The late 1980s and the early 90s were
characterized with significant changes on the geopolitical map of
Central and Eastern Europe. The period of system transformation in
Poland brought not only political changes. Apart from their positive
effects, the political and economic changes in our country impoverished a
large part of our society. This affected Poles' standards of living.
Economic hardships, growing unemployment, shortage of opportunities of
improvement of life, unstable labor market situation, all this made
people migrate westwards with hope for better lives. People felt lost in
the new circumstances and they were not able to adapt to them; many a
man lost their jobs and it was hard for them to find a new one. Poverty
causes some pathologies. Among other things, poverty make more and more
people leave their country without being aware of the hazards that they
may face there. Some of them become victims of trafficking in human
beings.
Unaware of the threats related to
illegal labor recruitment, without any knowledge about the conditions
of living and work abroad, especially women are posed at the risk of
becoming victims of traffickers in human beings. They are sold and,
then, forced to work in sex business, for which they do not receive
appropriate remuneration. The present problem of trafficking in and
smuggling of human beings is, among other things, the result of opened
borders of the former communist countries.
Since the early 1990s the problem of
trafficking in people has been permanently growing in Poland. Due to its
geographical situation, Poland has three functions in the process of
trafficking in human beings. It is the country of origin of the victims,
a transit country (people from Eastern Europe are being smuggled across
the territory of Poland), and the destination country in the process of
trafficking in human beings.
After its accession to the European
Union, Poland may take the role of Germany. It will become a buffer
country from which people will be distributed all over Europe.
Strengthening of the eastern border shall bring the problem underground,
and foreigners will be even more "illegal" in Poland.
As a research team from the Institute
of Social Pedagogy, Counseling and Social Education Unit, we have been
examining the issues of trafficking in human beings for a long time now.
Our activities are primarily related with observation of the
phenomenon, attempts to describe it, and preventive actions.
Table
of contents
Survey
methodology
Analysis
of the polish victims’ data
Analysis
of the foreign victims’ data
Administration
of justice
Analysis
of non-governmental organizations (NGO) and experts in trafficking
in human beings
Analysis
of the data form embassies
Analysis
of files
General
conclusions