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Human trafficking – Why unaccompanied girls and boys become victims of human trafficking


The main purpose of the Nordic-Baltic Network of Policewomen (NBNP) was to focus on why unaccompanied girls and boys, young women and men arriving to the Nordic and Baltic countries become victims of human trafficking. 

The aim was to share knowledge, experiences and raise awareness of Nordic and Baltic police, prosecutors, social and health workers, immigrant authorities, politicians, researchers and NGOs on identifying unaccompanied children and young people as victims of human trafficking, and discuss how to combat human trafficking of girls and boys and young women and men in the Nordic and Baltic countries. The project included a police and a gender perspective in the activities.

NBNP arranged two activities on human trafficking:

  • An expert seminar for police and border guards in Malmö. Authorities and organisations working daily with unaccompanied girls and boys arriving in Sweden presented challenges of identifying child victims of human trafficking and tools developed to combat human of children and young people. The experts also visited organisations working with victims of human trafficking.
  • A two-day seminar was arranged in Vilnius, Lithuania for Nordic and Baltic experts working daily with human trafficking. At the seminar the experts shared knowledge and experience on girls and boys as victims human trafficking, and discussed problems unaccompanied children and young people meet, when they arrive to the Nordic and Baltic countries. Questions as: Why do they disappear, live in the streets and are in the risk of becoming victims of human trafficking, was discussed. The seminar was arranged in cooperation with the Lithuanian Police and Nordic Council of Ministers Office in Lithuania.


Updated 12 January 2023