There has been a 300 per cent increase in online search for the terms “Ukrainian refugee porn” and “Ukrainian rape” between March and June, new analysis has revealed.
Global internet searches for derogatory terms specifically relating to Ukrainian refugees have surged in the past three months, with Thomson Reuters claiming this is linked to growing sexual exploitation and trafficking of refugees.
According to the research by Reuters, these search terms did not feature in a previous analysis conducted in March, indicating a disturbing new shift towards searches specifically seeking content which sexually exploits Ukrainian refugees.
The analysis also shows that overall searches for terms such as “Ukrainian porn” remain at consistently higher levels now than prior to the war.
The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) claim the surge in the search terms demonstrate that people leaving Ukraine are being preyed upon by criminal organisations.
As a result of the findings, OSCE and Thomson Reuters partnered to launch the “Be Safe” campaign. The new digital awareness campaign aims to reach Ukrainian refugees and provide them critical information on how to spot the warning signs of traffickers, minimise the risks and get assistance.
Commenting on the findings, Val Richey, OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings said: “As millions of Ukrainians flee their country, we all have a responsibility to help keep them safe – traffickers are seeking to turn their vulnerability into profit.
“Through the ‘Be Safe’ campaign we aim to equip people with knowledge to make informed choices and access help if they need it. We need to share the word so that we can inform as many Ukrainians as possible on how they can stay aware and stay safe.”
“Our analysis shows that internet demand for derogatory material relating to Ukrainian refugees is driving traffickers to coerce, lure and grown women and children into exploitation.
“Offers of employment or financial assistance are sadly all too often used to trap women and children into trafficking. We are partnering with the OSCE to mobilize the global community to recognize the need to act now to protect these vulnerable people from exploitation”.
The UN refugee agency warned at the start of the conflict of growing concerns over how to protect the most vulnerable refugees from being targeted by human traffickers or becoming victims of other forms of exploitation.
The Migration Data Portal notes that humanitarian crises such as those associated with conflicts “can exacerbate pre-existing trafficking trends and give rise to new ones” and that traffickers can thrive on “the inability of families and communities to protect themselves and their children.”
A 2020 human trafficking report by the European Commission, the EU’s executive branch, estimates the annual global profit from the crime is 29.4 billion euros ($32 billion).
It says that sexual exploitation is the most common form of human trafficking in the 27-nation bloc and that nearly three-quarters of all victims are female, with almost every fourth victim a child.
