Human trafficking in Finland

Last updated
A map of Finland Finland 1996 CIA map.jpg
A map of Finland

Finland is a transit, destination, and a limited source country for women, men and girls subjected to forced marriage, forced labor and sex trafficking. [1] [2] Finnish legislation condemns trafficking as a crime and has met the standards of the EU Protocol even before the convention came into effect. NGOs and the government cooperate in providing help for the victims of trafficking in Finland. Although the Finnish Police investigated and referred more people to care in 2013, prosecution and conviction numbers of suspected offenders remain low relative to the number of potential victims. The government is currently working on improving the anti-trafficking laws and practices to improve the situation. U.S. State Department's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons placed the country in "Tier 1" in 2017. [3]

Contents

Human trafficking

Human trafficking is the trade of humans that can occur internationally or within a nation, often with a goal of forced marriage, sexual slavery, forced labor, commercial sexual exploitation or the removal of organs. Newest forms of human trafficking include ova and surrogacy trade. Persons that are victims of human trafficking are usually recruited or taken by the means of the threat or use of force, or by fraud, kidnapping, deception, abuse of power or a vulnerable position with the aim of exploitation. Some of the biggest reasons for human trafficking are poverty, the global level of gender inequality and the feminization of poverty as well as different kinds of conflicts, cataclysms, religious and ethnic persecutions, violence and discrimination (of especially women).[ citation needed ]

Prevalence

Identifying a person as a victim of trafficking is one of the most difficult tasks when measuring human trafficking. According to Eurostat's 'Trafficking in human beings': "In accordance with Directive 2011/36/EU, the term "identified victim" refers to persons who have been formally identified by the relevant authorities as a victim of trafficking in human beings. The term "presumed victim" on the other hand is used for trafficking victims who have met the criteria of the EU Directive but have not been formally identified by the relevant formal authorities as a trafficking victim or who have declined to be formally or legally identified as a trafficking victim." [4]

A total of 30,146 identified and presumed victims were registered in the 28 EU Member States in 2010–2012, out of which over a thousand were children trafficked for sexual exploitation. 80 percent of registered victims were female, and 65 percent of registered victims were EU citizens. Of the registered victims who are confirmed as EU citizens, the top 5 countries of citizenship are Bulgaria, Romania, the Netherlands, Hungary and Poland. Over the three years, the top 5 non-EU countries of citizenship of registered victims were Nigeria, Brazil, China, Viet Nam and Russia. There has been an increase in the number of ¨unknown¨ citizenships from 2010 to 2011. In addition, 71 percent of labor exploitation victims were male in the EU Member States during these three years. [4]

Finland is both a transit and a destination country for human trafficking, but human trafficking is less prevalent in Finland than it is in most other EU countries. [5] To some extent Finland is also considered a source country for human trafficking. No incidents of organ trade have been detected in Finland, and trafficking tends to mostly appear in forms of prostitution and procuring (pimping), as well as labor exploitation. [6] Labor exploitation is especially prevalent in berry picking, restaurant, cleaning, metal, transportation, construction and gardening industries as well as in personal households. [7] According to statistics provided by Eurostat, in 2010–2012 there was a total of 231 registered victims of human trafficking in Finland. [4] The Finnish Police estimate that about 200-250 women cross the Finnish border from the East weekly to work as prostitutes in Finland. Annually about 10,000–15,000 prostitutes spend some amount of time working in Finland. These women are mostly from Russia, Estonia and to some extent from Lithuania and Latvia. A chance of these women being forced to work as prostitutes cannot be excluded. [8] In comparison, the corresponding number of registered victims of human trafficking in Sweden was 311, 179 in Denmark, 125 in Norway, 135 in Estonia and 4,474 in United Kingdom. [4]

Finland is also known to be a transit country for trafficking in children. The children that pass through Finland come mostly from East Asia and they are headed elsewhere in Europe. In Finland, children of immigrants still in the process of seeking asylum are considered to be at risk for being trafficked: a number of children have disappeared from the centers where immigrants stay during the asylum process, so trafficking of children with the aim of exploiting them sexually might also take place in Finland. [8]

Fewer than a hundred people seek help from the aid shelters annually in Finland. [5]

For the first half of 2019, in a six-month period from January to June Finland's Assistance System for Victims of Human Trafficking (Migri) reported 115 human trafficking cases, of which most common were forced marriage and being made to work without workers rights in agriculture or restaurants. Seven reported having been sexually harassed. The victims were mainly from Afghanistan (17), Nigeria (16), Iraq (15), Somalia (15), Cameroon (7) and Romania (5). [1]

Reporting and conviction rates

The sword insignia of Finnish police Police patch Finland 2.JPG
The sword insignia of Finnish police

A total of 8,551 prosecutions were reported by EU Member States over the years 2010-2012 for human trafficking. Of those cases, in 3,786 the prosecuted was convicted for human trafficking. More than 70 percent of suspected traffickers were male in the EU Member States. [9] Traffickers are often adult males who operate in the country where they are from, but more women and foreigners are involved in human trafficking than in most other crimes. Although most of those prosecuted and/or convicted for trafficking in persons are men, trafficking has a quite high rate of females involved in it. Very few other crimes record a level of female participation in committing the crime such as that of human trafficking. [10] Venla Roth, Senior Adviser in Office of the Ombudsman for Minorities and the National Rapporteur on Trafficking in Human Beings, has stated that the conviction rates are so low because in many cases in which the trafficker controlled the victim, the trafficker can say they were not aware of the fact that the victim was dependent on them. Taking advantage of a person's dependence is one of the details defining trafficking in the Finnish Penal Code. [7]

Since 2006, sentences have ranged from 1.5 to 5.5 years imprisonment: there were no reports of suspended sentences. The government did not prosecute any persons for suspected child sex tourism offenses in 2009. [11] [12]

There were 23 trafficking investigations in Finland in 2012, while the number of people prosecuted for trafficking in 2012 was eight. Eight trafficking offenders were prosecuted in 2012. [13]

In 2013, there were 12 sex trafficking investigations and 15 labor trafficking investigations in Finland, and 19 persons were prosecuted for trafficking. Two labor trafficking offenders were convicted in 2013 with sentences of 30 months’ imprisonment, which was a smaller number of convictions than the year before. [13] In four additional cases, five other people were persecuted for trafficking but not found guilty. However, they were convicted on lesser charges. Additionally, the prior convictions of three human trafficking offenders were upheld by two appellate courts. No offenders were convicted for sex trafficking in 2013. [12] [13] The government also encourages victims of human trafficking to assist in the investigation and prosecution of trafficking offenders. In 2013, 12 victims assisted law enforcement in pre-trial investigations, 10 of whom participated in the prosecutions of alleged traffickers. [13]

Illegal immigration is also criminalized in Finland. It is an offence often associated with human trafficking because the persons being trafficked are considered clients of the smugglers or traffickers. The number of persons using fake or illegal travelling documents in border controls was over 200 in the year 2000. Only a few of these cases have resulted in prosecution. [14]

Law

Finland has ratified the Conventions of 1926 which deals with slavery, and the Convention of 1949 which deals with trafficking in human beings and counteracting the exploitation of other people's prostitution, with their subsequent amendments. The national legislation on human trafficking and prostitution is mostly based on these conventions and their requirements. [14] The whole 25th chapter of Finnish Penal Code deals with crimes on freedoms of persons. However, the only part in Finnish Penal Code that directly addresses human trafficking is § 25:3 and § 25:3a (9.7.2004/650). According to these two sections, both human trafficking and aggravated human trafficking, as well as the attempt of either, are punishable crimes in Finland. [6] [14] [15] The laws on human trafficking came to effect in the Penal Code 1. August 2004. Prior to this, cases of human trafficking were punishable bylaws that dealt with procuring and discrimination at work. If convicted for human trafficking, the offender is prescribed a minimum of four months and a maximum of six years in prison. The penalty scale for aggravated trafficking in human beings is 2 to 10 years in prison. [6] Penalties commensurate with penalties prescribed for other serious crimes, such as rape. [12] Although the government does not have a specialized anti-trafficking law enforcement unit, it integrated formal anti-trafficking awareness into police and border guard training curricula for new recruits and in-service personnel. The government has also provided anti-trafficking training to its prosecutors for the past four years. [12] The government also distributed leaflets to thousands of visitors at a major annual travel fair warning that child sex tourism is a crime. Finland's laws provide extraterritorial jurisdiction over child sex tourism offenses perpetrated overseas by Finnish nationals. [12]

Definitions of human trafficking in the Penal Code

The definition of human trafficking is strict in the Penal Code. [7] To fulfill the criteria for human trafficking it is crucial that the victim has been deceived or that the victim's dependent or insecure position has been taken advantage of when subjecting the person to work as, for example, a prostitute. Trafficking in persons is a crime against the individual. [6]

The sections below are translated from the Finnish Penal Code. [15]

Human trafficking 3 § (9.7.2004/650)

A person who

  • takes advantage of the victim's dependent or insecure position or the victim is pressured
  • deceives the victim or takes advantage of the victim's deception
  • is paid compensation to a person who is keeping a victim under his/her control
  • receives a compensation for oppressing a victim, recruiting a victim or for handing over, transporting, receiving or housing a victim with the aim of sexually exploiting him/her in a way described in the first clause of 9 § in the 20th chapter of Finnish Penal Code. Alternatively, a person who aims to take sexual advantage of the victim in a way that is comparable to the first clause of 9 § in the 20th chapter of Finnish Penal Code, or if he/she receives compensation for oppressing or recruiting a victim or for handing over, transporting, receiving or housing a victim with an aim of labor exploitation, or subjecting the victim to circumstances that violate human dignity or removal of organs or tissue, should be convicted.
    • Chapter 20, 9 § (24.7.1998/563), first clause: a person who has organized a room or another space to be used for sexual intercourse or an act comparable to that, or if the space is to be used for a sexual act or an act comparable and that clearly violates sexual modesty and is committed by a child under the age of 18 should be convicted for human trafficking and sentenced to a minimum of four months and a maximum of six years of prison time.

(19.12.2014/1177)

A person who oppresses a person younger than 18 years old or recruits, hands over, transports, receives or houses the underage person with an aim mentioned in the first clause should be convicted even if none of the means mentioned in the first clause were used.

An attempt is also punishable.

Aggravated human trafficking 3 a § (9.7.2004/650)

The human trafficking is considered aggravated if

  • it uses violence, threatening or treachery in addition or instead of the means mentioned in 3 §
  • it intentionally or with gross negligence causes the victim severe bodily harm, a serious illness or another life-threatening condition or considerable suffering comparable to those
  • the offense is committed against a child who is under 18 years old or against a person whose ability to defend him/herself is substantially impaired, or
  • if the offense is committed as a part of operations by an organized criminal group as mentioned in the fourth clause of 1a§ in the 17th chapter of the Penal Code
    • Chapter 17, 1 a § (21.2.2003/142), fourth clause: a person who acquires, attempts to acquire or hand over business premises or any other spaces, means of transport, or crucial equipment the organized crime group might require

and if the crime is grave as a whole, the offender should be convicted for aggravated human trafficking and sentenced to 2–10 years in prison.

A person who enslaves a victim, transports slaves or sells them, and if the offense if the offense is aggravated when assessed as a whole.

An attempt is also punishable.

Protection

Government

The Finnish government continued to provide direct shelter, trafficking-specific rehabilitative assistance, and medical care to adult and child victims in addition to its provision of funding for NGO-run shelters. Police and border guard officials used a series of written guidelines on victim referral and treatment developed by the Finnish Immigration Service to proactively identify victims of trafficking; however, one official raised concerns that the threshold for referral to services was too high. [12] During the reporting period, officials referred 13 victims to service providers, raising concerns about the low number of potential victims identified and the effectiveness of victim identification procedures. The government encouraged victims to assist in the investigation and prosecution of trafficking offenders. [12]

Under the Act on Compensation for Crime Damage, victims of crime could receive government compensation for personal injury, damage to property, or other financial loss caused by a crime. Finnish authorities provided identified trafficking victims with a six-month reflection period, a time for victims to receive immediate care and assistance while they consider whether to assist law enforcement. [12] There were no indications, however, that the reflection period was used extensively. Victims of trafficking wishing to stay longer than six months were eligible to apply for an extended residence permit or asylum as an alternative to deportation. The government granted permanent residence permits to seven victims during the reporting period. [12] The government made some effort to ensure victims were not penalized for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of being trafficked. The government provided anti-trafficking awareness training for labor inspectors, diplomatic personnel, public health workers, immigration adjudication staff and Finnair flight attendants. [12]

Pro-support Centre

The Pro-support Centre was established in 1990. It is a support service centre for prostitutes, subordinated to the private Diacone Institution in Helsinki. The main purpose of this cente is to provide health care and social services. In 2002, this centre was the only organisation in Finland that offered support services for prostitutes, whether Finnish or foreign. Most of the centre's activities were concentrated in the areas in close proximity to the capital. [14]

The centre does not collect or file systematic information about the clients who come and seek help, and its employees work under a secrecy obligation. However, the employees of the support centre have the most long-standing and thorough knowledge of the prostitution situation and its developments in the Helsinki region, and this experience is also available for outside research purposes. [14]

Pro-support Centre holds the role of the third sector in very high regard when it comes to anti-human trafficking. The centre carried out a project together with Finland's Slot Machine Association (RAY) in 2007–2009. [16] The goal of the project was to produce new information on human trafficking and other similar phenomena in Finland, as well as to evaluate the existing support network for the victims of human trafficking and their families. Simultaneously many professionals who work closely with human trafficking and related phenomena, were trained to better recognize and support the victims of human trafficking. [16]

Prevention

Many different kinds of organizations work together in efforts to prevent human trafficking in Finland. Some of these organizations are subordinated to the government and its ministries, some to the military and some are third sector organizations. [16]

The most important bodies working for anti-human trafficking in Finland include the Office of Immigration, Police, National Bureau of Investigation, The Finnish Border Guard, Ministry of Employment and the Economy along with multiple non-governmental organizations such as All Our Children Association, Amnesty International Finland Association, the Refugee Advice Centre and the Pro-support Centre. [14] [16]

Government

National action plan against trafficking in human beings was submitted to the Government on 24 March 2005, and the Government's response was obtained on 27 September during the same year. The plan covers multiple aspects of the phenomena, including those of providing help to the victims as well as improving the process of convicting suspected human traffickers. [16] The plan also emphasizes raising the level of information available on trafficking as well as the awareness of human trafficking in Finland. Bettering the ability of professionals to recognize the victims of trafficking is also important. The Action Plan explicitly states that the concentrations of the plan are on human rights and on victim-centered approaches, and that the mutual cooperation of all authorities involved in human trafficking is crucial. [16]

The Ministry of Defense provided Finnish troops who were going to leave for international peacekeeping missions with intensive anti-trafficking training aimed at providing the forces with the ability to identify potential trafficking victims; there were no trafficking-related cases involving Finnish troops or government personnel deployed overseas in 2009. [12]

The government's efforts to monitor and scrutinize its anti-trafficking actions reflected a high level of political will to address human trafficking. [12] Recently numerous Finnish political parties such as Vasemmistoliitto (Left Alliance), Vihreä Liitto (The Greens), Suomen Ruotsalainen Kansanpuolue and Suomen Kristillisdemokraatit (Christian Democrats) addressed the issue of human trafficking as well as gender equality in their manifestos for the parliamental election in 2015. [17] The government cooperates with different NGOs and organizations in providing help for the victims of trafficking in Finland. [6] In addition to domestic prevention of human trafficking, Finland does anti-human trafficking work on EU and international levels. [18] For example, the Finnish government supported an anti-trafficking partnership with the Government of Nigeria by providing approximately $1.1 million toward Nigeria's anti-trafficking agency: [12] Human trafficking was criminalized in Nigeria fairly recently, in 2003. A national operator NAPTIP (National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons) was then established to enforce the new anti-trafficking laws. In addition to criminal investigations, NAPTIP is also responsible for prosecution, the protection and rehabilitation of victims as well as for educating and informing the victims and the people. [19]

The government has also organized and hosted multiple seminars and conferences that addressed human trafficking and its prevention. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs organized a meeting concerning human trafficking in 2004 together with the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), which is the principal institution of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). The following year Finland hosted NATO's anti-human trafficking seminar. [16]

The National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health

The Ministry for Social Affairs and Health started a project in 1998 with goal of prevention of prostitution. [14] This was a part of a five-year programme for "The prevention of violence against women and prostitution". The National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health (STAKES) is the main organization executing the project. [14] STAKES is subordinated to the ministry for Social Affairs and Health. The project is based on the 1997 Equality between the Genders Programme of the Finnish Government and therefore also on the action plan of the Beijing IV Women's Equality World Conference. STAKES has also done other research on prostitution, and this project is also utilized to continue that research. [14]

According to research conducted by Lehti and Aromaa, "The purpose of the project is to monitor prostitution at the national and international level, and to compile and produce information about the phenomena of commercial sex. Also, it provides expert support to authorities and also to other agencies, and disseminates information about prostitution and its prevention. The objective is to produce and support general research on prostitution, also to produce action proposals for the prevention of prostitution and the reduction of disadvantages and unacceptable circumstances related to this. Simultaneously, the project attempts to further co-operation between the authorities and civic organisations regarding this phenomenon." [14]

See also

Related Research Articles

Turkey is a top destination for victims of human trafficking, according to a report produced by the UNDOC. Source countries for identified victims of trafficking in 2008 included Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Moldova, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Romania, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Indonesia, and Morocco. Notably, Russian organized crime syndicates engage in trafficking of women for prostitution, and East European women have turned up in many European countries, including Turkey. U.S. State Department's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons placed the country in "Tier 2" in 2017.

Vietnam is primarily a source country for women and children trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor. Women and children's are trafficked to the People’s Republic of China (P.R.C), Cambodia, Thailand, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Macau for sexual exploitation. Vietnamese women are trafficked to the P.R.C., Taiwan, and the Republic of Korea via fraudulent or misrepresented marriages for commercial exploitation or forced labor. Vietnam is also a source country for men and women who migrate willingly and legally for work in the construction, fishing, or manufacturing sectors in Malaysia, Taiwan, P.R.C., Thailand, and the Middle East but subsequently face conditions of forced labor or debt bondage. Vietnam is a destination country for Cambodian children trafficked to urban centers for forced labor or commercial sexual exploitation. Vietnam has an internal trafficking problem with women and children from rural areas trafficked to urban centers for commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor. Vietnam is increasingly a destination for child sex tourism, with perpetrators from Japan, the Republic of Korea, the P.R.C., Taiwan, the UK, Australia, Europe, and the U.S. In 2007, an Australian non-governmental organization (NGO) uncovered 80 cases of commercial sexual exploitation of children by foreign tourists in the Sa Pa tourist area of Vietnam alone.

Germany is a European source, point of transit, organization and destination country for women, children, and men subjected to trafficking in persons, specifically forced prostitution and forced labor.

Albania is a source country for men, women, and children subjected to trafficking in persons, specifically forced prostitution and forced labor, including the forced begging of children. Albanian victims are subjected to conditions of forced labor and sex trafficking within Albania and Greece, Italy, North Macedonia, Kosovo, and Western Europe. Approximately half of the victims referred for care within the country in 2009 were Albanian; these were primarily women and girls subjected to conditions of forced prostitution in hotels and private residences in Tirana, Durres, Elbasan, and Vlora. Children were primarily exploited for begging and other forms of forced labor. There is evidence that Albanian men have been subjected to conditions of forced labor in the agricultural sector of Greece and other neighboring countries.

Austria is a destination and transit country for women, men, and children subjected to trafficking in persons, specifically forced prostitution and forced labor.

Belgium is a source, destination, and transit country for men, women, and children subjected to trafficking in persons, specifically forced labor and forced prostitution. Victims originate in Eastern Europe, Africa, East Asia, as well as Brazil and India. Some victims are smuggled through Belgium to other European countries, where they are subjected to forced labor and forced prostitution. Male victims are subjected to forced labor and exploitation in restaurants, bars, sweatshops, horticulture sites, fruit farms, construction sites, and retail shops. There were reportedly seven Belgian women subjected to forced prostitution in Luxembourg in 2009. According to a 2009 ECPAT Report, the majority of girls and children subjected to forced prostitution in Belgium originate from Balkan and CIS countries, Eastern Europe, Asia and West Africa ; some young foreign boys are exploited in prostitution in major cities in the country. Local observers also report that a large portion of children trafficked in Belgium are unaccompanied, vulnerable asylum seekers and refugees. Criminal organizations from Thailand use Thai massage parlors in Belgium, which are run by Belgian managers, to sexually exploit young Thai women. These networks are involved in human smuggling and trafficking to exploit victims economically and sexually. Belgium is not only a destination country, but also a transit country for children to be transported to other European country destinations.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is primarily a source for Bosnian women and girls who are subjected to trafficking in persons, specifically forced prostitution within the country, though it is also a destination and transit country for foreign women and girls in forced prostitution in Bosnia and Western Europe. There were four identified victims from Serbia in 2009. Most trafficked women entered the country through Serbia or Montenegro. There were reports that some girls, particularly Roma, were trafficked, using forced marriage, for the purpose of involuntary domestic servitude, and that Roma boys and girls were subjected to forced begging by organized groups. There was one case involving Bosnian males recruited for labor and subjected to coercive conditions in Azerbaijan in 2009. NGO's report that traffickers frequently use intermediaries to bring clients to private apartments, motels, and gas stations where victims are held.

Tunisia is a source, destination, and possible transit country for men, women, and children subjected to trafficking in persons, specifically forced labor and forced prostitution. In 2009, one Tunisian female was rescued from forced prostitution in Lebanon. In 2008, two women were rescued from forced prostitution in Jordan and three men from forced labor in Italy. Based on limited available data, some Tunisian girls may be trafficked within the country for involuntary domestic servitude. In 2009 a Tunisian academic published a study on Tunisian domestic workers. The study, conducted in 2008, surveyed 130 domestic workers in the Greater Tunis region and found that 52 percent were under the age of 16; twenty-three percent claimed to be victims of physical violence, and 11 percent of sexual violence. Ninety-nine percent indicated they had no work contracts and the majority received salaries below the minimum wage. These conditions are indicators of possible forced labor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human trafficking in Papua New Guinea</span>

Papua New Guinea is a source, destination, and transit country for men, women, and children subjected to trafficking in persons, specifically forced prostitution and forced labor. Women and children are subjected to commercial sexual exploitation and involuntary domestic servitude; trafficked men are forced to provide labor in logging and mining camps. Children, especially young girls from tribal areas, are most vulnerable to being pushed into commercial sexual exploitation or forced labor by members of their immediate family or tribe. Families traditionally sell girls into forced marriages to settle their debts, leaving them vulnerable to involuntary domestic servitude, and tribal leaders trade the exploitative labor and service of girls and women for guns and political advantage. Young girls sold into marriage are often forced into domestic servitude for the husband’s extended family. In more urban areas, some children from poorer families are prostituted by their parents or sold to brothels. Migrant women and teenage girls from Malaysia, Thailand, China, and the Philippines are subjected to forced prostitution, and men from China are transported to the country for forced labor.

Paraguay is a source and transit country for women and children subjected to trafficking in persons, specifically sex trafficking, as well as a source and transit country for men, women, and children in forced labor. Most Paraguayan trafficking victims are found in Argentina, Spain, and Bolivia; fewer victims are exploited in Brazil, Chile, France, South Korea, and Japan. In one case, 44 suspected Paraguayan trafficking victims were detained at the international airport in Amsterdam, and Dutch authorities arrested the alleged trafficking offender. In another case, 13 Paraguayan women were found in conditions of forced prostitution in a brothel in La Paz, Bolivia. Paraguay was a destination country for 30 Indonesian orphans, who were allegedly brought into the country for a long-term soccer camp, but who the government suspects are trafficking victims.

Greece is a transit, source and destination country for women and children who are subjected to human trafficking, specifically forced prostitution and conditions of forced labor for men, women, and children. Female sex trafficking victims originate primarily in Eastern Europe and former Soviet bloc countries. Traffickers use physical, emotional, and sexual abuse for coercion. Greece's European Union membership, coupled with a shared border with Turkey, means the country sees massive flows of illegal immigrants looking to enter the EU. Traffickers also use Greece not only as a destination but also as transit stop and also as a source country where even Greek women are prostituted on the way to Western Europe.

Guinea is a source, transit, and to a lesser extent, a destination country for men, women, and children subjected to trafficking in persons, specifically in the areas of forced labor and forced prostitution. The majority of victims are children, and these incidents of trafficking are more prevalent among Guinean citizens than among foreign migrants living in Guinea. Within the country, girls are largely subjected to involuntary domestic servitude and commercial sexual exploitation, while boys are subjected to forced begging and forced labor as street vendors, shoe shiners, and laborers in gold and diamond mines. Some Guinean men are also subjected to forced agricultural labor within Guinea. Smaller numbers of girls from Mali, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Senegal, Burkina Faso, and Guinea-Bissau migrate to Guinea, where they are subjected to involuntary domestic servitude and likely also commercial sexual exploitation. Some Guinean boys and girls are subjected to forced labor in gold mining operations in Senegal, Mali, and possibly other African countries. Guinean women and girls are subjected to involuntary domestic servitude and forced prostitution in Nigeria, Côte d'Ivoire, Benin, Senegal, Greece, and Spain. Chinese women are trafficked to Guinea for commercial sexual exploitation by Chinese traffickers. Networks also traffic women from Nigeria, India, and Greece through Guinea to the Maghreb and onward to Europe, notably Italy, Ukraine, Switzerland, and France for forced prostitution and involuntary domestic servitude.

Malawi is primarily a source country for men, women, and children subjected to trafficking in persons, specifically conditions of forced labor and forced prostitution within the country and abroad. Most Malawian trafficking victims are exploited internally, though Malawian victims of sex and labor trafficking have also been identified in South Africa, Zambia, Mozambique, Tanzania, and parts of Europe. To a lesser extent, Malawi is a transit point for foreign victims and a destination country for men, women, and children from Zambia, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe subjected to conditions of forced labor or commercial sexual exploitation. Within the country, some children are forced into domestic servitude, cattle herding, agricultural labor, and menial work in various small businesses. Exploited girls and women become "bar girls" at local bars and rest houses where they are coerced to have sex with customers in exchange for room and board. Forced labor in agriculture is often found on tobacco plantations. Labor traffickers are often villagers who have moved to urban areas and subsequently recruit children from their original villages through offers of good jobs. Brothel owners or other prostitution facilitators lure girls with promises of nice clothing and lodging. Upon arrival, they charge the girl high rental fees for these items and instruct her how to engage in prostitution to pay off the debt. South African and Tanzanian long-distance truck drivers and mini-bus operators move victims across porous borders by avoiding immigration checkpoints. Some local businesswomen who also travel regularly to neighboring countries to buy clothing for import have been identified as traffickers. Reports of European tourists paying for sex with teenage boys and girls continue.

Malta is a destination country for European women subjected to trafficking in persons, specifically forced prostitution. During this reporting period and in the past, the Maltese media also covered possible cases of Maltese teenage girls who may have been involved in forced prostitution in Malta. Malta is likely a destination country for men subjected to forced labor, as reflected by a report in 2009 that three Pakistani males were forced to work in Pakistani restaurants in Malta. The dozens of children and 4,304 total irregular migrants currently residing in Malta from African countries may be vulnerable to human trafficking in Malta’s “grey” informal labor market.

Human trafficking in Brazil is an ongoing problem. Brazil is a source country for men, women, girls, and boys subjected to human trafficking, specifically forced prostitution within the country and abroad, as well as a source country for men and boys in forced labor within the country. The United States Department of Homeland Security, describes human trafficking as "the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act."

Croatia is a destination, source, and transit country for men, women, and children subjected to trafficking in persons, specifically conditions of forced prostitution and forced labor. Croatian women and girls fall victim to sex trafficking within the country, and women and girls from Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and other parts of Europe are subjected to forced prostitution in Croatia and in Europe. Men reportedly are subjected to forced labor in agricultural sectors, and children, including Roma, are subjected to conditions of forced begging and theft. In 2017, Taiwan women and men, as well as Croatian and Bosnian women, were subjected to forced labor and forced criminality in an illegal call center.

Djibouti is a transit and, to a lesser extent, a source and destination country for men, women, and children who are subjected to trafficking in persons, specifically conditions of forced labor and forced prostitution. There is little verifiable data on the human trafficking situation in Djibouti. An estimated 150 000 voluntary economic migrants from Ethiopia and Somalia passed illegally through Djibouti en route to Yemen and other locations in the Middle East in 2022; among this group, a small number of women and girls may fall victim to involuntary domestic servitude or forced commercial sexual exploitation after reaching Djibouti City or the Ethiopia-Djibouti trucking corridor. An unknown number of migrants – men, women, and children – are subjected to conditions of forced labor and forced prostitution after reaching Yemen and other destinations in the Middle East. Djibouti's large refugee population – consisting of Somalis, Ethiopians, and Eritreans – as well as foreign street children remain vulnerable to various forms of exploitation within the country, including human trafficking. Older street children reportedly act, at times, as pimps for younger children. A small number of girls from impoverished Djiboutian families may engage in prostitution with the encouragement of family members or other persons in prostitution. Members of foreign militaries stationed in Djibouti contribute to the demand for women and girls in prostitution, including trafficking victims.

El Salvador is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children who are subjected to trafficking in persons, specifically forced prostitution and forced labor. Most victims are Salvadoran women and girls from rural areas who are forced into commercial sexual exploitation in urban areas, though some adults and children are subjected to forced labor as agricultural workers and domestic workers. The majority of foreign victims are women and children from neighboring countries, such as Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic, who migrate to El Salvador in response to job offers, but are subsequently forced into prostitution or domestic servitude. Trafficking offenders use fraudulent documentation to facilitate the movement of foreign victims. Salvadorans have been subjected to forced prostitution in Guatemala, Mexico, Belize, the United States, Spain, and Italy.

Fiji is a source country for children subjected to trafficking in persons, specifically forced prostitution within the country, as well as a destination country for women from China in forced prostitution. Family members, other Fijian citizens, foreign tourists, and sailors on foreign fishing vessels participate in the commercial sexual exploitation of Fijian children. Staff at smaller, local hotels procure underage girls and boys for commercial sexual exploitation by foreign guests, while taxi drivers, nightclub employees, and relatives frequently act as prostitution facilitators. NGO's report caring for child victims of prostitution who claim facilitators took them to private boats anchored offshore near Fiji where they were sexually abused or raped by foreign adult men. Reports indicate that some transnational traffickers are members of Chinese organized crime groups that recruit women from China and arrange for them to enter Fiji on tourist or student visas. After their arrival, brothel owners confiscate their passports and force the women to engage in prostitution. Some Fijian children whose families follow a traditional practice of sending children to live with and do light work for relatives or families living in cities or near schools become trafficking victims. These children are subjected to involuntary domestic servitude or are coerced to engage in sexual activity in exchange for food, clothing, shelter, or school fees.

Women, and children from Eastern Europe, West Africa, and Asia, as well as the Caribbean and Brazil, subjected to trafficking in persons, forced prostitution and forced labor. U.S. State Department's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons placed the country in "Tier 1" in 2017. Women and children, many from Africa, continued to be subjected to forced domestic servitude. Often their “employers” are diplomats who enjoy diplomatic immunity from prosecution, including those from Saudi Arabia. Reportedly men from North Africa are subjected to forced labor in the agricultural and construction sectors in southern France. The Government of France estimates that the majority of the 18,000 women in France's commercial sex trade are likely forced into prostitution. It also estimates a significant number of children in France are victims of forced prostitution, primarily from Romania, West Africa, and North Africa. Romani and other unaccompanied minors in France continued to be vulnerable to forced begging. There were reportedly six French women subjected to forced prostitution in Luxembourg in 2009.

References

  1. 1 2 "Semiannual Review" (PDF). Finland's Assistance System for Victims of Human Trafficking - Migri. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
  2. ↑ "Assistance System's Semiannual Review now available in English". Finland's Assistance System for Victims of Human Trafficking - Migri. 30 August 2019. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
  3. ↑ "Trafficking in Persons Report 2017: Tier Placements". state.gov. Archived from the original on 2017-06-28. Retrieved 2017-12-01.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Trafficking in Human Beings (PDF). Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union. 2014. ISBN   978 - 92 - 79 - 40308 -8 . Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  5. 1 2 Muttilainen, Vesa; Huotari, Vesa (2014). Poliisin Toimintaympäristö (The Operational Environment of the Police) (PDF). Tampere: Juvenes Print. ISBN   978-951-815-274-6 . Retrieved 7 March 2015.[ permanent dead link ]
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 "Ihmiskauppa (Human trafficking)". poliisi.fi. Poliisi. Archived from the original on 3 February 2015. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  7. 1 2 3 Yli-Krekola, Marjaana. "Ihmiskaupan Uhrien Palvelujen Kehittämistarpeet Suomessa (The Need for Developing the Assistance to the Victims of Human Trafficking in Finland)" (PDF). theseus.fi. Diakonia-ammattikorkeakoulu. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  8. 1 2 Franz-Koivisto, Larissa; Hukari, Anna; Jääskeläinen, Kati; Kantanen, Marja; Laihia, Marja-Liisa; Nguyen, Riina; Suomalainen, Nina (2007). Ihmiskauppa – nykyajan orjuutta (Human trafficking - the Contemporary Form of Slavery) (PDF). Helsinki: Tyylipaino Oy. p. 21. ISBN   952-9529-40-6 . Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  9. ↑ "Ihmiskaupan torjunta vuosina 2010–2014 (The Prevention of Human Trafficking in years 2010-2014)". europa.eu. European Commission. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  10. ↑ Global Report on Trafficking in Persons 2012 (PDF). New York: United Nations. 2012. ISBN   978-92-1-130309-4 . Retrieved 8 March 2015.
  11. ↑ Trafficking in Persons Report 2010. U.S. Department of State (June 14, 2010). PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "Finland". Trafficking in Persons Report 2010. U.S. Department of State (June 14, 2010). PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  13. 1 2 3 4 "Trafficking In Persons Report 2014" (PDF). www.state.gov/. U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Lehti, Matti; Aromaa, Kauko (2002). Trafficking in Human Beings, Illegal Immigration and Finland (PDF). Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. ISBN   952-5333-11-6 . Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  15. 1 2 "Rikoslaki (The Penal Code)". finlex.fi. Oikeusministeriö. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Virta, Mari. "VARASTETTUJA UNELMIA – KAUPPATAVARANA IHMINEN" (PDF). www,theseus.fi. Turun Ammattikorkeakoulu. Retrieved 21 March 2015.
  17. ↑ "Eduskuntavaalit 2015". thl.fi. Terveyden ja Hyvinvoinnin Laitos. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 21 March 2015.
  18. ↑ "Ihmiskauppa". Sisäministeriö. Sisäministeriö. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  19. ↑ "Suomelta tukea ihmiskaupan vastaiseen työhön Afrikassa". Ulkoasiainministeriö. Ulkoasiainministeriö. Archived from the original on 28 April 2015. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.