US State Department keeps Belarus among states engaged in human trafficking

Belarus is one of 12 states in the world with confirmed "policies or practices" of human trafficking. This is stated in the annual report of the US State Department on human trafficking in the world.

Our country was added to the list of such states back in 2024. Also included in the list at that time were Afghanistan, Myanmar, China, Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Russia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Syria. This year, Syria was removed from the list.

As the State Department notes, the list includes states where signs of human trafficking have been observed in state-funded programs, practices of forced labor in various sectors, sexual slavery in government camps, and the recruitment of child soldiers.

Belarus received a Tier 3 rating in the report. This tier applies to countries that do not fully comply with the minimum standards of US law and are not making efforts to meet those standards.

The report notes the practice of "work therapy" with respect to persons with alcohol dependency and political prisoners. It also mentions that Belarusian authorities do not screen third-country nationals and asylum seekers for signs of human trafficking. The State Department also refers to the "cleansing" of the civil sector, including organizations that provide support to trafficking victims.

The report also makes mention of Ukrainian children who have been taken to Belarus since 2022.

The ongoing migration crisis is also referenced: "Belarusian authorities continue to facilitate illegal migration into Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland, as well as the entry into Belarus of thousands of migrants and asylum seekers from Middle Eastern countries, sub-Saharan African countries, and Central Asia; these migrants and asylum seekers remain vulnerable to human trafficking."

The practice of subbotniki is cited as a negative example: "Historically, some individuals faced government reprisals for refusing to participate in subbotniki. In previous years, observers reported that authorities threatened individuals who refused to work with fines or withheld bonus payments." At the same time, over the past five years there have been no reports of punishments for refusing to participate in a subbotnik.

However, the US also notes positive steps taken by the Belarusian authorities. In 2025, one human trafficking case related to sexual exploitation and three related to forced labor were investigated.

AI translated