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Dr. Audra Sipavičienė Head of IOM Vilnius office

Human trafficking in Lithuania: Problems and Experience of International Organization for Migration (IOM) Vilnius office

Vilnius, 18-10-2013

International organization for migration IOM International Organization for Migration

Traffickers are one step ahead

“The trouble with human trafficking is that with all the recourses and thoughts that has been poured into the phenomenon over years, no one really understands what’s going on. Not governments, not NGOs, not the police, not think thanks… No one apart from traffickers, who change their modus operandi like wind, in order to stay one step ahead.”

Denis Nihill, IOM IndonesiaUN humanitarian news service IRINNEWS

Info-sharing and Partnership is the key

• Acknowledgement of the problem/state position

• Legal regulations in place/ enforcement

• Assistance to VoTs/ NGO network

• Expertise and professionalism (Big heart is not enough, but no heart also does not work)

• Adequate resources/finances

• Continuity, sustainability (especially during crisis)

• Information sharing, especially about new evidence and emerging trends and correspondent reaction (now with lag in years).

• Network + referral Mechanism (including consular services)

• Consular officials are in the forefront, connecting origin and destination countries

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Providing assistance – cooperation scheme

IOMIN DESTINATION

COUNTRY

NGOIN DESTINATION

COUNTRY

BALTIC EMBASSY IN

DESTINATION COUNTRY

LAW ENFORCEMEN

T ABROAD

MEDICAL INSTITUTION IN BALTIC COUNTRY

PSYCHOLOGIST

PROFESSIONAL TRAINING/ EMPLOYMENT AGENCY (State and Private)

COORDINATED ASSISTANCE FOR VICTIM OF TRAFFICKING

LEGAL/ SOCIAL CONSULTATION

IOMIN BALTIC COUNTRY

VICTIM’S FAMILY/ FRIENDS

BALTICNGO/ GO

LAW ENFORCEMENT

IN BALTIC COUNTRY

VICTIM

Situation in Lithuania: numbers do not reflect problems

Identified by Law Enforcement NGO

YearRegistered pre-

trial investigations

Human traffickers

Victims of human

trafficking

Assistance provided by

NGO’s

Gender distribution

2007 20 37 77 56 99% women, of which 34%

minors2008 19 33 36 86

2009 12 21 22 … …

2010 8 16 10 118 …

2011 21 48 33 1283 men, 109 women, 16

minors

2012 11 29 17 152 55 men, 97 women

Expert evaluation: approx. 1500-2000 per year/ only THB for sexual exploitationSources: LEO data/police

2007, 2008 – IOM2010-2012 – Ministry of Social security and Labour

Changing modus operandi (IOM Data base)

Police: “They are trafficking everyone and everything what is possible to traffic and to to exploit”

Appearance of new forms of trafficking/ exploitation which are difficult to identify and prove in courts

• Exploit poverty, vulnerability (economic, social, mental): prostitution, forced labour/ bonded labour, involuntary domestic servitude

• Exploit beauty: web-modeling• Exploit impunity, youth delinquent behavior: criminal

activities, theft by minors• Exploit sympathy: minor begging• Exploit social status: marriages of convenience, , receiving

fraud social benefits abroad• Etc.

Flashlight on Consular services

Cooperation increased, better, more possibilities, but… (comments, problematic areas identified by NGOs and LEO)

•Not always able to identify trafficking victims (even when they in desperate situation and address for help)•Treat VoTs as criminals (many VoTs do look like criminals; did at some point break the law; were forced into criminal activities, but are trying to seek assistance)•Too bureaucratic, too slow and only during working hours•Do not know what assistance is available both in destination and origin countries; where to refer; what tools are available

•Police and NGO use their own channels, bypassing consular services: information does not criss-cross, assistance less effective

What could help? Established referral mechanism and cooperation

Tools available/ IOM

Key IOM initiatives/ tools which should be known/ could be useful

•450+ IOM offices worldwide; many have AVR-R Programs•Global Assistance Fund/ urgent cases (since 2000, GAF provided assistance to 1546 trafficked persons; approx.. 150-200 each year)

•Direct Assistance Handbook, Handbook for Consular Officials•IRIS/ International Recruitment Integrity System

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•Feed-back from Consular services, closer cooperation

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Thank you for you attention

Contacts:   

Audra Sipavičienė

International organization for migration (IOM)

Head of Vilnius Office

Jaksto 12, 4th floor, Vilnius 01031

tel.: +370 52 610115

Fax: +370 52 611326

e-mail: iomvilnius@iom.lt ; www.iom.lt ; http://123.emn.lt