Two thirds of the women and children who have fled Ukraine have sought refuge in Poland. Getty
Two thirds of the women and children who have fled Ukraine have sought refuge in Poland. Getty
Two thirds of the women and children who have fled Ukraine have sought refuge in Poland. Getty
Two thirds of the women and children who have fled Ukraine have sought refuge in Poland. Getty

EU Commissioner warns of ‘huge risk’ Ukrainian children will be targets for traffickers


Nicky Harley
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The EU’s migration commissioner has issued an urgent warning about the enormous risk of Ukrainian women and children potentially falling victim to traffickers.

Crime agency Europol said it had received reports of people who aroused suspicion by loitering at reception areas, detention hubs and transit points.

It has issued an Early Warning Notification to nations on the continent.

“There is a huge risk of vulnerable children being trafficked,” EU migration commissioner Ylva Johansson said.

She said almost half of the 3.5 million people who had fled Ukraine since the invasion were children, and “many more millions” were expected to come.

Ukraine has many orphans and children born to surrogate mothers who have not been collected by their parents.

Ms Johansson says this has increased the risk that they could be abducted or become victims of forced adoptions.

She noted that so far there had been very few unaccompanied children reported at EU borders, and only few reports of trafficking.

But police forces, activists and Ukrainian organisations for women had signalled some “alarming” cases, she said.

In past instances of mass migration, such abuse was common, she said.

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“We should not wait until we have proof of a lot of trafficking because then it may be too late,” she said.

Ms Johansson called for a large awareness campaign of the risks to be launched immediately.

She said that risks could surface at borders where criminals disguised as helpers could take advantage of vulnerable people by offering shelter to arriving migrants.

Europol has issued a warning to all states.

“All involved authorities need to remain alert in order to promptly identify criminal attempts to exploit the crisis and the vulnerable situation of people arriving from Ukraine,” it said

“Criminal networks may also exploit this crisis and recruit victims among refugees from Ukraine, for sexual, labour or other types of exploitation.

“EU, agencies and several non-governmental organisations have highlighted the potential victimisation of women and children arriving from Ukraine in the past weeks, referring to suspicious individuals spotted in reception areas, in transit or destination hubs in the EU.”

About 3.5 million of those people have left Ukraine for neighbouring countries, according to the UN.

Poland has taken in the most, followed by Romania, Moldova, Hungary and Slovakia.

Gothia Cup 2025

4,872 matches 

1,942 teams

116 pitches

76 nations

26 UAE teams

15 Lebanese teams

2 Kuwaiti teams

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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBen%20Wheatley%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJason%20Statham%2C%20Jing%20Wu%2C%20Cliff%20Curtis%2C%20Page%20Kennedy%2C%20Cliff%20Curtis%2C%20Melissanthi%20Mahut%20and%20Shuya%20Sophia%20Cai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
McIlroy's recent struggles

Last six stroke-play events (First round score in brackets)

Arnold Palmer Invitational Tied for 4th (74)

The US Masters Tied for 7th (72)

The Players Championship Tied for 35th (73)

US Open Missed the cut (78)

Travellers Championship Tied for 17th (67)

Irish Open Missed the cut (72)

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates

The flights: South African Airways flies from Dubai International Airport with a stop in Johannesburg, with prices starting from around Dh4,000 return. Emirates can get you there with a stop in Lusaka from around Dh4,600 return.
The details: Visas are available for 247 Zambian kwacha or US$20 (Dh73) per person on arrival at Livingstone Airport. Single entry into Victoria Falls for international visitors costs 371 kwacha or $30 (Dh110). Microlight flights are available through Batoka Sky, with 15-minute flights costing 2,265 kwacha (Dh680).
Accommodation: The Royal Livingstone Victoria Falls Hotel by Anantara is an ideal place to stay, within walking distance of the falls and right on the Zambezi River. Rooms here start from 6,635 kwacha (Dh2,398) per night, including breakfast, taxes and Wi-Fi. Water arrivals cost from 587 kwacha (Dh212) per person.

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Game Changer

Director: Shankar 

Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram

Rating: 2/5

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ELIO

Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett

Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina

Rating: 4/5

if you go

The flights Fly Dubai, Air Arabia, Emirates, Etihad, and Royal Jordanian all offer direct, three-and-a-half-hour flights from the UAE to the Jordanian capital Amman. Alternatively, from June Fly Dubai will offer a new direct service from Dubai to Aqaba in the south of the country. See the airlines’ respective sites for varying prices or search on reliable price-comparison site Skyscanner.

The trip 

Jamie Lafferty was a guest of the Jordan Tourist Board. For more information on adventure tourism in Jordan see Visit Jordan. A number of new and established tour companies offer the chance to go caving, rock-climbing, canyoning, and mountaineering in Jordan. Prices vary depending on how many activities you want to do and how many days you plan to stay in the country. Among the leaders are Terhaal, who offer a two-day canyoning trip from Dh845 per person. If you really want to push your limits, contact the Stronger Team. For a more trek-focused trip, KE Adventure offers an eight-day trip from Dh5,300 per person.

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Updated: March 22, 2022, 11:24 AM`