Chernihiv youth will be trained in safe employment abroad

In the context of the worsening socio-economic crisis in the country and mass migration of the population due to armed conflict and occupation, the problem of safe employment and prevention of human trafficking for risk groups in Ukraine is taking on a special character.

The social danger of human trafficking, as an extremely dangerous crime, lies in the encroachment on the most valuable and inalienable human rights – the right to respect for dignity, to freedom and personal integrity, freedom of movement and free choice of residence. The problem of human trafficking will not be solved by itself and the prevention of this phenomenon, especially among youth, must be permanent and systematic.

That is why the Chernihiv Public Committee for the Protection of Human Rights, with the support of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development, began implementing a project in February 2015 to raise awareness of vulnerable children and youth in the Chernihiv region on safe migration and employment.

“Students of vocational and technical institutions and boarding schools are one of the most vulnerable categories in this regard. According to IOM, graduates of vocational and technical institutions make up 46.4% of the total number of victims of human trafficking,” notes project manager Natalia Piddubna. “These young people are not informed about their own rights and safety rules when looking for work and employment abroad and in Ukraine, because no one raised this issue in schools, especially rural ones. Chernihiv region is a border region, which contributes to a high migration flow. That is why with this project we want to prevent possible negative consequences among this risk group.

In general, the project aims to raise awareness of orphans, children deprived of parental care, as well as young people studying in vocational schools, about the phenomenon of human trafficking and the main ways to prevent it.

As part of this activity, trainers will be trained from among active students of boarding schools and vocational schools. Under the guidance of teachers and human rights activists, using the “peer-to-peer” method, they will transfer the knowledge they have gained to their peers and themselves tell others about safe migration, factors preventing human exploitation. In total, the project is planned to cover at least 2,000 students of educational institutions in Chernihiv region.