SEX TRAFFICKING OF CHILDREN IN NORWAY

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2 SEX TRAFFICKING OF CHILDREN IN NORWAY What is child trafficking? The recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of a child for the purpose of exploitation. UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime A child is anyone under the age of 18 years. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child What s the problem? GLOBAL SEX TRAFFICKING Human trafficking is a complex phenomenon fueled by the tremendous growth in the global sex market. Exploitation is driven by poverty, uneven development, official corruption, gender discrimination, harmful traditional and cultural practices, civil unrest, natural disasters and lack of political will to end it. The number of child victims trafficked worldwide for sexual exploitation or cheap labour on an annual basis is 1.2 million. 1 Human trafficking, the third largest international crime, following illegal drugs and arms trafficking, is believed to be worth billions of dollars each year. Driving the trade is the demand for commercial sexual exploitation. Seventy-nine percent of all global trafficking is for sexual exploitation Illegal Arms 2. Drugs 3. Human Trafficking (7-10 Billion USD Industry) 79% of all global trafficking is for sexual exploitation Largest Global Criminal Activities SEX TRAFFICKING IN NORWAY Accurate figures on the trafficking of children for sexual purposes in Norway are difficult to obtain despite knowledge that Norway is a destination and transit country for children trafficked for sexual purposes. 3 In 2006, the police investigated 29 cases of trafficking for sexual exploitation. It is unclear how many of these cases may have included the trafficking of children. Between 2005 and 2007 seven people were convicted of trafficking through the criminal justice system in Norway. In 2007, the Norwegian Government identified 190 victims of trafficking. 4 These figures do not include the number of children exploited, and

3 as noted by the ECPAT Europe Law Enforcement Group, it is often difficult to estimate how many victims may be minors, as trafficked victims usually possess false documentation. 5 Who gets trafficked? Child victims of commercial sexual exploitation in Norway primarily come from the Baltic States, Southeast Europe, Africa and Asia. Although boys are also victimised, the majority of children exploited through prostitution are girls who have been trafficked into Norway from other countries. 6 These children are seldom exploited openly on the streets, but rather in indoor facilities and secret locations. 7 Unaccompanied minors who enter the country as refugees or through migration are highly vulnerable to exploitation. Some have been trafficked into Norway and are forced into commercial sexual exploitation and other exploitative situations after arrival. 8 According to the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI), the number of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children has steadily increased in Norway since 2000, with 916 unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in 2003, almost double the figure from In 2008, the UDI reported 14,400 persons applying for asylum in Norway with 3,500 of these children and 1,374 being unaccompanied minors. 10 Children in Norwegian refugee reception centres are also vulnerable to human trafficking. Each year, a large number of children disappear from these reception centres without appropriate follow up from the police concerning their whereabouts. 11 The demand for sex drives child sex trafficking globally while poverty, domestic violence and abuse, discrimination and the desire for a better life makes children vulnerable. Children are especially vulnerable to being trafficked because they are often uneducated, easy to overpower and easy to convince that they must do what an adult tells them to do. Children may also be in a position where they believe they must help to support their families and may be sold or sent abroad by family members to do so. Street children, children in refugee camps, children whose family and community life has been disrupted and do not have someone to look out for them are all especially vulnerable to human trafficking. Children may be at greater risk of trafficking from places where they are less protected. This may be because the law is weak or not properly enforced, or because children are less aware of the risks of trafficking and are more easily deceived. Countries are considered: Sending or origin - from where children are sent; Transit - where the children might be moved through and temporarily kept on the way to their final destination; and Receiving or destination - where the children finally end up. Depending on the reason for trafficking, some countries might be only sending, while others might be both sending and transit. Some countries can be all three. Norway is primarily a destination country for children trafficked for sexual purposes. Norway is a destination country for women and children trafficked from Eastern Europe, the Balkans, West Africa and East Asian countries for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation. Victims are sometimes trafficked through transit countries such as Sweden, Denmark, Italy, and the Balkan countries en route to various locations in Norway. 12 Norway is also a transit country, as trafficked victims are moved on to other European countries. 13

4 For child trafficking, Norway is primarily considered as a: origin country transit country ü destination country internal/domestic country NORWAY Eastern Europe & Baltic States: Russia Ukraine Latvia Estonia Lithuania Albania East Asia Brazil Nigeria Who creates demand? Traffickers prey on children and young people to meet the sexual demands of paedophiles and people who pay for sex. Any person who patronises the commercial sex market may end up sexually exploiting a child. There is no common profile of perpetrators who sexually exploit children they may be young, old, married, single; they come from all types of socioeconomic backgrounds and work in all kinds of professions. Despite limited evidence, there is some indication that Norway is a country of origin for child-sex tourists. The Murmansk region and the city of St. Petersburg in Russia, as well as Baltic Sea countries, are the main destinations for Norwegian nationals seeking to buy sex from women and young people. 14 Eastern Europe, Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America and Asia - where there is less risk of being detected - are also destinations for Norwegian tourists and business people, who take advantage of the opportunity to exploit children sexually. 15 In January 2009, Norway introduced new legislation that makes the buying of sexual services a crime. However, at this current time, it is unclear how this has affected the sex market and if it has had any impact on human trafficking.

5 Who are the traffickers? Traffickers can be a stranger or someone the child knows, such as a relative or a friend. Traffickers are often part of an organised criminal network that recruits children and supplies them with fake identification. They may also pose as boyfriends or girlfriends in order to convince children to leave for a new life. Among the successful convictions of traffickers between 2005 and 2007, three were Norwegians and the other four were foreigners. 16 Case Studies In September 2007, seven children from China arrived unaccompanied at three Norwegian airports within the period of a week. The event sparked suspicions that organised gangs were smuggling children into the country in the hope that they would be granted asylum. Authorities feared the traffickers would then coax the children away from asylum centers and force them into prostitution or slave labour elsewhere in Europe. 17 In 2007, a Norwegian man was charged with the sexual abuse and trafficking of children. The man was charged with trafficking after luring a young boy into his apartment in Thailand and allowing two other men to sexually abuse him. The suspect was also convicted for possessing 35,000 photographs and 1,300 videos of child pornography, and for sexually abusing six Thai boys as young as 10 during 2004 and 2005, photographing the abuse and publishing it on the Internet. 18 In April 2005, three men - two Norwegian and one Estonian - were prosecuted for the prostitution and trafficking of a 16-year-old Estonian girl into Norway. The Estonian girl s case was the first time a child trafficking case was put through the judicial process. The Estonian and one of the Norwegian men were accused of recruiting, transporting and exploiting the girl, while the other Norwegian was accused of housing her. 19 How can we stop the trafficking of children? LAW AND LAW ENFORCEMENT It is necessary for the Norwegian Government to conduct a policy review of all the current initiatives to combat child trafficking and the commercial sexual exploitation of children. This process will identify gaps in the existing national plans and their implementation, and assist in the design of necessary follow-up actions. More resources to organisations working to eliminate child trafficking are needed. It is necessary for Norway to ratify the Council of Europe s Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings. Encourage the Government to extend its cooperation to countries and regions that face serious problems related to child trafficking. It is suggested that Norway undertake a study to assess the nature and extent of trafficking and sexual exploitation of children and to identify target areas that are particularly vulnerable in the region.

6 International Conventions/Laws Date of Ratification by Norway Date of Reports Submitted UN Committee on the Rights of the Child Recommendations for Norway Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) 8 January 1991 Initial Report: 30 August July April February 2008 The Committee is yet to make recommendations on the 2008 report. In response to the 2003 report, the Committee urges the State party to ensure that adequate support and supervision are provided to children living in reception centres, as well as adequate psychological and psychiatric care for traumatised asylum-seeking children. The Committee recommends that the State party improve the situation in reception centres for unaccompanied children seeking asylum, so that assistance and care for these children reaches the same level as that provided in other institutions under the child welfare system. Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography 2 October November 2004 N/A The Protocol to Prevent, Suppress & Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women & Children 23 September 2003 N/A N/A ILO Convention No. 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labour 21 December 2000 N/A N/A Council of Europe Convention on Actions against Trafficking in Human Beings 17 January Entered into force 1 May 2008

7 PREVENTION OF CHILD TRAFFICKING AND VICTIM PROTECTION AND ASSISTANCE It is recommended that Norway strengthen coordination among bodies responsible for the welfare of children. In particular, specific attention is required for existing services to assist child victims of all forms of commercial sexual exploitation to include all necessary physical and psychological recovery and appropriate reintegration. Improvement in coordination with government and non-government bodies in relevant countries is needed to assist with the safe repatriation of child victims of trafficking. Reinforced care and protection training is recommended within the welfare system and for relevant NGOs on methods to support vulnerable children or victims of trafficking and sexual exploitation. Comprehensive studies on the extent of child trafficking and other related forms of sexual exploitation of children are necessary to plan more effective prevention and protection strategies. To report a suspected incident of child trafficking, contact: KRIPOS is a police driven program that has the national responsibility for investigating cases related to the sexual exploitation of children. To report a suspected incident of human trafficking visit: The Rosa Centre provides a 24-hour telephone line where mainly women, but also children who are victims of trafficking can call and receive direct and immediate assistance. See To report a suspected incident of human trafficking or to contact the SOS hotline call: KOM is the national coordination unit for the identification of victims of trafficking: KOM prosjektet; Koordineringsenheten for ofre for menneskehandel, Politidirektoratet, Hammersborggata 12, Postboks 8051 Dep OSLO. Tel: (kontortid). Mob: (kontortid). E-post: KOM.pod@politiet.no More information Redd Barna/ Save the Children Norway: Tel: , Website: ECPAT International: The Body Shop and ECPAT Stop Trafficking of Children and Young People Campaign:

8 Endnotes 1 UNICEF UNODC. Global Report on Trafficking in Persons ECPAT International. Global Monitoring Report on the status of action against commercial sexual exploitation of children: Norway. Bangkok US State Department. Trafficking in Persons Report Viewed at 5 ECPAT Europe Law Enforcement Group. Joint East West Research on Trafficking in Children for Sexual Purposes in Europe: The Sending Countries. Amsterdam ECPAT International. Global Monitoring Report on the status of action against commercial sexual exploitation of children: Norway. Bangkok ECPAT Europe Law Enforcement Group. Joint East West Research on Trafficking in Children for Sexual Purposes in Europe: The Sending Countries. Amsterdam ECPAT International. Global Monitoring Report on the status of action against commercial sexual exploitation of children: Norway. Bangkok Skybak, Thale. (2005): Handel med barn i Norge, Intern rapport. Redd Barna. Viewed at: sum/2008/79032/thesis_liuyang.pdf 10 Tall og fakta Utlendingsdirektoratet. 11 ECPAT International. Global Monitoring Report on the status of action against commercial sexual exploitation of children: Norway. Bangkok USD, Trafficking in Persons Report, 2008 viewed at 13 ECPAT Europe Law Enforcement Group. Joint East West Research on Trafficking in Children for Sexual Purposes in Europe: The Sending Countries. Amsterdam Heiberg, Turid. Trafficking in children for sexual purposes- Update Country report. Joint East West Research Project on Trafficking in Children for Sexual Purposes in Europe. October 2003 viewed in ECPAT International, Global Monitoring Report: Norway ECPAT International. Global Monitoring Report on the status of action against commercial sexual exploitation of children: Norway. Bangkok US State Department. Trafficking in Persons Report Viewed at 17 Aftenposten English Web Desk, Child smuggling fears rise. 4 September 2007, local/article ece 18 Norwegian prosecutor takes out first Norwegian indictment for child sex trafficking abroad. Pravda News. 18 April Viewed at: 19 Ibid.

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