The number of clients in the assistance system for victims of human trafficking has multiplied

In 2016, the assistance system for victims of human trafficking received almost 2.5 times more applications than the year before. A total of 130 new clients were accepted into the assistance system. Of these, 21 were minors. The previous year, the number of new clients was 52 and all were at least eighteen years old.

Most of the new clients in the assistance system in 2016, 89 persons, arrived in Finland as asylum seekers. This is a result of the large number of asylum seekers in autumn 2015 as well as the fact that the authorities have become better at identifying victims of human trafficking and directing them to the assistance system. Last year, the assistance system focused in particular on training and guiding authorities.

At the end of the year, the number of clients in the assistance system was 233. Of these, 167 were actual clients and 66 were children of clients who also often needed assistance.

This information can be found in the overview (in Finnish)pdf, 904,8 kB published by the assistance system for victims of human trafficking.

The minors have fallen victim to human trafficking in their home country or on the way to Finland

All minors who were directed to the assistance system had fallen victim to human trafficking outside of Finland. Some of them had been abused in their home country and some had fled abroad and been abused there. Among the minors, there were both victims of human trafficking for sexual abuse and victims of human trafficking for labour exploitation.

Unaccompanied minors in particular are also subject to abuse by human traffickers. Some minors have been forced into marriage or criminality. Several boys who have become clients in the assistance system have fallen victim to so called Bacha Bazi. The phenomenon, where men sexually abuse underage boys, occurs in Central Asia.

Almost half of the clients victims of human trafficking for labour exploitation

Almost half of all new clients (47 per cent) in the assistance system were victims of human trafficking for labour exploitation. The second most common form of human trafficking (35 per cent) was human trafficking for sexual abuse.

Women and girls, 66 per cent of all new clients, had in the majority of cases been subject to sexual abuse. Men and boys had notably more often been subject to human trafficking for labour exploitation. Still, there was a considerable increase in cases of human trafficking for labour exploitation among women.

There was also an increase in other forms of human trafficking last year. Almost a fifth of all new clients had been forced into marriage or criminality or forced to become child soldiers, for example. For the first time in the ten years that the assistance system has been operating, there were also suspected victims of human trafficking for organ trade among the persons directed to the system. So far, there have not been any cases of human trafficking for organ trade found to have taken place in Finland.

Increase in cases where clients have fallen victim to human trafficking in Finland

The majority of the new clients in the assistance system (67 per cent) had fallen victim to human trafficking abroad before coming to Finland. However, the number of persons who had fallen victim to human trafficking in Finland grew noticeably last year. A total of 43 persons are suspected to have fallen victim to human trafficking in Finland in 2016, compared to 32 persons in 2015.

Abuse that has taken place in Finland has almost always taken place at work, most typically in the restaurant business and berry picking business or in housework and child minding for private individuals. Human trafficking for sexual abuse that takes place in Finland is still hard to discover and these victims are seldom directed to the assistance system.

The figures only include identified victims of human trafficking

The figures in the overview only include cases known to the assistance system. They do not tell the whole truth about the extent of trafficking in human beings in Finland. It is possible that the number of victims is somewhat higher than the statistics show.

Further information for the media

Jari Kähkönen, Director of the Joutseno reception centre, Assistance system for victims of human trafficking, tel. +358 295 463 210, firstname.lastname@migri.fi

Katri Lyijynen, Senior Adviser at the Joutseno reception centre, Assistance system for victims of human trafficking, tel. +358 295 463 223, firstname.lastname@migri.fi