Issue № 81. August 2020

Child Trafficking in Russia: Searching for Problem Roots and Solutions

Postgraduate student, School of Public Administration, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russian Federation.
E-mail: Zernovaju@gmail.com

In this article, we highlight the threat of crimes related to human trafficking against one of the most vulnerable social groups — children and adolescents. Traditionally, when discussing threats of this kind, the protection of children's rights is the most important aspect. However, this problem is currently poorly described and poorly studied in Russia. Officials and social services ignore the risks associated with the growth of trafficking of minors, thereby creating favorable conditions for its further progress. In addition, the situation is aggravated by the rapid development and availability of internet technologies that provide criminals quick and safe ways to recruit victims and select potential buyers. An important factor is often the participation of local officials in criminal trafficking networks, due to the lack of control and of higher management. The research analyses the main types of threats related to trafficking: sexual and labor exploitation, trafficking of babies for the purpose of illegal adoption, potential risks associated with the development of “black” transplantology, etc. The article summarizes the available statistical data and assess the scale of the problem and the number of victims, illustrating the analysis with cases from real practice. In conclusion, a list of the main problems that make it difficult to combat child trafficking in Russia and hinder the movement towards a systematic approach to combating trafficking of minors is formulated.

Keywords

Human trafficking, migration, exploitation, modern slavery, illegal adoption, sexual exploitation, organs and tissues trade, international criminality, criminal economics, human rights, state strategy of trafficking combat.

DOI: 10.24411/2070-1381-2020-10089