Sandra Zalcmane, chairperson, the society “Shelter “Safe House””: “In previous years the main informers about victims of human trafficking were Latvian embassies and the State Police of Latvia. In 2012 there has been a notable increase in participation of the society itself. We believe this result has been reached with regular preventive campaigns*. Analysing data we realised that the highest activity was from people in the five cities where the campaign “Sold Freedom” was implemented from August 2012 till February 2013. I think that in comparison to earlier years people are more informed now about the different forms human trafficking takes, can recognise them and are more active in telling about people who have got into trouble. The five municipalities where seminars took place within the framework of the campaign have taken a much more serious approach to solving problems with human trafficking. An interinstitutional cooperation model has been created to help such institutions as schools, social services, police, Orphans` Court among others to aid them in reaching a common goal.”
Specialists at the society “Shelter “Safe House”” note that the informative campaigns implemented in Latvia affect international processes too. During 2012 cooperation with Latvian embassies to Ireland, The United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium and Russia has much improved. The campaign has also attracted much attention from media in various Scandinavian countries.
Vija Busa, Counsellor, Deputy Head of Mission, and the Embassy of the Republic of Latvia to Ireland: „The effect of informational campaigns to prevent human trafficking cannot be denied. In many cases identified and potential victims of human trafficking that the embassy has come in contact with have admitted that they are aware of both human trafficking and fictitious marriages. Still the work devoted to prevent human trafficking in Latvia in not sufficient. The experience of the embassy shows that independently potential victims are not able to evaluate the possibility of coming to contact with human trafficking nor can they avoid getting involved in fictitious marriage and other forms of this slavery. Thus we hope that preventive work in Latvia will continue and more people will fully understand the devastating consequences of this modern day problem. The embassy also hopes for successful interinstitutional cooperation to prevent human trafficking after the changes to The Criminal Law of The Republic of Latvia take effect on the 1st of April this year.”
Institutions in the other Baltic States – Lithuania and Estonia – have expressed interest in Latvian work fighting against trafficking in human beings asking specialists from the society “Shelter “Safe House”” to visit to exchange experience in planning and implementing informational preventive campaigns.
With the support of Philip Morris International and EuroAWK from August 2012 till February 2013 preventive outdoor social advertising campaign “Sold Freedom” was implemented in five largest cities of Latvia. The goal of the campaign was to reduce the ever increasing trafficking in human beings informing and consulting citizens of Latvia and involving five municipalities.
In the end of 2012 the society “Shelter “Safe House”” in association with Latvian Irish National Council carried out an informational campaign against human trafficking in Dublin airport. In this campaign passengers arriving to Ireland from Latvia were informed about two forms of human trafficking – fictitious marriage and forced labour. During the visit in Ireland specialists from the society “Shelter “Safe House”” also met with Ambassador of the Republic of Latvia to Ireland Pēteris Kārlis Elferts; Vija Busa Counsellor, Deputy Head of Mission, the Embassy of the Republic of Latvia to Ireland; Sarah Benson, CEO of Ruhama; Nusha Yonkova, Anti-Trafficking Project Coordinator, Immigrant Council of Ireland. During this meeting parts exchanged experience and discussed possible solutions for future cooperation.
For more information:
Rasa Salina (Rasa Saliņa), Public Relations Consultant and Practitioner
rasa.salina@gmail.com
