Women and children from Moldova, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Romania, Belarus, and Russia are trafficked to Poland for forced prostitution.
[1] In September 2023, the government formed an Inter-Ministerial Team for Counteracting Human Trafficking, which replaced the Ministry of Interior (MOI) advisory board that had been in operation since 2019.
These measures included raising public awareness, establishing a dedicated hotline,[6] formulating and applying standard operating procedures (SOPs) for unaccompanied children from other countries arriving at the Poland-Ukraine border, and engaging in proactive collaboration with international bodies and non-governmental organizations.
Efforts included investigating and prosecuting more suspected traffickers, adopting a new national action plan (NAP),[7] and implementing a procurement strategy to prevent forced labor in government contracts.
In 2023 the Organised Crime Index gave Poland a score of 5.5 out of 10 for human trafficking noting that most victims are women from Eastern Europe and Russia.
Law enforcement officials and NGOs continued to report that the lack of a clear legal definition of trafficking in Poland's criminal code limits effective prosecutions.
The Border Guard launched two investigations into forced labor, involving victims from Guatemala, Colombia, Venezuela, and Mexico.
Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the National Police initiated five investigations into possible trafficking of Ukrainian refugees.
The government provided training on trafficking awareness and victim identification to officers in the national police, Border Guard, and the Internal Security Agency.
[4] The National Police took part in three major international operations launched by EUROPOL within the framework of the European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats.
In 2009, two foreign victims were granted temporary residency permits to remain in Poland pending completion of the prosecution process.
[11] The NAP aims to intensify preventive measures, training, and strengthen the role of Voivodeship Teams for Counteracting Trafficking in Human Beings.
The plan emphasizes the need to intensify prevention, information, and education activities at all levels, aiming to reach the widest possible groups of people.
This is particularly important considering the increasing number of individuals seeking employment in Poland, who may be at risk of falling victim to human trafficking crimes.