U.S. State Department: 1 million slaves in Russia

Russia is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for various forms of exploitation. This is stated in the US State Department’s human-trafficking report for 2008.The report states that “according to International Labour Organization one million illegal migrant workers may be victims of labor trafficking in Russia for purposes of labour exploitation”.

 

Moscow, according to State Department, “remains a transit point for women trafficked from the regions of Russia, as well as from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Moldova, and Belarus for purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor in the construction industries.”

 

Meanwhile, Moscow and St. Petersburg, as stressed in the document are “destination centers for children trafficked within Russia and from Ukraine and Moldova for purposes of sexual exploitation and forced begging.”

 

The US Department of State notes that “men and women from the Russian Far East are trafficked to China, Japan, the Middle East, and South Korea for purposes of sexual exploitation, debt bondage, and forced labor, including in the agricultural and fishing industries.”

 

The report emphasizes that at least four civilian government officials complicit in human trafficking have been arrested.

 

“Forced labor of young conscripts within Russia’s military remained a concern. In 2007, five military officials were investigated and arrested for labor exploitation of military conscripts under their command”, emphasized in the report.

Kavkaz Center