Sex trafficking occurs in brothels, hotels, and saunas, among other locations. A group of such women with higher education expecting to be employed in good jobs in Italy, ended up in a brothel for men with a predilection for older women. In 2012, available data shows 29 convictions for human trafficking and five for using slave labor. So sometimes, what Russians may take to be “lectures,” can backfire. In the 1990s Russian social scientists such as Elena Tiuriukanova and Natalia Khodyreva attempted to expose the problem, educate the public and put pressure on the parliament, the State Duma, to pass anti-trafficking legislation. The worst cases were given narcotics and alcohol to help them cope with their burden, the cost of which was added to their debt. Russia’s 2016 Statistics: In 2016, the Global Slavery Index reported that there were more than one million human trafficking victims in Russia. Since then Russia has not adopted any other laws on human trafficking, whereas, all 14 other countries in the post-Soviet region have passed multiple laws related to human trafficking… Rapid socioeconomic changes have taken place in Russia over the last 20 years. Dolgov concluded that a “politicizing of human trafficking” hampered international cooperation and that Russia would not fulfill “demands that look almost like an ultimatum.”. The stigma can be huge, self-image shaken and confidence undermined. She was now to work as a waitress in a local café for US$ 1,000 a month. On World Day against Trafficking in Persons, three women survivors tell us their stories. But the numbers are relatively low given the scale of the problem. The Russian Federation is the largest country in the world, stretching from Europe to the Pacific, and is a massive landmass for the origin, transit and destination of women, men and children who are trafficked into forced labor. It has been known for Russian politicians to dig their heels in and not do what the US has suggested since it is deemed to be “interference” in internal affairs. This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com Abstract Since the collapse of Psychological counseling is badly needed and not always available. The type of digital cookie information collected during your visit and any derived data cannot be used or combined with other information to personally identify you. In the 1990s, the spotlight fell on thousands of women and minors trafficked out of Russia into prostitution, particularly to  Europe, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Scandinavia, China and North America. The 2013 TIP Report talks of Russia’s “minimal progress in efforts to protect and assist trafficking victims”, its “limited efforts to prevent trafficking,” and its lack of effort to “reduce the demand for commercial sex acts.”. The tight restrictions on mobility that had prevented many Soviet citizens from traveling abroad were now eased. Yet bilateral discussions about it with other states do take place, conferences have been convened, and the advocacy of moving more towards Eurasian regional economic union may in the long run push human trafficking higher up agendas. Renat also warned Irina's mother that the travel arrangements had cost him a lot of money, and if her daughter cancelled the trip, she would owe him US$ 1,000. Why do thousands of citizens who are looking for work opportunities, higher wages and a better future that they cannot find at home end up caught in forced labor, not easily able to escape? Thirty-seven percent of both genders acknowledged that the women were looking for work due to a lack of jobs, but 35 percent of males and 31 percent of females considered the trafficked “in the main to be prostitutes, hoping to earn more in other countries.” A high majority of respondents had low hopes of political institutions being able to solve the problem; a pessimistic 23 percent overall felt that “no-one” could be effective in tackling human trafficking and 22 percent just did not know who could. Meanwhile, all the other countries previously part of the Soviet Union have passed over 100 laws against human trafficking. The most harrowing story of human trafficking I've ever heard World Human Trafficking Monday September 11, 2017, 5:31 PM Julie Etchingham Presenter, ITV News at … The Russian Code here defined human trafficking as: “The buying-selling of a person or other actions committed for the purpose of such person’s exploitation in the form of recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of such a person.” Article 127.2 against slavery was later added. The offer of US$ 500 for her help in bringing back merchandise to sell in the Russian Federation seemed lucrative. Russia has since withdrawn giving federal statistics involving human trafficking to the US State Department, however various NGO's and other organizations are still cooperating with foreign agencies. In criticizing Russia, US leaders and officials tread on delicate and sensitive ground. Image: Copyright © Shutterstock. These cookies essential for the website to function. What has the Russian political leadership done to tackle the problem of human trafficking? In 2013, 28 people were convicted under Article 127.1, where 23 given sentences ranging from between 2 and 11 years' imprisonment. It is organizations like Miramed, which formed the Angel Coalition as an umbrella of dozens of non-governmental organizations and women’s groups across Russia and Central Asia, that helped returnees in the 1990s and early 2000s. In fact, over the years, Russia has been diplomatically praised for making some efforts, but regularly criticized for not setting up shelters or adequate psychological counseling services for returnees from trafficking situations, for not making enough convictions, and for not having a comprehensive strategy in place or formal national procedures. The existence of a globalized world of interconnectedness, technological advances, fast travel, cell phones and the Internet, facilitated global patterns of human trafficking. Pressure also came from the United States and Germany. Become a Fair Observer and help us make sense of the world. project coordinator, International Organization for Migration. While the use of slave labour is criminalised under article 127.2 and article 127.1 mentions slave labour as a type of exploitation as part of the crime of human trafficking, the act of slavery itself is not distinctly criminalised.58 Articles 240 and 241 address recruitment into sex work and pimping.59 In relation to the alleged exploitation of migrant workers from North Korea on the construction site for the St Petersburg stadium for the 2018 S… In the 1990s Russian social scientists such as Elena Tiuriukanova and Natalia Khodyreva attempted to expose the problem, educate the public and put pressure on the parliament, the State Duma, to pass anti-trafficking legislation. 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