Calendar of Events - March, 2024

Project deliverables:

Research report: EXPLOITATIVE SHAM MARRIAGES: EXPLORING THE LINKS BETWEEN HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND SHAM MARRIAGES IN ESTONIA, IRELAND, LATVIA, LITHUANIA AND SLOVAKIA

In recent years, concern over sham marriages as a form of exploitation in human trafficking has increased in Europe. A research report, published by HEUNI in October 2016, sheds light on the links between trafficking in human beings and sham marriages that include exploitation of persons. In a marriage of convenience, the parties would get married, and later separate, by common consent. However, in some cases the marriage can become exploitative, or can even lead to human trafficking. Some of the cases identified within the scope of this project (HESTIA) included serious and continued exploitation, sexual and physical violence, limitations of personal freedom and movement, and confiscation of identity documents. Some of the cases included all the necessary elements (the act, the means, and the purpose) for defining them as involving human trafficking.

Translations of the executive summary of the HESTIA Project Research report  into national languages:

Estonian language: "JA NAD ELASID ÕNNELIKULT KUNI OMA ELUPÄEVADE LÕPUNI? FIKTIIVSETEST ABIELUDEST INIMKAUBANDUSENI"

Latvian language: "LAIMĪGI LĪDZ MŪŽA GALAM? NO FIKTĪVĀM LAULĪBĀM LĪDZ CILVĒKU TIRDZNIECĪBAI" 

Slovak language: "Žili šťastne až naveky? Od účelových sobášov k obchodovaniu s ľuďmi" 


Policy paper “Exploitative sham marriages: exploring the links between human trafficking and sham marriages” on the research findings produced by the European Institute for Crime Prevention and Control, affiliated with the United Nations (HEUNI)

Information Sheet "Happily ever after? From sham marriages to human trafficking" produced by the European Institute for Crime Prevention and Control, affiliated with the United Nations (HEUNI)


National research reports:

Estonia - National research report "Links between the involvement of Estonian women in sham marriages abroad and trafficking in human beings" (English language)

Ireland - National research report "Exploitative Sham Marriages and Human Trafficking in Ireland" (English language)

Latvia - National research report "Cilvēku tirdzniecība un fiktīvās laulības Latvijā" (Latvian language)

Latvia - National research report "Human Trafficking and Sham Marriages in Latvia" (English language)

Lithuania - National research report "The Case of Lithuania" (English language)

Lithuania - National research report "FIKTYVIOS IŠNAUDOJANČIOS SANTUOKOS IR PREKYBOS ŽMONĖMIS SITUACIJA LIETUVOJE" (Lithuanian language)

Slovak Republic - National research report "Výskumná správa za Slovenskú republiku realizovaná v rámci projektu HESTIA „Prevencia obchodovania s ľuďmi a účelových manželstiev: multidisciplinárne riešenie" (Slovak language)

Slovak Republic - National research report "Research Report of the Slovak Republic – the project HESTIA “Prevention of trafficking in human beings and Sham Marriages: Multidisciplinary Solution” (English language)

 

Methodical material "Reduction of Exploitative Sham Marriages: Training for Trainers Training" <<

The goal of the training programme is to prepare various specialists – further education teachers - for rising awareness on the subject among peers and other specialists, as well as to initiate awareness on the subject in society in general. The main tasks of the training programme are the following: to structure the knowledge of professionals about trafficking in human beings; to improve knowledge about exploitative sham marriages as a form of trafficking in human beings; to show to the professionals that it is possible to stop at each stage  of the sham marriage process, thus, in general preventing the abuse of people in this form of trafficking in human beings. The target group of the training programme is specialists of various fields — social workers, police officers, media representatives, teachers/ educational staff, health professionals, staff of the youth centres and social care centres, border guards, librarians, employees of the State Employment Agencies, recruitment office employees, airport workers, guardians, lawyers, prosecutors, etc. Participant evaluation questionnaire and lecturers evaluation questionnaire for training "Reduction of Exploitative Sham Marriages: Training for Trainers Training". Authors of the programme: S.Zalcmane - Head of the Society “Shelter “Safe House””, social worker, V.Nazarovs - Senior Inspector of the Third Unit (for fight against trafficking in human beings) of the Organised Crime Enforcement Department of the Central Criminal Police Department of the State Police of the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Latvia.

Training methodology and materials in Estonian language INIMKAUBANDUSE JA FIKTIIVSETE ABIELUDE ENNETAMINE: MULTIDISTSIPLINAARNE LAHENDUS (HESTIA). KOOLITUSMATERJALID

Training methodology and materials in Latvian language "Ekspluatatīvo fiktīvo laulību mazināšana: multiplikatoru apmācības. Metodiskais materiāls"

Training methodology and materials in Lithuanian language "Prekybos žmonėmis ir fiktyvių santuokų prevencija: daugiasdisciplinis sprendimas. Mokymams skirta metodinė medžiaga"

Training methodology and materials in Slovak language "Prevencia obchodovania s ľuďmi a nútených sobášov: multidisciplinárne riešenie - Tréningový manuál"

Summary Report of the Training Seminar "Preventing Sham Marriages as a Form of Human Trafficking: Training of Multiplicators" in Estonia

Summary Report of Training Sessions conducted by the Immigrant Council of Ireland

Summary Report of the Training Seminars "Preventing Sham Marriages as a Form of Human Trafficking: Training of Multiplicators" in Latvia

Summary Report of the Training Seminars "Preventing Sham Marriages as a Form of Human Trafficking: Training of Multiplicators" in Lithuania

Summary Report of the Training Seminar "Preventing Sham Marriages as a Form of Human Trafficking: Training of Multiplicators" in the Slovak Republic


Further Networking and Cooperation Plan for 3 year period was developed and approved by the project partners. It provides general commitments of partners to provide further exchange of information regarding informative and educational activities, positive changes and developments in the project countries, continue training of specialists using HESTIA training methodology and provide awareness raising activities in the project countries, continue to provide visibility of the follow-up activities of the HESTIA Project through the project’s web page administrated by the Project Leading Partner and web pages of the Project Partners. The Plan includes individual Action Plans developed by the project partners. The Leading Partner undertakes responsibility to collect information provided by the Project Partners, publication on the Project’s web page, dissemination as well as presenting achieved results at various international cooperation platforms – the Informal EU Network of National Rapporteurs or Equivalent Mechanisms (NREMs), the Council of the Baltic Sea States Task Force against Trafficking in Human Beings (CBSS TF-THB), the Council of Europe, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), and conferences organized to raise awareness, share knowledge, expertise and best practice to address exploitative sham marriages.

 

Country-specific dissemination and advocacy plans were developed in 2015:

Dissemination and Advocacy Plan: Estonia

Dissemination and Advocacy Plan: Ireland

Dissemination and Advocacy Plan: Latvia

Dissemination and Advocacy Plan: Lithuania

Dissemination and Advocacy Plan: Slovak Republic


On 18 October 2016 - Dissemination briefing was organized in Tallinn, Estonia. The event was opened by the Minister of Justice, NGO Living for Tomorrow (EE project partner) presented Estonian national research report and introduced Estonian dissemination and advocacy plan, HEUNI (FI project partner) presented key concepts and methodology of the project research and announced official launching date of the report. The event took place on the EU Anti-Trafficking Day and the project results presentation was accompanied by an overview of latest anti-trafficking initiatives in the region and Estonian National Strategy against Violence. Estonian dissemination and advocacy plan was distributed during the event together with the HESTIA project handouts with information about sham marriages and contacts of Human Trafficking Prevention and Victim Assistance Hotline +372 6607 320 service (bookmark “Let’s get married” is available in Estonian and Russian languages).

Minna Viuhko, HESTIA Project Coordinator in Finland and Project Researcher, Researcher of the European Institute for Crime Prevention and Control, affiliated with the United Nations (HEUNI) – presentation "Exploitative Sham Marriages - Exploring the Links between Human Trafficking and Sham Marriages"

Sirle Blumberg, HESTIA Project Coordinator in Estonia, NGO Living for Tomorrow, Head of Board – presentation about the HESTIA Project results in Estonia in Estonian language

Estonian dissemination and advocacy plan was distributed during the event together with the HESTIA project handouts with information about sham marriages and contacts of Human Trafficking Prevention and Victim Assistance Hotline +372 6607 320 service (bookmark “Let’s get married” is available in Estonian and Russian languages).


On 21 October 2016 - Dissemination briefing and official launching of the Project Report was organized in Riga, Latvia at the Ministry of the Interior. 41 participants took part. Institutions represented: Ministry of the Interior, State Police College, State Border Guard, the Embassy of the United States of America in Riga, Ministry of Justice, Riga City Social Service, he Embassy of Ireland in Riga, the Parliament of the Republic of Latvia, International Broadcaster “Deutche Welle”, General Prosecutor’s Office, Organized Crime and Other Branches Specialized Prosecutors Office, Advertisement agency “GO!AHEAD”, European Institute for Crime Prevention and Control, affiliated with the United Nations (HEUNI) (Finland), Ministry of Justice, Project “Lilies of the Streets”, State Police, Ministry of Welfare, Society “Shelter “Safe House””, the Embassy of the Republic of Estonia in Riga, University of Latvia, Baltic Institute of Social Sciences, Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs, Society “For Free Vidzeme from Trafficking in Human Beings”, Society “Resource Centre for Women “Marta””, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During event video “Human Trafficking. Stop This Game Now. #HESTIA_THB” and an outdoor poster “Dzīve nav spēle. Zaudēt var pa īstam!” (Life is not a game. You can lose for real!) were presented (outdoor posters exhibited at 53 public transportation stops during the time period 17 October – 30 October, 2016), project research report “Exploitative Sham Marriages: Exploring the Links between Human Trafficking and Sham Marriages in Estonia, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia”, executive summary of the project research “Happily Ever After? From Sham Marriages to Human Trafficking” translated into Latvian language distributed, printed materials – pink glasses (with printed information about anti-trafficking web site and Trust Line – distributed.


On 28 October 2016 - Dissemination briefing was organized in Vilnius, Lithuania. The event was organized by the NGO "Caritas Lithuania" in cooperation and with the support of British Embassy in Lithuania. The dissemination briefing was attended by representatives of prosecutors` offices, municipal institutions, line ministries, NGOs and Embassies of Ireland, Latvia, Spain, the United States of America and Sweden. NGO "Caritas Lithuania" has developed and disseminated a flyer about exploitative sham marriages “FIKTYVI santuoka yra pavojinga” (Sham Marriage can be Dangerous).


On 14 – 15 November 2016 Riga hosted an international conference "Exploitative Sham Marriages: Exploring the Links between Trafficking in Human Beings and Sham Marriages" where findings and best practise acquired during the implementation of the HESTIA Project “Preventing human trafficking and sham marriages: A multidisciplinary solution” were presented and shared. During two days of the conference eight speakers from the Member States of the European Union – officials of public institutions and law enforcement agencies, researchers and representatives of non-governmental organization did presentations. Agenda<<

Minna Viuhko, HESTIA Project Coordinator in Finland and Project Researcher, Researcher of the European Institute for Crime Prevention and Control, affiliated with the United Nations (HEUNI) – presentation "Happily ever after? From sham marriages to human trafficking"<<

Sandra Zalcmane, HESTIA Project LV Expert in development of training methodology and materials, NGO “Shelter “Safe House”” (Latvia), Head of Board – presentation "Training methodology and materials “Reduction of Exploitative Sham Marriages: Training for Trainers Training”"<<

Catherine Cosgrave, HESTIA Project Legal Expert/ Research/Training, NGO “Immigrant Council of Ireland”, Legal Service Manager – presentation "Regulating sham marriage and trafficking: the experience of Ireland"<<

Sirle Blumberg, HESTIA Project Coordinator in Estonia, NGO Living for Tomorrow, Head of Board – presentation "Challenges of understanding sham marriages connections with human trafficking"<<

Monica O’Connor, Independent Researcher, Ireland - presentation "The targeting of vulnerability for the purpose of exploitation: the intersection of sham marriage and trafficking"<<

Stephen Courage, Detective Superintendent, An Garda Siochana, Ireland – presentation "The response of An Garda Siochana (Irish Police) to sham marriages"<<

Tania Charalambidou, Administrative Officer, Directorate of Migration, Asylum and European Affairs, Ministry of Interior, Republic of Cyprus – presentation ""Βrides-to-be” as victims of human trafficking: Challenges and the importance of coordination between public services"<<

Jeļena Kaminska, Prosecutor, Organized Crime and Other Branches Specialized Prosecutors Office, General Prosecutor’s Office, Latvia – presentation "Sham Marriages as a Form of Trafficking in Human Beings"<<

Adriana Šteruská, Investigator of the Police Corps, The National Unit of Combating Illegal Migration of the Bureau of Border and Alien Police of the Police Force Presidium, the Slovak Republic – presentation "Forced Marriages"<<

Karolis Žibas, NGO “Caritas Lithuania”, Researcher, HESTIA Project Researcher in Lithuania – presentation "Human trafficking in Lithuania: from new forms of exploitation to recent political developments"<<

Manuel Albano, National Rapporteur – Trafficking in Human Beings, Commission for Citizenship and Gender Equality, Presidency of the Council of Ministers - presentation "The Portuguese Model in Combating Human Trafficking"<<

 

 

On 5 December 2016 the meeting of the Informal EU Network of National Rapporteurs or Equivalent Mechanisms (NREMs) co-chaired by the Slovak Presidency of the EU and the EU Anti-Trafficking Coordinator (European Commission) took place in Brussels, Belgium. A Manager of the Project “Preventing human trafficking and sham marriages: A multidisciplinary solution” (HESTIA), National Anti-Trafficking Coordinator Ms Lāsma Stabiņa presented findings from the HESTIA Project.

Presentation – "Exploitative Sham Marriages - A New Form of Human Trafficking"<<

The project results and findings were presented at GENVAL (Working Party on General Matters, including Evaluations) meeting on 3 February 2017 (Malta’s Presidency of the Council of Europe). Presentation "Exploitative Sham Marriages - A New Form of Human Trafficking"



On 9 June 2015, the meeting of the Informal EU Network of National Rapporteurs or Equivalent Mechanisms (NREMs) co-chaired by the Latvian Presidency of the EU and the EU Anti-Trafficking Coordinator (European Commission) took place in Brussels, Belgium. A Manager of the Project “Preventing human trafficking and sham marriages: A multidisciplinary solution” (HESTIA), National Anti-Trafficking Coordinator Ms Lāsma Stabiņa presented goals of the HESTIA Project.

Presentation - Project HESTIA “Preventing human trafficking and sham marriages: A multidisciplinary solution” (HOME/2013/ISEC/AG/THB/4000005845)

Ms Vija Buša, Councellor at he Embassy of the Republic of Latvia in Ireland, Dublin presented experiece of the Embassy of Latvia in Ireland in relation to sham marriages and trafficking in human beings.

Presentation - "Sham Marriage - A Form of Human Trafficking?"

 

 

On 5 - 6 February 2015, Riga hosted the kick-off meeting of the project “Preventing Human Trafficking and Sham Marriages: A Multidisciplinary Solution” (HESTIA)

The kick-off meeting was attended by the project partners and associated partners representing Latvia - Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the State Police Anti-Trafficking Unit. Project partners provided presentations (introduction) about their institutions, tasks and responsibilities addressing trafficking in human beings. Further work to implement the project was discussed.

Héilean Rosenstock-Armie, Anti–Trafficking Coordinator Immigrant Council of Ireland - presentation "PREVENTING HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND SHAM MARRIAGES: A MULTIDISCIPLINARY SOLUTION"

Sirle Blumberg, HESTIA Project Coordinator in Estonia, NGO Living for Tomorrow, Head of Board – presentation "Human trafficking prevention and victim support through anti-trafficking hotline +3726607320 service"

Minna Viuhko & Anniina Jokinen, Researchers of the European Institute for Crime Prevention and Control, affiliated with the United Nations (HEUNI) – presentation "European Institute for Crime Prevention and Control, affiliated with the United Nations (HEUNI)"

Jana Mitošinková, Crime Prevention Department, Lucia Poláková, Information Centre of Combating Trafficking in Human Beings and Crime Prevention - presentation "Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic"

Lāsma Stabiņa, National Anti-Trafficking Coordinator, Latvia - presentation "Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Latvia"

Gunta Vīksne, Project Coordinator, NGO "Shelter "Safe House"", Latvia - presentation "ASSOCIATION “SHELTER “SAFE HOUSE""

Gundega Riekstiņa, Consular Assistance Division, Consular Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia - presentation "Role of Consular Service of Latvia in Combating Trafficking in Human Beings (THB)"

Einārs Zarāns, Anti-Trafficking Unit, State Police, Latvia - presentation "State Police of the Republic of Latvia"

Gunta Vīksne, Project Coordinator, NGO "Shelter "Safe House"", Latvia - presentation "Preventing human trafficking and sham marriages: A multidisciplinary solution (HESTIA)"