Exploitation Ukrainian refugees in Belgium: preventive initiatives after 2 known cases

Belgium will take initiatives to prevent the exploitation of Ukrainian refugees, Minister of Justice Vincent Van Quickenborne said on Thursday. A message warning of the risks will be broadcast on the social networks most used by Ukrainian refugees - Facebook, Telegram and WhatsApp.

There are currently two known cases of exploitation and human trafficking in Belgium, the Minister reported in the Federal Chamber on Wednesday. The first was an attempt at sexual exploitation, the second was the economic exploitation of three Ukrainian women. In recent weeks, there had been other signs of potentially exploitative situations. A Facebook group called "Support Ukraine" reported ambiguous proposals from men offering shelter to "fun, beautiful, intelligent and well-groomed" Ukrainian women.

On Wednesday, Belgium passed the mark of 10,000 registered Ukrainian refugees. They are being housed in collective shelters, but also in people's homes. A task force has been set up to identify cases of human trafficking and inform potential victims. Ukrainians seeking protection in Belgium will receive an information leaflet providing basic information on human trafficking and existing contact points. Any potential case of exploitation can be reported to the three centres specialized in the reception of victims (Pag-Asa in Brussels, Sürya in Liège and Payoke in Antwerp).