US State Department: Finland has failed to contain trafficking in humans in its territory

Human rights report also mentions spousal abuse against women

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In the US Department of State’s view, trafficking in humans through Finnish territory is a problem that has not been addressed efficiently enough.
      According to the Department of State’s 2005 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, the Finnish police and prosecutors were hampered in their enforcement efforts by a lack of experience and training in trafficking cases.
     
Trafficking in humans has been mentioned for a number of years now in the annual report, where the human rights situation in other countries is reviewed from the American perspective.
      The 2005 report issues a reminder that the trafficking in humans from the former Soviet Union area for the purposes of the sex industry in the West still has not been contained in Finland. The worrying development is the increasing numbers of Asian women, most of whom were believed to be of Chinese and Thai origin, being ferried through Finland to other parts of Europe.
      All in all, Finland received a fairly clean bill of health and thanks in the report for its legislation and the operation of the independent judiciary in enforcing the law.
      As countries that systematically violate human rights the US report mentions, among others, North Korea and Burma.
     
Apart from trafficking in humans, violence against women, including spousal abuse, is seen as a problem in Finland. The report notes that up to 30 women died as a result of domestic violence last year.
      According to the report, the Finnish government strongly encourages tolerance and respect for minority groups and has established an ombudsman for minorities to protect minority interests.
      However, the report also reveals that last year there were a few isolated incidences of racism, and that according to surveys many of the foreigners living in Finland did not think the police and other authorities took the racism suspicions seriously enough.
     
Some racism against the Roma minority was also mentioned in the report.
      The Americans now view as human rights questions Finland’s few reported anti-Semitic incidents, in most cases graffiti such as swastikas and anti-Semitic slogans being spray-painted in public locations. The report notes that the authorities were quick to step in and remove graffiti and deplore the actions.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  US report still sees Finland as country with human trafficking problems (6.6.2005)
  Border Guard concerned about increased direct flights between Finland and China (15.2.2006)
  Finland found to be transit point for traffic in women from east to west (11.3.2005)

Links:
  U.S. Department of State Reports on Human Rights Practices
  Country Reports: Finland

Helsingin Sanomat