麻豆社

The war in Ukraine has generated new opportunities for smugglers to make money and they have been quick to react. Some of those fleeing their homes have been prepared to pay for safe passage out of the country. And as 麻豆社 reporter, Sue Mitchell, and former soldier turned aid worker, Rob Lawrie, discover, the gangs involved are even offering false paperwork to help with visa applications and discounted places for those wanting to cross by dinghy from France to the UK.

For vulnerable children in Ukraine the dangers posed by those involved in trafficking are huge and charities are reporting growing concerns about the number of orphans who have disappeared from the system. Rob Lawrie joins a team of US military special operations veterans from Aerial Recovery who are working with the Government to rescue vulnerable children from combat zones. From the orphanages they can then be taken to safe areas where they can be properly processed.

According to Martin Kvernbekk, from the Norwegian branch of the refugee charity, Salam, this wasn't happening at the start of the war, when children dropped at the Poland-Ukraine border by well-meaning organisations were in danger of being targeted by smugglers: 鈥淭hey're very easy prey - they're looking for assistance, so if you're an adult with some candy, food or refuge, they will come with you, they don't know any better.鈥�

He describes how people smugglers wearing reflective vests pretended to belong to organisations helping the relief effort: 鈥淭he gangs are very advanced - it's big, well-financed networks that do this for a living. They're good at this in peace time,鈥� he says, 鈥淣ow it's a war, it's chaos, and they're exploiting the fact that there is disorder to be able to snatch more kids and women.鈥�