Russi A Tier 3 Source, Transit, And Destination Country

Russia is a Tier 3 source, transit, and destination country. The dominant form of trafficking is forced labor but sexual exploitation and begging is also pronounced. Men, women, and children are among the exploited both inside and outside of the country. Russia’s Tier 3 status is due to its refusal to meet the minimum standards to prevent, investigate, prosecute, or convict those involved with trafficking including government officials. It also provides no funding for counseling or rehabilitative services for victims. There are no private shelters available for victims due to a lack of funding. There is no widespread program to identify victims of trafficking. Russia continues to deport forced laborers with no screening in place to identify victims of trafficking. The government did offer work permits to laborers, but charged upfront fees which excluded those migrants most vulnerable to trafficking. Many of Russia’s women and children are sexually trafficked in Russia a nd to Northeast Asia, Europe, Central Asia, Africa, the United States, and the Middle East. Many women and children are trafficked into Russia for sexual exploitation from the Ukraine, Moldova, Southeast Asia, Africa, and Central Asia for forced prostitution in brothels, hotels, and saunas. Child sex is openly advertised on the internet. Labor trafficking is prevalent in Russia especially from North Korea with whom it holds a bilateral agreement for labor in its construction, manufacturing, agricultural,