System of assistance for victims of human trafficking has 48 new customers

In 2012, 48 people were accepted into the system of assistance for victims of human trafficking. In the previous year, the figure was almost the same, 52. However, the number of customers in the system of assistance does not tell the whole truth about the extent of human trafficking in Finland, and the number of victims is likely to be higher. For example, not all the victims known by the police and the Finnish Border Guard will seek help from the system of assistance.

Run by the Joutseno Reception Centre, the system of assistance for victims of human trafficking offers help and protection for people in suspected cases of human trafficking or similar crimes. The latter offences include aggravated pandering and job discrimination tantamount to extortion.

Most likely victim: a restaurant worker from South East Asia

At the end of 2012, the system of assistance was helping 94 victims or suspected victims of human trafficking. A clear majority of these people, about 66 per cent, involves suspicion of work-related exploitation. About 27 per cent were victims of sexual exploitation.

The most likely victim of human trafficking in Finland is an immigrant from South East Asia. Of the 48 people accepted into the system of assistance in 2012, 20 had moved to Finland from South East Asia, and all had become a victim through working in a restaurant.

It is common in work-related human trafficking that the victims are legally resident in Finland. The victims who were referred to the system of assistance last year resided in Ostrobothnia, the Helsinki region, South West Finland, and the Tampere region. In these regions, recognition of human trafficking is at a good level and the system of assistance is also well known.

Number of customers expected to rise

The Joutseno Reception Centre predicts that the number of customers accepted in the system of assistance for the victims of human trafficking will rise to 60 this year.

This is based, above all, on the recent increase in the awareness of the phenomenon of human trafficking. This year, the Joutseno Reception Centre and the office of the Ombudsman for Minorities are offering training especially for authorities and organisations that have not so far carried out any practical co-operation with the system of assistance.

Another factor that will probably increase the number of customers for the system of assistance is the fact that, when a suspected case of work-related human trafficking is revealed, there are often dozens of people in need of assistance.

Moreover, any amendments to the Finnish Criminal Code may increase the number of people defined as victims of the crime of human trafficking and entitled to assistance.

Assistance centralised in Joutseno in November

Assistance to the victims of human trafficking was centralised in the Joutseno Reception Centre from 12 November 2012.

The Oulu Reception Centre was previously responsible for assisting underage victims. The number of underage victims has been very low, however, with only two people last year. Centralising the work in one location will reduce administrative costs, and enable us to develop more effective training and raising of awareness of human trafficking, for example.

Help for victims of human trafficking can include accommodation arrangements, social and health care services, legal advice and aid, safety arrangements, and other support activities that the victim may need. In practice, services are arranged where the victim lives.

The director of the reception centre decides on acceptance into the system and the eventual termination of assistance, upon being informed of suspected human trafficking by the police, Border Guard or other official or organisation.

More detailed statistics available online

More detailed statistics on the system of assistance for victims of human trafficking during 2012 can be found in Finnish on the website of the Finnish Immigration Service at www.migri.fi > Tilastot > Vastaanottotilastot.

Further information for the media

Jari Kähkönen, Director of the Joutseno Reception Centre, tel. +358 (0)71 876 3210, email: firstname.lastname@intermin.fi

This is a press release of the Finnish immigration Service and the Joutseno Reception Centre, 9.1.2013

What is human trafficking?

Human trafficking is a serious crime and breach of human rights, involving the exploitation and control of another human being. The UN's Trafficking in Persons Protocol defines the phenomenon based on three criteria, all of which must be fulfilled: act, means and purpose:

”Trafficking in Persons means the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons (act), by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation (means). Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs (purpose).