U.S. Department of State 2003 Trafficking in Persons Report - Norway

Norway (Tier 1)

Norway is a destination country for a small but growing number of trafficked women and children for the purposes of sexual exploitation. Children may be trafficked to Norway from the Balkans for sexual exploitation under the guise of adoption and refugee placement. There are also occasional instances involving household servants and youth from Eastern Europe forced to participate in petty theft rings.

The Government of Norway fully complies with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking. Although trafficking-specific reports or statistics are limited, the government of Norway acknowledges that there is sufficient information to intensify anti-trafficking efforts.

Prevention

The government's National Action Plan classifies trafficking as a modern form of slavery, promotes cooperation between government authorities and NGOs, and allocates $15 million over three years to prevent and prosecute trafficking and protect victims. In 2002, during its Chairmanship of the Nordic Council, Norway initiated a Nordic-Baltic Campaign against Trafficking in Women and Children. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and the Norwegian Barents Secretariat of the Barents Euro-Arctic Council fund various prevention projects in the Baltics and Russia. The government launched a prevention campaign for all government employees, prohibiting the purchase of sexual services on official travel and reminding all Norwegian travelers that they will be prosecuted for engaging in child sexual abuse and/or trafficking, even if these acts take place in a foreign country. Under the National Action Plan, the MFA initiated projects targeting at-risk populations in Eastern and Southeastern Europe, Russia, the Caucasus, and Central and South Asia. The Norwegian Development Agency allocates funding to organizations working to prevent trafficking and assist victims in developing countries.

Prosecution

Trafficking is not a separate criminal offense, but laws regarding, for example, labor, anti-slavery, indentured servitude, immigration, sexual assault, and prostitution were used to investigate trafficking cases. Although there is reason to believe there have been many prosecutions and convictions, the police force keeps information on trafficking investigations confidential to protect the victims, rendering it impossible to ascertain the exact number of actions against traffickers. The government earmarks significant resources to its organized crime divisions for investigation and prosecution of human trafficking. The government monitors its borders and immigration patterns for human trafficking. It works closely with EU countries and made an agreement with Finland and Russia on border control and surveillance.

Protection

Victims of trafficking have the same legal rights as other foreigners to apply for residency, asylum, welfare and social assistance, and emergency health care. The government introduced a reflection period, during which expulsion decisions may be suspended up to 45 days for trafficking victims. Most NGOs in Norway that provide victim assistance receive funding from the government. The Ministry of Health funds an NGO that manages a center staffed with social workers to provide legal assistance, counseling, harm reduction and health services for both domestic and foreign prostitutes. Other government agencies fund NGOs for training and/or seminars on victim assistance for public servants such as social workers and the police. The government is also assessing the needs of women and children who cooperate with investigators to improve current protection assistance, such as considering granting refugee status to trafficking victims.