On the occasion of Human Rights Day, our colleagues from RTL Radio hosted a discussion on migration and human trafficking in Luxembourg on Saturday afternoon.
Both Jessica Lopes from the Association for the Support of Immigrant Workers (ASTI) and Christof Müller from the Luxembourg Red Cross agreed that it was an “exceptional year” in terms of migration to Luxembourg.
The state mobilised substantial resources in response to the refugee crisis caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which Lopes and Müller welcomed.
Read also: Important information and useful resources upon arriving in Luxembourg
Both pointed out that refugees are always at risk of becoming victims of human trafficking and exploitation. However, Müller stated that the Red Cross is not aware of many, if any, cases involving Ukrainian refugees. Having said that, Müller acknowledged that there is always the chance that cases go unreported.
Ukrainian refugees are “generally well-connected.” They have their information sources, but there are also criminals that try to take advantage of these networks. With the help of Russian-speaking members, the Red Cross took extra care to ensure that no refugee was exploited, according to Müller.
Many people in Luxembourg volunteered to take in Ukrainian refugees or offered housing. Müller noted that the Red Cross spent a lot of time reviewing and following up on those offers. For the most part, everything went smoothly, and Müller stressed that “this level of solidarity should be applauded.”
On the topic of human trafficking, Lopes stated that undocumented migrants are most vulnerable to becoming victims.
She regretted that victims of exploitation frequently do not report to the police because their status puts them at risk of turning from victims into perpetrators. Lopes believes that if Luxembourg provided better protection to victims, judicial authorities would be able to crack down more severely on criminal networks.
The social worker pointed out that exploitation does not just occur in small businesses, but also in large construction companies. The situation becomes “very dangerous” when a person is offered accommodation by their employer, Lopes explained, as this gives the latter a great deal of power over a person’s life.
It is estimated that approximately 1,000 undocumented individuals currently reside in Luxembourg.
Because their situations are very different, it is “extremely complicated” to devise a framework that guarantees these people a bare minimum of rights. For Christof Müller, a key issue is that many victims do not come forward out of fear of having to return to their precarious situation in the country they fled from.
