Latvia warns young people about trafficking hidden in job offers

Latvia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has launched a campaign warning people that attractive job offers and promises of quick money can conceal human trafficking, with a particular focus on young people, LSM reports.

Anna, whose name has been changed, was offered a job as a manager at an acquaintance’s shop in Ireland. She was told that her food and accommodation would be paid for. But when she arrived, the promised job did not exist and her passport was taken.

She was then told to deliver a bag. It contained chocolate and clothing on top, with drugs hidden underneath. Anna was sentenced to 10 years in prison for transporting the drugs and has been free for three years. Her acquaintance had sold her for 150 euros.

Gita Miruskina, a lawyer with the Safe House support organisation, said anyone could become a victim, regardless of age, education or whether they came from a city or the countryside.

More than 20 trafficking victims were identified in Latvia last year, compared with more than 60 in 2021. The figures include Latvian citizens and people from non-EU countries living in Latvia. Not all victims seek help or realise they have been exploited.

Dace Veidmane-Pundure, an adviser in the Foreign Ministry’s Consular Assistance Division, said exploitation often begins with promises of a better life and attention. A recruiter may later use those gestures to make a young person feel indebted and create a means of control.

The campaign, titled “Do not let yourself be exploited,” urges people to assess quick-profit schemes and appealing job offers abroad critically.