IOM International Organization for Migration
International organization for migration
Human trafficking in Lithuania:
Problems and Experience of International Organization for Migration (IOM) Vilnius office
Vilnius, 18-10-2013
Dr. Audra Sipavičienė
Head of IOM Vilnius office
1

“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 Indonesia
UN humanitarian news service IRINNEWS

• 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

VICTIM
IOM
IN DESTINATION
COUNTRY
NGO
IN DESTINATION
COUNTRY
BALTIC
EMBASSY IN
DESTINATION
COUNTRY
VICTIM’S FAMILY/
FRIENDS
IOM
IN BALTIC
COUNTRY
BALTIC
NGO/ GO
LAW
ENFORCEMEN
T ABROAD
COORDINATED ASSISTANCE FOR VICTIM OF TRAFFICKING
MEDICAL
INSTITUTION IN
BALTIC
COUNTRY
PSYCHOLOGIS
T
PROFESSIONAL
TRAINING/
EMPLOYMENT
AGENCY
(State and Private)
LEGAL/ SOCIAL
CONSULTATION
4
LAW
ENFORCEMENT
IN BALTIC
COUNTRY

Situation in Lithuania: numbers do not reflect problems
Year
Identified by Law Enforcement
Registered pretrial investigations
Human traffickers
Victims of human trafficking
NGO
Assistance provided by
NGO’s
Gender distribution
2007
2008
2009
20
19
12
37
33
21
77
36
22
56
86
…
99% women, of which 34% minors
…
2010 8 16 10 118 …
2011 21 48 33 128
3 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 exploitation
Sources: LEO data/police
2007, 2008 – IOM
2010-2012 – Ministry of Social security and Labour

(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

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
****
• Feed-back from Consular services, closer cooperation

Contacts:
Audra Sipavičienė
International organization for migration (IOM)
Head of Vilnius Office
Jaksto 12, 4 th floor, Vilnius 01031 tel.: +370 52 610115
Fax: +370 52 611326 e-mail: iomvilnius@iom.lt ; www.iom.lt
; http://123.emn.lt
10