Human Trafficking and the Conflict in Europe: Preparing Eastern Africa for Escalation

Executive Summary

The emergence of trafficking pipelines that channel Eastern African citizens into Russia and, in some cases, onto the frontlines of the Russia–Ukraine war constitutes a multidimensional challenge. It combines elements of organised crime, exploitative labour, and irregular migration, all set against the backdrop of global geopolitical conflict. Traffickers and intermediaries are exploiting economic vulnerability and weak regulatory environments to lure individuals under false pretences of employment or training, subsequently exposing them to militarisation or forced labour.

This paper examines four interrelated issues, which include; the entry point ecosystem of recruitment networks; trafficking impacts on Eastern Africa; gaps in regional security governance; and the political– economic conditions that sustain vulnerability. The brief recommends a coordinated regional response through the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the East African Community (EAC), involving intelligence sharing, stronger regulation of recruitment agencies, enhanced financial forensics to disrupt illicit flows, strengthened diplomatic engagement to protect trafficked nationals abroad, and upscaling socio-economic programs that address the root causes of irregular migration.