Greek Catholic clergy to learn about combating human trafficking

Those studying to become priests of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church will learn abut ways of fighting human trafficking from a handbook just published. The material has been prepared by the charitable fund Caritas of the Sambir-Drohobych eparchy, with the support of the International Organization for Migration.

According to the Director of Caritas, Ihor Kozankevych, the book “Migration and human trafficking problems” is intended not only for students in seminaries, but should be of use to priests in outlying parishes. People living in outlying villages do not have information about the dangers of travelling abroad for work and with no civic organizations there, people normally ask their priest for advice. It as in fact priests who asked for such a handbook to be written. The book is in three parts: the first covers the role of church organizations in the migration process; the second – the motives for migration, how the victims feel and how to help them. The third section deals with the legal aspects of the problem, for example what rights Ukrainian migrant workers have in the Czech Republic, Greece, Portugal, and who they can turn to abroad in case of need.

According to IOM statistics, since Independence around 100 thousand Ukrainians in 50 different countries have become victims of human trafficking.