On February 2, 2026, members and staff of the Society Shelter Safe House met with representatives of the State Police Main Criminal Police Department, Organized Crime, Serious and Serial Crimes Division (4th Unit) - Valentīns Mass and Vadims Nazarovs, who specialize in the prevention and combatting of human trafficking. During the meeting, current challenges, the need to improve the regulatory framework, and opportunities for cooperation in preventing human trafficking were discussed.
V. Mass and V. Nazarovs provided an overview of the situation in Latvia and the region. It was emphasized that the risks of human trafficking increasingly affect young people under the age of 30 who, due to economic considerations, agree to risky employment or other offers without always fully understanding the possible consequences. Lack of money and the desire to maintain a certain lifestyle often become the basis for exploitation.
The experts drew attention to the issue of cross-border employment - individuals enter one country in the region but in practice work in several European countries. The supervision and accountability of employment agencies is a particularly pressing issue. It was noted that approximately 380 agencies currently operate in Latvia, and the existing regulation creates significant shortcomings, including a gap between criminal liability for human trafficking and administrative liability for violations. The discussion highlighted the need to strengthen accountability mechanisms rather than limiting efforts to formal supervision.
The meeting also addressed the planned register of all potential victims of human trafficking, which would establish an obligation for the institutions involved to share information. Improvements to the referral mechanism and the development of guidelines for the identification and screening of human trafficking victims were also discussed. Police and medical institutions were identified as the primary contact institutions in identifying potential victims.
Special attention was given to cooperation with the State Police cybercrime unit, which specializes in online investigations, as well as to the importance of administrative inspections in uncovering other criminal offenses. It was noted that cases of labor exploitation numerically exceed cases of sexual exploitation; however, this does not mean that sexual exploitation has decreased or lost its relevance.
The discussion emphasized that effective combatting of human trafficking requires clear, targeted, and accountability-based regulation. The need to strengthen inter-institutional cooperation and promote public awareness of human trafficking risks was also highlighted.
The participants agreed to continue cooperation in order to improve preventive mechanisms and strengthen victim protection in Latvia.
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This information has been prepared with the financial support of the Society Integration Foundation from the State budget of Latvia.
The association “Shelter ‘Safe House’” is responsible for the information campaign “Find Refuge in a Safe House!” (within the framework of the project “Sustainable Growth: Strengthening the Operations and Capacity of the Association ‘Shelter ‘Safe House’’”).