Latvia
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A presumed victim of Trafficking in Human Beings is identified (recognized)
Organisations most likely to be the first ones to identify a presumed victim:
- Mandated NGOs
- Police
- Border Guard
- Municipal police
- Social services
- Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs
- State Labour Inspectorate
- Embassies of Latvia abroad
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National Point of Contact / Initial Referral
Service providers for victims of trafficking are selected by the State through a procurement procedure. There are currently two NGOs that have been selected as official service providers:
- NGO Shelter Safe House: Lāčplēša street 75 – 9/10, Riga, phone: (+371) 67898343. 24/7 hotline (+371) 28612120, e-mail: drosa.maja@gmail.com, www.patverums-dm.lv
- NGO Centre MARTA: Matīsa street 49 – 3, Riga, phone: (+371) 67378539 (from 10.00 to 18.00) e-mail: centrs@marta.lv, www.marta.lv; These NGOs are mandated to formally identify a victim of human trafficking and provide state funded social rehabilitation services and support services in the criminal proceedings.
- Anti-Trafficking Unit of the State Police, e-mail: onap@vp.gov.lv
- National Anti-Trafficking Coordinator at the Ministry of Interior, phone: (+371) 29382033, e-mail: lasma.stabina@iem.gov.lv
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Formal identification of a victim
Only officially identified victims of trafficking can receive state funded assistance, however it is not conditional upon victims’ capacity or willingness to cooperate in criminal proceedings.
A victim of trafficking can be officially identified by the police, court or prosecutor. If the victim is unwilling to cooperate with the police or there are not enough evidences to initiate a criminal proceeding, the service providers (mandated NGOs) have the power to grant the official victim status after a review by a commission of multi-sectoral experts consisting of a social worker, psychologist, lawyer, and a police officer.
Victims themselves can apply for the status of an official victim. The application is reviewed by the same commission of multi-sectoral experts.
The final decision is made by the Social Integration State Agency, that within three working days takes a decision to assign services to the person or to include the person in the queue of the recipients of services or to refuse to assign services to the person, and notifies the service provider and a victim regarding their decision.
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Is the victim willing to report a crime and take part in criminal proceedings?
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Available assistance
Latvian national, a TCN having a refugee status or an alternative status in Latvia
Rehabilitation services up to 180 days:
- Development of individual rehabilitation plan
- If a victim is abroad transportation assistance can be provided to the victim and also his or her minor children to the place where social services are provided, if a victim is not able to travel on her/his own
- Safe accommodation
- Psychosocial assistance
- Social assistance
- Medical services
- Legal assistance
- Assistance with acquiring or improving self-care and self-service skills
- Financial assistance
- Vocation training and education assistance to facilitate victim’s reintegration into society and labour market
- Interpretation services
- 5 consultations for family members of the child victim of human trafficking
- And other services based on victim’s needs and rehabilitation plan
Support services in the criminal proceeding up to 150 hours a year:
- Psychological assistance
- Social assistance
- Legal assistance
- Interpretation services
- Representation in the court
- State compensation
- Special procedural protection
Other EU MS citizen
Rehabilitation services up to 180 days:
- Development of individual rehabilitation plan
- Safe accommodation
- Psychosocial assistance
- Social assistance
- Medical services
- Legal assistance
- Assistance with acquiring or improving self-care and self-service skills
- Financial assistance
- Vocation training and education assistance to facilitate victim’s reintegration into society and labour market
- Interpretation services
- 5 consultations for family members of the child victim of human trafficking
- And other services based on victim’s needs and rehabilitation plan
Support services in the criminal proceeding up to 150 hours a year:
- Psychological assistance
- Social assistance
- Legal assistance
- Interpretation services
- Representation in the court
- State compensation
- Special procedural protection
after rehabilitation programme:
up to 5 consultations (1h) of legal, social or psychological services(!) it is not possible to provide accommodation and assistance to a victim in a period from a formal identification up to the decision of the Agency (only if NGOs have their own funds and possibilities)
(!) it is not possible to cover travel costs if a victim decides to return to his/her country of origin
TCN (irregular migrant, asylum seeker, in some cases TCN with a residence permit, visa, residing in Latvia with a passport using visa free regime)
Rehabilitation services up to 180 days:
- Development of individual rehabilitation plan
- Safe accommodation
- Psychosocial assistance
- Social assistance
- Medical services
- Legal assistance
- Assistance with acquiring or improving self-care and self-service skills
- Financial assistance
- Vocation training and education assistance to facilitate victim’s reintegration into society and labour market
- Interpretation services
- 5 consultations for family members of the child victim of human trafficking
- And other services based on victim’s needs and rehabilitation plan
- temporary residence permit for a period of time that is not less than six months to a victim as well as to the minor in accompaniment thereof
- the temporary residence permit might be prolonged by a request of the performer of procedures
support services in the criminal proceeding up to 150 hours a year:
- Psychological assistance
- Social assistance
- Legal assistance
- Interpretation services
- Representation in the court
- State compensation
- Special procedural protection
- the rights to work without any limitations
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Available assistance
Latvian national, a TCN having a refugee status or an alternative status in Latvia
Rehabilitation services up to 180 days:
- Development of individual rehabilitation plan
- If a victim is abroad transportation assistance can be provided to the victim and also his or her minor children to the place where social services are provided, if a victim is not able to travel on her/his own
- Safe accommodation
- Psychosocial assistance
- Social assistance
- Medical services
- Legal assistance
- Assistance with acquiring or improving self-care and self-service skills
- Financial assistance
- Vocation training and education assistance to facilitate victim’s reintegration into society and labour market
- Interpretation services
- 5 consultations for family members of the child victim of human trafficking
- And other services based on victim’s needs and rehabilitation plan
After rehabilitation programme:
up to 5 consultations (1h) of legal, social or psychological services
Other EU MS citizen
Rehabilitation services up to 180 days:
- Development of individual rehabilitation plan
- Safe accommodation
- Psychosocial assistance
- Social assistance
- Medical services
- Legal assistance
- Assistance with acquiring or improving self-care and self-service skills
- Financial assistance
- Vocation training and education assistance to facilitate victim’s reintegration into society and labour market
- Interpretation services
- 5 consultations for family members of the child victim of human trafficking
- And other services based on victim’s needs and rehabilitation plan
After rehabilitation programme:
up to 5 consultations (1h) of legal, social or psychological services
TCN (irregular migrant, asylum seeker, in some cases TCN with a residence permit, visa, residing in Latvia with a passport using visa free regime)
A victim, as well as a minor in the accompaniment thereof, have the right to receive the social rehabilitation services (development of individual rehabilitation plan, a safe asylum and accommodation, first aid, the consultations of a psychologist, a lawyer, a medical practitioner and of other specialists, a possibility to receive emergency medical treatment, as well as a possibility to get involved in training and educational programmes) during the period of time when the application regarding granting of the reflection period is examined, during the reflection period and until the moment when the decision regarding the issue of a temporary residence permit is taken.
A 30 day reflection period is granted.
If a victim after the reflection period decides:
To cooperate with law enforcement agencies
Rehabilitation services are continued:
- Safe accommodation
- Psychosocial assistance
- Social assistance
- Medical services
- Legal assistance
- Assistance with acquiring or improving self-care and self-service skills
- Financial assistance
- Vocation training and education assistance to facilitate victim’s reintegration into society and labour market
- Interpretation services
- 5 consultations for family members of the child victim of human trafficking
- And other services based on victim’s needs and rehabilitation plan
- the temporary residence permit for a period of time that is not less than six months to a victim as well as to the minor in accompaniment thereof
- the temporary residence permit might be prolonged by a request of the performer of procedures
Support services in the criminal proceeding up to 150 hours a year:
- Psychological assistance
- Social assistance
- Legal assistance
- Interpretation services
- Representation in the court
- State compensation
- Special procedural protection
- the rights to work without any limitations
Not to co-operate with law enforcement agencies
Expulsion/ voluntary return
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Does the victim wish to return to the country of origin?
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Voluntary return
Voluntary return is provided by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Riga Office.
Address: UN House Pils 21, LV-1050, Riga, Latvia, phone: (+371) 67503627, e-mail: imezs@iom.int.
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Long-term assistance to a victim/ revocation of temporary residence permit
There is currently no state-funded reintegration programme for victims of trafficking after the victim has received the state-funded 180 days of specialized social services, and is removed from the official system of assistance.
The municipalities are expected to take over assistance to victims, but in practice there is a lack of systematic assistance by municipalities to victims of trafficking who have depleted the 180 days of assistance.
Decision to annul the temporary residence permit is taken by the performer of the procedures if:
- a victim actively, voluntarily and on his or her own initiative maintains contacts with traffickers or
- a victim has intentionally provided false information in the criminal proceedings or
- the decision regarding termination of criminal proceedings is taken
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Type of assistance and contact details
Type of assistance Institution/organization Contact details Rehabilitation services NGO Shelter Safe House Lāčplēša street 75 – 9/10, Riga
Phone: (+371) 67898343.
24/7 hotline (+371) 28612120
E-mail: drosa.maja@gmail.com
More detailed info: www.patverums-dm.lvRehabilitation services NGO Centre MARTA Matīsa street 49 – 3, Riga
Phone: (+371) 67378539 (from 10.00 to 18.00)
E-mail: centrs@marta.lv,
More detailed info: www.marta.lv;Investigation Anti-Trafficking Unit of the State Police E-mail: onap@vp.gov.lv Coordination National Anti-Trafficking Coordinator at the Ministry of Interior, Ms Lasma Stabina Phone: (+371) 29382033
E-mail: lasma.stabina@iem.gov.lvVoluntary return International Organisation for Migration Riga office Pils street 21 (2th floor) Riga
Phone: (+371) 67503627
E-mail: imezs@iom.int