The United Kingdom has imposed sanctions on 35 individuals and entities, including a Bangladeshi travel company, for alleged involvement in trafficking foreign nationals to Russia to fight in the war against Ukraine. The measures, announced on Tuesday under the UK’s Global Irregular Migration and Human Trafficking Sanctions Regulations 2025, target Dream Home Travels, accused of deceiving Bangladeshi citizens with false promises of high-paying jobs in Russia.

According to a statement published on the UK Foreign Ministry’s website, the company recruited Bangladeshis under fraudulent pretenses and exposed them to severe exploitation. Investigations revealed that once in Russia, the workers were coerced into combat roles in the ongoing conflict against Ukraine. The British government also ordered the seizure of all assets belonging to the company’s owner in the UK.

The Foreign Office emphasized a zero-tolerance policy toward human trafficking and irregular migration that endangers lives. The sanctions reinforce international concerns about the use of migrant workers in the Russia-Ukraine war, ongoing since February 2022.