WASHINGTON -- The United States has added Belarus to its human-trafficking list, saying it has uncovered evidence that Minsk set up forced-labor centers and took part in the transfer of children from Ukraine, among other trafficking violations.
The designation comes as a response to state-sponsored forced labor in Belarus and Belarus's transportation of Ukrainian children, said Cindy Dyer, the U.S. State Department’s ambassador-at-large on human trafficking, at a June 25 press conference.
The annual Trafficking In Persons Report, released on June 24, cites "labor therapy centers" inside Belarus which subject people to various kinds forced labor.
"In this scheme, the government forced thousands with drug or alcohol addiction, political prisoners, or prisoners with an 'asocial lifestyle' to perform a wide range of labor," Dyer said.
The report cited forced labor including woodworking, charcoal production, agricultural work, and metal fabrication.
Citing media, the report said up to 7,320 individuals were sent to these "labor therapy centers" in 2022. According to a Belarusian law cited in the report, individuals may be sent to these centers for 12-18 months.
The Trafficking In Persons report concluded in 2023, but Dyer said there was evidence that the “labor therapy centers” would continue into 2024.
"The government planned to increase these centers in 2024. We hear that they are trying to provide space for up to 10,000 individuals," Dyer said.
While Russia has been on the state-sponsored-trafficking-of-persons list, Belarus has not been on the list in at least four years. They are listed as Tier 3 states, which according to the report are those taking the least action to combat human trafficking.
Dyer called on Russia and Belarus "as an accomplice" to repatriate Ukrainian children.
"Belarusian authorities facilitated the transfer of Ukrainian children," Dyer said, referring to children taken from Ukraine since Russian launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. "All Ukrainian children transported to Belarus or transported to Russia are increasingly vulnerable to trafficking."
The International Criminal Court in The Hague last year issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin and children's commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova, charging them with the deportation of up to 20,000 Ukrainian children to Russia -- a war crime under international legislation.
Dyer also expressed concerns about fraudulent recruitment of foreign nationals to fight in Ukraine.
“Russia-affiliated forces reportedly used coercion, deception, and in some cases force in the recruitment of foreign nationals,” Dyer said.
Dyer said the deceptive employment occurs around the world, and listed Cubans, Nepalese, and Syrians among those most often targeted, as well as residents of South Asia.