaching its high season, but trafficking there is year round. If you're interested in helping the women who end up in Odessa, check out Faith, Hope and Love, a local faith-based charity which serves trafficked women, among other people in need.
Photo credit: ser.ddima
Amanda Kloer has been a full-time abolitionist for six years. She currently develops trainings and educational materials for civil attorneys representing victims of human trafficking and gender-based violence.
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