Lāsma Stabiņa

For years, Lāsma Stabiņa has driven Latvia’s anti-trafficking response. She has served as the Latvian government’s National Trafficking in Persons Coordinator since 2014, advocating for human trafficking reforms inside the government and building critical relationships with NGOs.

She expanded partnerships and networks that have raised human trafficking awareness among Latvian and international audiences. 

Stabiņa led the development and implementation of two large international anti-trafficking projects. Through these projects, Latvia helped increase the EU’s scrutiny of human trafficking in the form of sham marriages, an overlooked but widespread issue within the EU.  Stabiņa organized much-needed training programs to help local officials recognize sham marriages.  Her programs brought together consular staff and law enforcement officials, including judges, prosecutors, and police.

She found innovative funding sources for anti-trafficking work in Latvia, allowing such work to continue even under severe budget constraints.  She also improved communication between different organizations and improved standard anti-trafficking protocols.  Using her mandate to stop all forms of human trafficking and abuse, Stabiņa worked within current systems to reduce labor exploitation and ensure victims had care and were protected during law enforcement processes.

Stabiņa also secured the Latvian government’s support for national and regional public awareness campaigns.  These campaigns improved the government’s and public’s understanding of human trafficking crimes.