A foreigner who has been the victim of human trafficking could be eligible for a temporary residence permit in Finland as of July this year.
The Finish government decided on Thursday to put forward a new rule that would allow a person who can show evidence that he or she has been the victim of human trafficking, to get a special residence permit.
A precondition for granting such a permit in most cases would be that the victim would cooperate with officials to help solve the crime.
In some cases, cooperation would not be required, if the foreign citizen in question is in an especially precarious position.
The permit would be valid for six months at a time, and could be renewed if needed.
Another stipulation is that a victim of human trafficking could be allowed to stay in Finland temporarily, while recovering from his or her experiences, and considering whether or not to participate in an investigation.
The aim of the amendment is to bring more efficiency to enforcement of anti-human trafficking legislation, and to help free the victim from the clutches of criminals.
About five cases of suspected trafficking in humans have been investigated in Finland so far, but no charges have been filed yet. Trafficking in humans did not become a part of Finland’s criminal law until 2004.
Last month news came out that the Helsinki Criminal Police was investigating a suspected pimping organisation believed to be involved in aggravated human trafficking. Police say that an Estonian mentally disabled woman had been tricked to work in the sex trade in January this year.
