US Adds Russia and Belarus to Human Trafficking Watchlist Amid Global Concerns

The United States has recently included Russia and Belarus in its list of countries identified as sponsoring human trafficking. This decision was part of the annual Trafficking in Persons Report released by the U.S. Department of State. The report highlighted 13 countries where governmental policies or schemes contribute to human trafficking practices. These include forced labor in government-associated sectors, sexual slavery in government-run camps, and the recruitment of child soldiers.

The listed countries for 2024 comprise Afghanistan, Belarus, Burma, China, Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Russia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, and Turkmenistan. During the report presentation, Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized the role of digital tools in expanding the scope and speed of human trafficking operations. He noted that traffickers use online platforms to sell illegal sexual content and employ encrypted messages and digital currencies to evade detection.

According to estimates by the International Labour Organization, in 2021, 27.6 million people globally were subjected to forced labor, an increase of 2.7 million compared to 2016. Among these, 6.3 million were victims of forced commercial sexual exploitation and 3.9 million endured state-imposed forced labor. Cindy Dyer, the U.S. Ambassador-at-Large, pointed out that some governments themselves contribute to these issues. She stressed the need for governments to prevent human trafficking and prioritize screening migrants vulnerable to exploitation by traffickers.

The inclusion of Russia and Belarus in this list drew attention, with concerns raised about their involvement in activities such as recruiting mercenaries from various countries.