The main objective of the HESTIA project was to look into the phenomenon of human trafficking and sham marriages, to provide a more concrete definition of sham marriages as a form of human trafficking, and initiate comprehensive action for its prevention. The research aimed to shed light and create a shared understanding of an evolving form of trafficking in human beings which is related to the organisation of sham marriages and the subsequent exploitation of persons. The study deals with exploitative sham marriages between EU nationals and third-country nationals which is a previously unknown phenomenon.
Exploitative Sham Marriages: Exploring the Links between Human Trafficking and Sham Marriages in Estonia, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia
Helsinki 2016. ISBN 978-952-5333-96-1, ISSN 1799-5590, ISSN-L 1237-4741. (384 pages).
