Art Installation in Moldova Unmasks the Reality of Trafficking

Among them is Larisa’s*, one of thousands of Moldovans who left home chasing opportunity, only to be trapped by traffickers. 

“I lived in a village in northern Moldova with three school-age children and an income that was insufficient to cover our daily expenses,” Larisa recounts. One day, scrolling through Facebook, she found a job ad for domestic work in Germany. The offer promised decent pay and full coverage of travel costs. 

She left with a heavy heart, hoping her sacrifice would mean something better for her family. 

But things changed quickly. 

“After I arrived, I was taken to a remote town,” she says. “They put me and other women in an isolated building and took our passports. We weren’t allowed to leave.” 

For nearly a year, Larisa was forced to work as a cleaner and carer for the elderly in unfamiliar homes. Always watched. Always afraid. 

“I was never paid,” she adds quietly. “I didn’t know if I’d ever see my children again.” 

What saved her was kindness. A family she worked for noticed something was wrong. They listened. They helped her escape. With their support, Larisa finally made it home. 

Her experience is now one of eight true stories featured in Invisible in Plain Sight, an art installation created by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), in partnership with the Government of the Republic of Moldova and local NGOs. 

Each sculpture in the exhibition represents a person like Larisa, someone whose life was stolen and reclaimed. 

IOM Moldova has organized these public exhibitions every year since 2017, turning real testimonies into public memory. This year’s edition marks World Day Against Trafficking in Persons 2025. 

The stories come from survivors assisted by IOM and the Centre for Assistance and Protection of Victims and Potential Victims of Trafficking, under the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection. To date, more than 14,500 survivors and potential victims have received support through this collaboration. 

Larisa is one of them. 

“Through this experience, I learned to recognize the signs of trafficking,” she says. More importantly, she adds, she learned to reclaim her rights. 
“It gave me the strength to begin a new chapter in life with my children.” 

For more than two decades, IOM has supported Moldova’s efforts to prevent and respond to human trafficking, including on both banks of the Nistru River. Its work is built on strong partnerships with law enforcement, the justice system, civil society, and the UN. 

But new risks are emerging. 

Since the start of the war in Ukraine in 2022, more than 1.9 million Ukrainians have transited through Moldova. The crisis has created new vulnerabilities, particularly for women and children on the move. 

To respond, IOM Moldova co-chairs the national Task Force on Trafficking in Persons with NGO La Strada. Through this platform, and in coordination with the Government, the Organization has provided legal aid and psychosocial support to refugees, raised awareness on trafficking risks, and trained frontline workers, from border police to social workers, on how to spot and assist victims. 

This initiative and IOM Moldova’s anti-trafficking work are supported by the Government of the United States, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway, and the European Union. 

The exhibition is currently on display in Căușeni and will travel in August to Cahul, Nisporeni and Dondușeni. 

This initiative and IOM Moldova’s anti-trafficking work are supported by the Government of the United States, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway, and the European Union. 

*The name has been changed to protect their identity.