Promising approaches – Addressing child trafficking in Europe and Eurasia

Child trafficking affects all of the countries of the Europe and Eurasia (E&E) region. An increasing number of children are being identified as trafficked into prostitution, begging, domestic work, construction, and agricultural labor. These children’s vulnerability to trafficking has been linked to growing up in poor households, lower levels of educational achievement, and minority status. This report –written specifically for USAID Missions in the region- investigates the nature of child trafficking in the E&E countries, describes some current anti-child trafficking programming in the region, and presents promising practices for preventing trafficking as well as identifying, assisting and protecting victims. The report’s finding, analysis, and recommendations are based on information from three sources: (a) data on child trafficking extracted from the International Organization for Migration’s Global Counter-Trafficking Database (IOM GCT Database); (b) documentation from research, evaluations, and other reports on child trafficking and related issues; and (c) interviews with people involved in managing counter-trafficking programs in the region.