Anti-trafficking

Overview

The most prevalent forms of human trafficking in the Baltic Sea Region are sexual and labour exploitation. Other forms, such as forced or sham marriages, forced criminality, and forced begging, are also present.   

The region serves principally as a destination and transit area for victims of human trafficking. Many are refugees and displaced persons. The Syrian refugee crisis in 2015 and the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, following the unprovoked Russian aggression, have highlighted the need for regional coordination to prevent human trafficking, protect and assist victims, and prosecute perpetrators.

However, this crime is not limited to people coming from outside the region. Citizens of CBSS Member States are also exploited, both within the region and outside it. Identifying cases where nationals are trafficked in their own countries can be particularly challenging, as human trafficking is often perceived as a migration-related crime by authorities.

The demand for cheap labour and sexual services makes the Baltic Sea Region lucrative for traffickers and criminal networks. While some perpetrators operate alone or in small groups, human trafficking is often also a part of organised crime. Criminal networks frequently combine it with other offences, such as migrant smuggling, drug trafficking, or money laundering. In doing so, they destabilise societies on multiple fronts – violating the human rights of victims, undermining public safety, and threatening the rule of law.

Responding to these complex challenges is one of the objectives of the CBSS. Anti-trafficking work falls under the CBSS long-term priority “Safe and Secure Region” and is incorporated in the Policy Area “Secure” of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region. The anti-trafficking efforts of the CBSS are coordinated by the Task Force against Trafficking in Human Beings (TF-THB).

The role of the CBSS

Since its establishment within the CBSS in 2006, the Task Force has been leading the regional anti-trafficking work by:

• Maintaining an active expert group of CBSS Member State representatives that works as a forum for cooperation, political discussion, and information exchange.
• Implementing projects of relevance to the CBSS member states and initiatives to support national anti-trafficking efforts, increase the awareness of stakeholders, facilitate the regional exchange of information and develop regional responses.
• Reacting and coordinating responses to major regional and international events, such as the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.
• Participating in international cooperation and networks, including The United Nations Inter-Agency Coordination Group against Trafficking in Persons and the OSCE Alliance against Trafficking in Persons.
• Producing empirical research, articles, and papers on human trafficking in the Baltic Sea Region and beyond.

The CBSS also supports anti-trafficking efforts in the region with its Project Support Facility (PSF) funding.

Mandates

• CBSS Task Force against Trafficking in Human Beings Strategy 2025-2030
• CBSS Task Force against Trafficking in Human Beings Terms of Reference 2025-2030
• Vilnius II declaration: […] The Region experiences significant progress in regional cooperation in civil protection, especially the prevention, preparedness and response against emergencies, including oil pollution, forest fires and in maritime search and rescue. Similarly, the Region has achieved significant progress in the protection of children at risk, and in fighting organized crime, including all forms of trafficking, especially in human beings. […]

Activities

• Developing capacity raising efforts for various professional groups, such as embassy personnel, law enforcement officers, and media.
• Publishing research such as reports on human trafficking for sexual and labour exploitation, regional overviews, and a study on the connections between human trafficking and benefit fraud.
• Organising training sessions, study visits, and workshops for a wide range of anti-trafficking stakeholders.
• Hosting international conferences that bring together partners from across Europe.

Learn more about the TF-THB’s projects on the TF-THB webpage. 

Key achievements

• Strengthened regional and international cooperation through joint activities with partners from Member States and international organisations, as well as high-level European forums.
• Produced widely used tools for practitioners, including the Handbook for Embassies and Diplomatic Missions on How to Assist and Protect Victims of Human Trafficking and the Investigation Protocol for law enforcement agencies in the Baltic Sea Region and Ukraine on investigating human trafficking.
• Brought emerging issues onto the political agenda, such as the links between human trafficking and benefit fraud, new trends in labour exploitation, and the role of organised crime in trafficking networks.
• Increased the awareness of more than 1000 consular officials, more than 700 journalists and media students, 500 local actors and other experts through training sessions.

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