An educational trolleybus to combat human trafficking is running in Chernihiv

For six months, it will travel along various routes in Chernihiv to draw the attention of citizens to the problem of human trafficking.

“The trolleybus features photos telling the stories of victims of human exploitation, as well as information on how to protect yourself and where to seek help. In addition, volunteers will also travel with passengers, who will distribute thematic booklets,” said Natalia Kulikova, project manager of the NGO “Chernihiv Public Committee for the Protection of Human Rights,” during a briefing at the official media center of the OVA. She added that the goal of this campaign is to explain to the population that the problem cannot be kept quiet, that it is necessary to know where to turn and what to do. “Many communities in our region were under occupation and are currently under shelling. Residents of the region are forced to evacuate and move from place to place. Therefore, the problem of human trafficking is currently very relevant for our region,” the speaker noted.

Branded transport “You Were Used” will run in 10 regional centers of Ukraine and Kyiv. In general, the information campaign was developed by the International Organization for Migration together with the All-Ukrainian Coalition of Non-Governmental Organizations to Combat Trafficking with financial support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Ministry of Justice of Sweden.

What else has been done in the region to solve the problem of human trafficking, said Andriy Shemets, Director of the Department of Family, Youth and Sports of the Regional State Administration.

“The region has a Comprehensive Regional Program for Family Support, Ensuring Gender Equality and Combating Human Trafficking for the period until 2025. On the OVA website in the “Industry Information – Humanitarian Sphere” section, you can find complete information on what to do if you find yourself in such a situation and how to prevent it. There are contact details and hotlines of all relevant structures where you can contact them,” the speaker says.

By the way, if in 2022 47 people in Ukraine received the status of a victim of human trafficking, then since the beginning of this year there have been 43 such citizens (in 2023 – 118 people).

Such statistics were reported by the Deputy Head of the Main Department of the National Social Service Service in the region, Yulia Olyfirenko.

“Our service is actively working to overcome this problem. For example, we help communities develop comprehensive social services to build resilience. Already 9 THs have submitted applications for participation in the project: Bakhmatska, Borznyanska, Horodnyanska, Nizhynska, Chernihivska, Mykhailo-Kotsyubinska, Dobryanska, Koryukivska and Koropska. The last two are already providing life support services. This will contribute to solving the issue of combating human trafficking both in the informational and psychological spheres,” says the speaker.

By the way, cases of human trafficking are associated not only with sexual or labor exploitation, but also with the aim of involvement in criminal activity.

“Last year, materials of criminal proceedings were sent to the court regarding the activities of a transnational criminal group that operated in Ukraine, Turkey and European countries. Criminals in the Chernihiv region were looking for men who tried to go abroad during the war. They were offered a job: to transport foreigners from Afghanistan and Syria from Turkey to EU countries, namely Spain, by sea. The organizers received 8 years in prison,” said Tetyana Symonenko, representative of the Migration Police Department of the Main Directorate of the National Police in the region.

Department of Information Activities and Public Communications of the Chernihiv Regional Military Administration