Defence experts warn of Ukrainian women and children being trafficked to UAE as sex slaves

Defence experts have warned that vulnerable Ukrainian women and children are at risk of being trafficked into sex and domestic servitude in the United Arab Emirates.

Millions of Ukrainians have fled the war-torn country since then Russia Its brutal push, which began in February, has led to growing concerns that refugees are vulnerable to trafficking.

Some were reportedly targeting Polish refugee camps, but experts believe a large proportion of those forcibly returned to Russia are also being approached.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky There are fears that some 200,000 children have gone missing since the invasion five months ago.

Local residents scramble to board an evacuation train bound for western Ukraine on February 26

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (pictured) fears some 200,000 children have gone missing since the invasion five months ago

Now, a new report from the Institute for Defense and Security Studies in Washington and the Center for Foreign Policy Affairs in New York suggests that some of these “missing” women and children may have been trafficked to the UAE.

Many Russian oligarchs have sought refuge in Gulf states to avoid international sanctions and require Russian-speaking staff, the researchers said.

While the problem of trafficking to the UAE itself is nothing new, the report says it will be exacerbated by the exodus of Ukrainian refugees.

Last night, Florian Schmitz, one of the report’s authors, called on the West to hold those responsible to account and implored developed countries not to turn a blind eye.

“Given the massive migration of vulnerable women and children from Ukraine to Russia since the start of the war, sometimes under duress, it seems likely that some of them will end up being trafficked to the UAE and other countries,” he said.

“The international community cannot and should not turn a blind eye to this issue and those responsible must be held accountable. Yet there is little evidence that vulnerable groups are being protected.

The United Nations reports that in the first ten days of the war, more than 1.5 million refugees entered neighboring countries from Ukraine.

Charities were quick to warn that sex traffickers were targeting Ukrainian women and children fleeing Vladimir Putin bombings in a Polish refugee camp. Earlier this year, a Mail on Sunday investigation revealed the problem is so serious that a group of British Army veterans are working on the Polish border to protect those at risk of coercion.

The latest report, “Modern Slavery in Dubai,” says some victims may be involved in sex work and domestic servitude.

People wait for a train bound for Poland at a railway station in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv on February 26

It reads: “This report aims to shed light on…modern slavery and abuses of migrant workers, focusing on the role of the UAE and Eastern European countries as efficient hubs for human trafficking.

“This problem will worsen since the war began, as large numbers of women and children have been forced to flee their homes in search of safety. They are traumatized and vulnerable and will be prime targets for traffickers.

“Combined with the demand for Russian-speaking staff by Russian oligarchs who fled to Dubai and Abu Dhabi to escape Western sanctions, this may well create the perfect conditions for women and children to be forced into the sex industry or into domestic servitude.

The document also condemned what it called “propaganda” about the idyllic lifestyles of the rich and powerful in places like Dubai.

Mr Schmitz said: “The report’s authors are very disappointed to see that many of the shows focus on the pampering and comfortable lifestyles of the ultra-rich, who lead a carefree life in places like Dubai where established On the basis of low income. , Mistreatment of migrant workers.