Russia accused of forced recruitment of migrants for Ukraine war

Cindy Dyer, a representative of the U.S. Department of State who presented this year's TIP report, explained that Russia stands accused of "exploiting pressure, deceit, and in some cases force to recruit foreigners, especially migrants from Central and South Asia as well as citizens of Cuba and Syria, for its aggression against Ukraine."

Reports of such practices surfaced earlier, including in Bloomberg, which described how Russian authorities are forcing migrants and students from Africa to fight on the Ukrainian front. Those who are compelled to fight often face a dilemma: either participate in the conflict or be deported to their home country. Units composed of migrants are suffering particularly heavy losses in the Russian offensive near Kharkiv.

The TIP report once again placed Russia on the lowest, Tier 3 level of countries in terms of combating human trafficking. This category includes countries that are actively and systematically involved in this practice. Apart from the forced recruitment of migrants, the report also mentions the exploitation of workers from North Korea and the abduction of thousands of Ukrainian children to Russia. For these actions, the Russian president has been charged by the International Criminal Court.

Belarus has also been downgraded to the lowest level, partly due to a "state-sponsored" migration practice, which involves leading migrants to third countries and deporting some back to their countries of origin without checking their situation.

This year's report saw Poland advance to the highest tier of countries in terms of combating human trafficking. This group includes 33 countries, most of which are EU member states. The report's authors justify Poland's promotion with significant achievements in fighting human trafficking, including "prosecuting more perpetrators and increasing funds for victim services for the first time in eight years". About 79% of cases taken up by prosecutors involved the illegal recruitment and exploitation of migrants for illicit labor.