Helpline operator Gita Miruškina tells: "Being a helpline operator has showed me that 24 hour helpline is useful for people wishing to call us, contact us and report a potential case of human trafficking or share their own experience. It is one of the most accessible and easiest ways to report such crime, a violation of human rights and for us to get involved in order to help the caller. Most frequently callers still contact the helpline to receive information on sham marriage". She says that as the summer approaches a number of callers contact the helpline to get information on employment issues since people plan to work abroad and want to stay safe and secure abroad ".
During the 12 months of last year the 24 hour helpline specialists of the society have received 220 calls. Most frequently, callers wanted to receive information on different issues related to human trafficking risks (140 times). Also received: callers wanting information on fictitious marriage or its prevention and reporting cases of sham marriage (63 times); callers wanting information on forced labour or violations of employment rights and reporting cases thereof (14 times); and callers wanting information on sexual exploitation (3 times)
Information on the helpline is available also at 28 NVA branches. It has also been distributed to 600 schools in Latvia and 46 youth and children education centres, as well as posted on the society’s page on the website www.draugiem.lv http://www.draugiem.lv/www.patverums-dm.lv/ and on cooperation partners’ websites.
The project “Action support programme of the Society “Shelter “Safe House”” to reduce human trafficking in Latvia” is funded by the EEA financial instrument and the Latvian state. It has been implemented since July 2013 and several activities to reduce the problem of human trafficking are taking place within it. Members, workers, volunteers of the “Shelter “Safe House””, as well as other non-governmental organisations are involved in the project as a target group.
Find out more about the EEA Financial Mechanism programme NGO Fund here. Website of the Society Integration Foundation: http://www.sif.lv Website of the EEA Financial Mechanism in Latvia: http://www.eeagrants.lv Official website of the EEA Financial Mechanism: http://www.eeagrants.org. Responsibility for the content of this publication lies with the society “Shelter “Safe House””.