Last week, the European Parliament adopted a resolution condemning the Russian State for its exploitative and deceptive recruitment practices targeting non-Russian nationals, particularly from Africa, but also from Asia, to support Russia’s war efforts in its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Reports indicate that Russian authorities have used deceptive recruitment methods, including false promises of employment and coercion, to target vulnerable foreign nationals through state-linked companies, intermediaries, military structures, and embassy officials.
Similar patterns have also been reported involving Bangladeshi nationals. Following false promises of civilian work, individuals have reportedly been lured towards the front line. Some have testified that they were threatened with violence, imprisonment, or even death.
A recent report by Fortify Rights and Truth Hounds finds that Bangladeshi men have been deceived, trafficked, and coerced into joining Russian forces fighting in Ukraine, often through fraudulent job offers and contracts they could not read. The organisations urge the Government of Bangladesh to dismantle trafficking networks and support survivors and affected families, while also calling for international action to address abusive recruitment linked to the Russian invasion.
While some trafficked persons reportedly end up in roles linked to Russia’s war industry, such as assembling drones, others are coerced into front-line tasks, including advancing ahead of Russian forces, transporting supplies, evacuating wounded soldiers, and recovering the dead.
La Strada International welcomes the European Parliament’s clear condemnation of the trafficking and coercive recruitment of foreign nationals into Russia’s military service and war-related labour exploitation. These practices constitute grave human rights violations and demand urgent accountability and protection for those affected.