A new report by the Council of Europe’s anti-trafficking expert body, GRETA, published today, assesses the measures taken by Latvia to prevent vulnerabilities to trafficking in human beings, detect and support vulnerable victims, and punish the offenders. The report pays particular attention to the use of information and communication technology (ICT) to commit human trafficking offences as well as the use of technological innovations to prevent trafficking, protect victims and prosecute traffickers.
The report welcomes the adoption of a new national action plan against human trafficking (2025–2027) and legislative amendments strengthening the protection of child victims of trafficking during criminal proceedings. Plans are also underway to develop a comprehensive law on the protection of victims of trafficking.
Trends and victim profiles
Between 2021 and 2024, 149 victims of trafficking were identified in Latvia (87 male and 62 female victims). Children represented 4% of all identified victims. Labour exploitation remained the predominant form of trafficking, followed by sexual exploitation and exploitation through sham marriages. While the majority of the identified victims were Latvian nationals, there has been an increase in the number of identified foreign national victims.
Vulnerable groups at increased risk
The report highlights that children and young adults in institutional care or transitioning out of it face heightened risks of trafficking. GRETA therefore considers that the authorities should strengthen the support provided to them and its availability across municipalities, include the prevention of human trafficking in the general school curriculum and provide training to all relevant professionals.
Women and girls in prostitution are also identified as being at increased risk. GRETA encourages further action to eliminate sexual and gender stereotypes, raise awareness of trafficking risks, develop exit programmes for those wishing to leave prostitution, and adopt relevant legislation to reduce exploitation.
Rising demand for migrant workers, combined with limited inspection resources, has increased the risk of labour exploitation of third-country nationals in Latvia. GRETA considers that the Latvian authorities should ensure that sufficient staff, resources and training are made available to the State Labour Inspectorate to enable it to contribute to the prevention and detection of trafficking for labour exploitation.
The report also draws attention to the Roma community, which continues to face barriers in education, housing and access to the labour market, increasing vulnerability to exploitation. GRETA recommends targeted awareness-raising on human trafficking risks, safe migration and workers’ rights, in co-operation with Roma mediators and civil society.
The report also notes vulnerabilities among asylum seekers, unaccompanied and separated children, persons with disabilities and homeless people, calling for improved training, inclusive services, adequate resources and systematic vulnerability assessments to prevent trafficking.
Victim identification and protection
GRETA calls on the Latvian authorities to ensure the timely identification of victims of trafficking and their referral to support services, regardless of whether criminal proceedings are initiated. The authorities should also strengthen the identification of child victims by ensuring the effective use of specific indicators and adopting binding protocols for the identification of trafficking victims amongst unaccompanied and separated children. Further, GRETA considers that the authorities should put in place a procedure for the identification of victims of trafficking among irregular migrants and provide training to all relevant professionals.
The report also stresses that state-funded assistance should be sufficient, accessible to all victims regardless of co-operation with criminal proceedings and tailored to specific needs, including those of children and male victims.
Access to justice
Between 2021 and 2024, 15 persons were convicted of human trafficking offences, with prison sentences ranging from two to six years. While welcoming legislative and procedural improvements - including enhanced protections for child victims - GRETA expresses concern over lengthy court proceedings and calls for increased human and financial resources of the specialised police unit and an increased number of prosecutors assigned to human trafficking cases.
While noting positively the increases number of victims of trafficking who received state compensation (33 in 2021-2024), GRETA reiterates the need to strengthen access to compensation from perpetrators through criminal proceedings and to improve asset seizure and forfeiture.
Digital dimension of human trafficking
The report highlights the growing role of social media, fake job platforms and online grooming in trafficking cases. Following the adoption of the National Cybersecurity Law in 2024, GRETA encourages further investment in digital tools, proactive investigations and targeted training to counter ICT-facilitated human trafficking.
