More than four months have passed since the war in Ukraine began and there is no end in sight to the humanitarian crisis. Crisis
situations, whether due to war, conflict, natural disaster or the COVID-19 pandemic, increase the vulnerability of affected populations to rights abuses, including human trafficking. In response to possible protection concerns, IOM Austria has adapted its project Asyl-Train II to provide awareness-raising sessions for first responders in Austria on the risks of human trafficking for people fleeing conflict and how best to assist and refer people who may have been trafficked.

The sessions are provided together with the Austrian Criminal Intelligence Service, the LEFÖ Intervention Center for Trafficked Women, MEN VIA Support for Trafficked Men and the Drehscheibe center of the City of Vienna. Sessions include basic information on human trafficking and referrals to specialized support services as well as information on observations of trafficking and related risks as well as indicators of trafficking in the Ukraine crisis. Each session is tailored to fit the specific needs of the respective participating organizations and actors.

Together with the police and victim protection organizations, IOM has developed two brief, practical tools for frontline workers geared towards early identification and prevention of trafficking, which are available on our website:

• Indicators of Human Trafficking amongst arrivals from Ukraine
• Preventing Human Trafficking in Private Accommodation

 Thus far, sessions have been provided to hotline workers, social workers in temporary reception facilities for people fleeing Ukraine, legal counsellors in asylum and migration procedures, social workers of the child welfare authority of the City of Vienna, counselling centers for displaced Ukrainians and other actors providing support to people arriving from Ukraine in Austria.

Sessions are available free of charge and can be provided either online or in person.

Should you be interested in booking a session, please contact Katie Klaffenböck at 01 585 3322 46 or kklaffenboeck@iom.int