On 21-22 September 2022, an international seminar on ‘Trafficking in human beings and the border crossing of women and men, girls and boys’ (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Seminar’) was organised in Vilnius by the Office of the Nordic Council of Ministers, the Nordic-Baltic Network of Policewomen, and the Police Department under the Ministry of the Interior. The aim of the seminar was to bring together representatives of Nordic and Baltic police organisations, public authorities, non-governmental organisations, and experts involved in the daily fight against trafficking in human beings to discuss the current situation of human trafficking in Northern Europe.

The seminar was opened by the Minister of the Interior of the Republic of Lithuania, Agnė Bilotaitė. The Minister was pleased to welcome the representatives of Nordic and Baltic countries to the seminar because this cooperation is important for our region in order to protect the vulnerable and stop those who can contribute to their suffering. Renatas Požėla, Commissioner General of the Lithuanian Police, wished the participants of the seminar a productive discussion on the current situation of human trafficking in Northern Europe and the possibilities to strengthen international cooperation in the prevention of trafficking in human beings.

During the two-day seminar, knowledge on trafficking in human beings was shared, and opportunities and actions to combat human trafficking in different forms were presented and discussed. The seminar discussed how crises and wars increase crime and trafficking in human beings, as well as the situation of boys and girls arriving alone in the Nordic and Baltic countries.