Biaudet: Nigerian prostitutes episode contains great risk of human trafficking

So far only one residence permit granted to victims of human trafficking in Finland

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Eva Biaudet, the OSCE Special Representative on Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, warns that Finland’s recent Nigerian prostitution episode entails a great risk of trafficking in humans.
      On Wednesday, Helsingin Sanomat reported on the Finnish police’s suspicions about a Nigerian gang of criminals having practiced procurement of Nigerian women in Finland since last spring, as well as having arranged the women’s illegal entry into the country in exchange for thousands of euros.
      The gang is also suspected of having arranged women into Finland who could not afford to pay for the journey beforehand.
      These women have been settling their debt afterwards from their income from the sex trade with Finnish men.
      “This case with the Nigerians should be investigated more thoroughly than normal. It is not enough to ask the women themselves if they are here voluntarily. Often they come from very difficult situations and do not want to return to Nigeria”, Biaudet says.
     
In late September and early October, the Helsinki District Court remanded five men and women of Nigerian origin in custody on suspicion of procurement. One of those being held is also suspected of aggravated organising of illegal immigration.
      “If the women are found to be victims of human trafficking, they should be granted permits of residence in Finland”, notes Biaudet.
      Only very few human trafficking cases have been uncovered in Finland.
     
Usually cases with human trafficking characteristics are investigated and handled in court either as extortion or procurement. Presumably this is mainly because of the Finnish legislation.
      “In Finland it seems nearly impossible to convict anyone of trafficking in human beings. In many other countries similar cases would definitely fall in the human trafficking category”, Biaudet suspects.
      Biaudet also believes that the authorities do not know how to recognise all the signs of trafficking in humans and do not look into the suspected cases carefully enough.
      So far the Finnish Immigration Service has granted only one residence permit to a victim of trafficking in humans, even though the practice of awarding a permit in these circumstances was introduced more than three years ago.
     
This fact probably indicates on a general level that not all want a residence permit that is intended for a victim of trafficking.
      "A person does not necessarily see themself as a victim. To many the whole concept of human trafficking is associated solely with prostitution, and for this reason by no means all want to get a permit on those grounds", says Biaudet, who took up her position with the OSCE in 2006.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Criminal gang charges Nigerian prostitutes thousands of euros for entry to Finland (7.10.2009)
  Finnish MP Eva Biaudet to get high post in OSCE (19.10.2006)

Links:
  OSCE: Eva Biaudet
  Finnish Immigration Service

Helsingin Sanomat