The Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) has published today its second evaluation report on Finland. The report assesses developments since the publication of GRETA’s first evaluation report on Finland in March 2015 as regards the implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings.
According to the report, progress had been made in a number of areas, such as developing the legislative framework for combating trafficking in human beings, conducting research, raising awareness and providing training to a range of professionals, including health-care staff and social workers. Successful use has been made of existing legislation for prosecution of offences related to human trafficking committed by legal entities. Moreover, Finland has supported projects in countries of origin of victims of trafficking.
However, there are several areas which require improvement, according to the report. GRETA calls on the Finnish authorities to take steps to improve the proactive identification of victims of human trafficking and the sharing of information between relevant actors. Further, GRETA urges the authorities to ensure that assistance is adapted to the victims’ specific needs and is guaranteed to all victims of trafficking across the country, regardless of the service provider and place of residence.
