Amnesty International: recruitment of foreigners into the Russian army may constitute human trafficking
Amnesty International stated that in Russia, an aggressor state, the recruitment of foreign nationals into the army through deception, blackmail, confiscation of documents and threats of deportation may constitute the crime of human trafficking under international law. This is stated in the organization’s report, Euronews reports. Amnesty International sent a request for comment to the Russian authorities but received no response.
Signs of coercion
Amnesty International said it had interviewed prisoners of war from more than a dozen countries who are held in Ukrainian captivity. Almost all of them described abuses during recruitment into the Russian Armed Forces. The documented practices include signing contracts without informed consent, confiscation of passports, restrictions on freedom of movement, inadequate training and threats against those who tried to leave the service.
According to the organization, such actions meet the criteria for human trafficking defined by the UN Palermo Protocol. The document defines human trafficking as the recruitment, transportation or receipt of people through the use of force, deception or coercion for the purpose of exploitation. The protocol has been ratified by 178 states, including Russia.
Recruitment schemes
According to Amnesty International, outside Russia, foreigners are most often lured by false offers of civilian jobs in logistics, warehouses or construction, with salaries of about $2,000 per month. Some people are also promised assistance with legal entry into the EU through Russia as a transit country. Upon arrival, their documents are taken away.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Another scheme exploits the language barrier: foreigners believe they are signing a civilian employment contract, but in fact conclude a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defence. Inside the country, human rights defenders said, labor migrants with registration problems and refugees are recruited under pressure. Those detained for violating migration rules are offered a choice between deportation and a military contract.
Foreigners in the Russian army
As of April, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War established that 28,391 foreigners from 136 countries had fought in the Russian Armed Forces. This number does not include North Korean military personnel, whom South Korean and US intelligence estimates say were deployed in late 2024 in a number of about 10,000 to support Russian forces.
Amnesty International interviewed prisoners from Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Egypt, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Somalia and South Africa. According to the outlet, diplomatic notes or demands for the return of their citizens were submitted by India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Ghana, Jordan, South Africa and Botswana. On March 12, the European Parliament adopted a resolution that formally defined Russia’s recruitment of foreigners as human trafficking and serious human rights violations.
