The US includes Russia on its list of countries that promote human trafficking and exploitation

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July 20 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The United States has included Russia on its list of countries that promote human trafficking and has warned that the migration crisis caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine can trigger an “unprecedented” humanitarian risk.

This was expressed by the Secretary of State of the United States, Antony Blinken, during the presentation of the Trafficking in Persons (TIP) of 2022, a list presented this Tuesday that also includes countries with which Washington does not maintain good relations such as they are China, Syria, Cuba, or Iran.

Blinken has pointed out that the war in Ukraine and its consequences has not only caused “millions of Ukrainians” to flee their homes, but has also “exacerbated” food insecurity and human trafficking “around the world” , making women and children “highly vulnerable.”

“We are deeply concerned about the risks of exploitation of those facing internal displacement due to wars, as well as those fleeing Ukraine, where 90 percent are women and children,” says the report, which covers the period between April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022.

Although the text only covers a month of the conflict in Ukraine, Blinken argues that the “large-scale invasion” ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin was enough to make “significantly vulnerable” the millions of refugees fleeing Ukraine”.

The United States has placed Russia in the category of level 3 along with 21 other countries –such as Burma, Afghanistan, or North Korea–, considering that “it does not do enough” to combat human trafficking, and even has placed in another string of eleven states whose government is involved in this exploitation.

In turn, Russia has been singled out for being one of the twelve States present that have government Armed Forces, Police, or other security forces or supported by the government “that recruit or use child soldiers,” details.