According to criminal cases, Lithuania is mostly a source country for trafficking in human beings for forced commission of criminal activities and labour exploitation, for sexual exploitation, as well as forced marriage. Lithuanian women are trafficked for sexual and labour exploitation, servitude, forced marriage and criminal activities; men mostly for forced commission of criminal activities, and both for labour exploitation and begging.
In , Germany became the main target country, while the United Kingdom remained as the second main target country. So far, the United Kingdom remains the most popular target country, but also there are trafficking in human beings cases detected in France, Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands and other countries. Since , more and more cases indicate that Lithuania is becoming a destination country for trafficking in human beings for different forms of exploitation, as well as for a third country nationals for labour and sexual exploitation.
Traffickers and victims are mostly Lithuanians. There are few cases where victims are from Ukraine, Nepal, India or Thailand. In addition, there are indicators on being the country of transit. The fight against trafficking in human beings has been a priority for the Lithuanian government for a long time. While the first action plan had a specific focus on trafficking for sexual exploitation and prostitution, the second action plan had a broader focus, acknowledging different forms of exploitation.
In the third action plan, the Programme for the Prevention and Control of Trafficking in Human Beings for , new challenges were taken into account. On 14 November , the Action plan for the implementation of the National Crime Prevention and Control Programme in was adopted.
The Action Plan consists of two chapters one of which contains only activities to fight against this crime. The Action Plan continues the activities started in the Programme for the Prevention and Control of Trafficking in Human beings On 7 May , a new programme The State Security Development for β Programme was adopted by the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, one of the tasks of which is to develop sufficient fight against human trafficking.
