Human trafficking in the Russian Federation: an examination of the anti-trafficking efforts of the federal government, non-governmental organizations and the International Organization for Migration

This paper examines human trafficking operations in the Russian Federation as well as the efforts of the Russian government, non-governmental organizations, and the International Organization for Migration to prevent trafficking, prosecute traffickers, and provide assistance to survivors of trafficking. Russia has made considerable efforts in the past nineteen years to become a key economic player on the global stage. However, government corruption and an economy propped up by corporations entangled in the buying, selling, and exploitaiton of human beings undermines the pursuit of Great Power status. Field research conducted in Moscow in 2009 revealed that government efforts to combat human trafficking in Russia currently fall short thereby perpetuating a cycle of human trafficking, corruption, organized crime, and poverty.