FINLAND: 2007 ANNUAL TRAFFICKING-IN-PERSONS REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 08 HELSINKI 000122

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR G/TIP, G, INL, DRL, PRM, EUR/NB AND EUR/PGI

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KCRM PHUM KWMN SMIG KFRD ASEC PREF ELAB FI
SUBJECT: FINLAND: 2007 ANNUAL TRAFFICKING-IN-PERSONS REPORT

REF: A. 06 STATE 202745


B. 06 HELSINKI 1156

C. 06 HELSINKI 724


1. (SBU) The following responses are keyed to the checklist
in ref A. Post's point-of-contact on TIP is Political
Officer David Allen Schlaefer; SchlaeferDA2@state.gov;
358-9-6162-5482 or 358-050-322-7923.


Overview of Trafficking in Finland
--------------

2. (SBU) A: Finland is a transit and destination country
for trafficked men, women, and children; it is not a source
country. There are no reliable estimates as to the actual
incidence of TIP in Finland, and there have been no
comprehensive studies of the phenomenon. The GoF is
considering funding an IOM survey of trafficking in Finland,
but as of early 2007, the project has not yet begun.
Destination cases are probably much lower than transit cases.
Most victims trafficked through Finland are probably women
and girls destined for western Europe's commercial sex
industry and come from Russia, China, and, to a lesser
extent, Moldova, the Baltic countries, and the Caucasus.


3. (SBU) B: There is both commercial sex and labor
trafficking in Finland. The distinction between trafficking
and smuggling, especially in labor cases, is often murky.
Trafficking of women and girls for purposes of sexual
exploitation is probably the larger problem. There are no
"red light" districts in Finland, and there are only a
handful of nightclubs and casinos in cities such as Helsinki,
Turku, and Tampere that are associated with the Russian
mafia. Russian women (primarily) work as prostitutes inside
some of these nightclubs, and Finnish authorities and NGOs
believe some of these women have been trafficked. Since the
last TIP report, Finnish law enforcement authorities have
cracked down on prostitution and some of the clubs have
closed. In July 2006, the most "infamous" of the Russian
clubs in Helsinki--Mikado--closed after successive raids by
Finnish police. This has led to most prostitutes working out
of private apartments. Services are solicited using internet
ads or through word of mouth. Some prostitutes using this
method are "independent", and others may be trafficking
victims involved with organized crime syndicates. In
general, Finnish women working as prostitutes are
"independent", and Russian and other East European women are
involved in trafficking. There are also a few "Thai Massage"
parlors where Asian women may work as de facto prostitutes.


4. (SBU) B, cont.: Authorities believe that most women and
girls who are trafficked to Finland are aware that they will
work as prostitutes upon arrival; they do not, for example,
believe that they will be domestic servants or agricultural
workers. After arrival, the "rules" are changed, and they
receive less compensation and are pressured to see more
clients than anticipated. Most of these women come from
larger cities in Russia and the former Soviet world. Finnish
authorities believe that economic coercion and exploitation
of women with limited financial resources plays a larger role
than physical coercion in the recruitment and retention of
these women by crime syndicates. In most cases, the victims'
passports are taken by the traffickers, and their finances
are controlled as well. The Finnish police believe that in
order to elude authorities, Russian syndicates "rotate" women
in and out of Finland frequently; a practice facilitated by
the short traveling distances between major Russian cities
like St. Petersburg and Finland.


5. (SBU) B, cont.: The GoF began focusing on labor
trafficking in 2006. It is believed that most labor
trafficking is small-scale and tied to ethnic businesses like
restaurants. Labor victims are predominantly Asian or
Indian. There is often a family or clan connection between
the organizers/owners and the trafficked workers. The
workers voluntarily enter Finland (legally or smuggled) for
economic reasons, but after arrival, are forced to work long
hours for minimal wages. Passports may be taken and the
threat of violence or turning the victim over to immigration
authorities is used. Finnish law enforcement authorities
report that it is extremely difficult to investigate such
cases due to the closed nature of immigrant communities in
Finland, language barriers, and the unwillingness of victims
and material witnesses (of the same ethnic group) to
cooperate with the police. The incidence of labor
trafficking to Finland is unknown, but authorities believe
there may be dozens of trafficked workers in major cities.

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6. (SBU) B, cont.: Despite the presence of Russian
criminal organizations in Finland, the actual number of TIP
victims inside the country appear low. However, Finnish
police are increasingly concerned about the transit dynamic,
particularly trafficking from Asia. Chinese snakehead gangs
began using expanded air routes among Helsinki, Beijing,
Shanghai, and Bangkok several years ago to facilitate human
smuggling and trafficking. Migrants and TIP victims that
arrive at Helsinki's Vantaa airport then change planes and
fly to their final destination elsewhere in the Schengen
region. Since the travellers usually have valid visas for
their final destination and--even in TIP cases--are often
uncooperative when referred to secondary inspection, it is
difficult for Finnish Frontier Guard and Customs officials to
intercept them. Moreover, any migrant of any type who is
detained has the opportunity to claim asylum before
deportation or other legal proceedings begin, and any
smuggled or trafficked persons intercepted in this way are
typically taken to an asylum and refugee processing center
(reception center) the first night that they are in Finland.
Finnish reception centers are "open," and almost all of the
referred persons disappear within 24 hours of arrival. It is
presumed that they left the centers voluntarily, met their
organizers, and continued on toward their destination by
ferry.


7. (SBU) B, cont.: There is strong political will at the
highest levels to combat TIP. President Tarja Halonen,
Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja, and Interior Minister Kari
Rajamaki make frequent public statements on trafficking. The
National Bureau of Investigation (Finland's FBI equivalent),
the Frontier Guard, the Immigration and Customs Service, and
the police are all active in the fight against TIP. An
interagency GoF task force exists to coordinate
anti-trafficking policy.


8. (SBU) C: Corruption is not a problem in Finland. Law
enforcement and legal authorities suffer from some
underfunding due to budget constraints.


9. (SBU) D: The government makes periodic reports and
statements about its anti-TIP efforts; and the interagency
working group holds an annual review of government
activities. The MFA maintains a list of projects outside of
Finland's borders that the GoF contributes to. The
government also disseminates information through multilateral
organizations like the Nordic-Baltic Task Force Against
Trafficking.


Prevention Efforts
--------------

10. (SBU) A: The Finnish Government acknowledges that TIP
is a problem in Finland.


11. (SBU) B: An interagency task force exists comprised of
the following ministries and agencies: Foreign Affairs,
Interior, Justice, Social Affairs and Welfare, Labor,
National Bureau of Investigation (NBI),Frontier Guard, local
police, and NGOs. The task force is co-chaired by the Labor
and Interior Ministries. The Labor Ministry currently has
the lead coordinating role.


12. (SBU) C: Domestic Finnish Government programs
typically target demand reduction. The Social Affairs and
Welfare Ministry has the lead on domestic prevention
programs. Several programs specifically target Finns who
might travel abroad to engage in sex tourism, and in 2006
there was more attention paid to this phenomenon and the
responsibility of men who engage in such behavior for
trafficking. As in past years, during the reporting period
posters and other media targeting clients and challenging the
view that sex tourism is a "victimless" crime have been
displayed at ports-of-entry, post offices, and other
locations. A separate information campaign also ran from
2003-2006 in northern Finland that aimed at discouraging
potential clients and advising Russian women that they could
seek help from Finnish authorities. Similar campaigns took
pace in Finnish Karelia and Oulu. The Education Ministry
includes education about trafficking in its curriculum for
high school students. The GoF also funds an NGO-operated
hotline for TIP and domestic violence victims.


13. (SBU) D: Finland's largest prevention projects are
outside its borders, aimed at creating economic opportunity
for at-risk women and girls before they are caught up in the

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trafficking dynamic. Projects that are currently being
funded by the GoF include:


Russia:

-- In St. Petersburg, Finland has funded a 400,000 Euro
ILO-IPEC (International Program for the Elimination of Child
Labor) program to combat the abuse of homeless children
preyed on by traffickers and sexual predators. The program
runs from 2005-2007.

-- In Kaliningrad, Finland has funded a 151,040 Euro project
called "Trafficking Assessment and Counter-trafficking
Capacity Building for the Kaliningrad Oblast." The aim of
the project is to prepare an extensive study on human
trafficking in the region and promote cooperation among local
judicial, police, and NGO actors, to combat TIP. The project
was slated to end in 2006, but is still running with Finnish
funding.

-- In Moscow, Finland has funded a 300,000 Euro ILO-IPEC
program to combat the abuse of homeless children at-risk for
trafficking. The program runs from 2005-2007.

-- The Finnish missions in St. Petersburg and Moscow have
given small grants to local NGOs for counter-trafficking
work.

Uzbekistan:

-- Finland plans to fund a UN Office of Drugs and Crime
project called "Measures to prevent and combat trafficking in
human beings in Uzbekistan" that is set to begin in 2007.
The funding level has not yet been determined.

Moldova:

-- Finland is currently financing a project by the
International Helsinki Foundation (IHF) that aims to combat
human trafficking through a combination of police training
and education campaigns for women's rights.

IOM Projects:

-- Finland is a donor to the IOM counter-trafficking project
"Prevention and Capacity-Building in Kosovo and Macedonia",
which is an ongoing project that began in 2004.

-- Finland is a donor to the IOM counter-trafficking project
"Prevention of All Forms of Trafficking in Women and Children
in Cambodia", which is an ongoing project that began in 2003.


Other Multilateral/Multinational Projects;

-- Finland's support for UNICEF is partly allocated to
anti-trafficking measures.

-- Finland supports ECPAT (End Child Prostitution, Child
Pornography, and Trafficking of Children for Sexual
Purposes),an international NGO active in Russia and the
Nordic-Baltic region.

-- In addition to the above projects, Finland plays an
active role in the anti-TIP efforts of the Nordic-Baltic Task
Force Against Trafficking, the Council of Baltic Sea States,
the Barents-Euro Arctic Council, and provides additional
funding to these organizations.



14. (SBU) E: Finland is a social welfare state where the
government is expected to assume responsibility for many
services that elsewhere are largely provided by NGOs. As a
result, there are no NGOs working exclusively on TIP, and
only a few that address it among other issues of concern to
women. Finnish NGOs receive almost all of their funding from
the GoF with few restrictions on their activity; however,
Finnish NGOs in the past have been critical about the
government's response to the problem. This began changing in
2004-2005 when NGOs were invited to participate in the
drafting the country's National Action Plan on TIP, and
throughout 2006 relations continued to improve. The Labor
Ministry has formed a partnership with several NGOs that run
shelters for victims of domestic violence so that identified
TIP victims can be referred there (rather than remain in
government-run shelters) whenever possible. NGO

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representatives are also participating in police training
programs on victim identification, and during the reporting
period, the International Organization for Migration (IOM)
held a series of training seminars for Finnish law
enforcement authorities and police. Finn Church Aid, the
Finnish Lutheran Church's assistance organization, has formed
a particularly close collaborative relationship with the GoF,
and the Finnish Orthodox Church in 2006 took similar steps to
draft an action plan to assist in the fight against
trafficking.


15. (SBU) F: Finnish law enforcement authorities monitor
immigration patterns and screen applicants at ports-of-entry
for TIP victims. The NBI and Frontier Guard maintain liaison
officers throughout Europe, Russia, and Asia, and cooperate
with other law enforcement services (including EU agencies
like Europol and Eurojust) to detect and monitor trafficking
patterns. In 2006, the GoF particularly concentrated on
detection of Asian smuggling and trafficking routes. Given
the close geographic proximity of St. Petersburg to the
Finnish border, Finnish consular officers face a difficult
task in screening visa applicants. Russian applicants with
modest resources may still credibly claim they intend to make
a short, inexpensive visit to Finland for shopping or to
visit friends, making adjudication tricky. Political
pressure from Russia to keep visa refusals low also
complicates adjudication. In response to this, the GoF
designed and implemented a training program for consular
officers to assist them in better detecting trafficking
situations as well as how to follow up when TIP is suspected.
The program was developed in cooperation with the Frontier
Guard and is now a standard part of consular training.


16. (SBU) G: Finland's interagency working group is
described in para 11.


17. (SBU) H: Finland's National Action Plan was formally
adopted in April 2005. The interagency working group is
responsible for its implementation. Each agency also has its
own "sub-plan" for carrying out its particular areas of
responsibility. NGOs were a part of the working group that
drafted the plan. The NAP has been published by the GoF and
widely disseminated in Finnish society, beginning with a
"kick-off" press conference in 2006 by Foreign Minister Erkki
Tuomioja; the US Embassy was invited as a guest at the press
conference.


Investigation and Prosecution of Traffickers
--------------

18. (SBU) A: Trafficking-in-persons for both sexual
exploitation and forced labor is illegal. The definition of
trafficking used in the law mirrors that of the Palermo
Protocol. The maximum penalty for trafficking is up to 7
years, allowing Finnish law enforcement authorities to use
electronic surveillance techniques when investigating TIP
cases. Trafficking of minors is considered an aggravated
offense, and penalties could be higher. Related offenses
such as human smuggling, kidnapping, pimping, pandering, and
child rape can and have been used to prosecute traffickers.
Finnish prosecutors have successfully prosecuted Finnish
citizens who traveled abroad to have sex with minors
(Thailand and Estonia). These laws are adequate to cover the
full scope of trafficking.


19. (SBU) B: Persons convicted of trafficking can receive
up to 7 years imprisonment. Aggravated circumstances such as
trafficking of minors, etc., can add additional jail time to
the sentence.


20. (SBU) C: See 18 and 19 above. The law does not
differentiate between trafficking for sexual exploitation and
labor trafficking as regards possible sentences. Both the
organizers in source countries and the employer(s) in Finland
could be prosecuted for labor trafficking under Finnish law.


21. (SBU) D: The maximum penalty for rape is 7 years, the
same as that for trafficking. An aggravated offense could
carry a longer penalty.


22. (SBU) E: Prostitution is legal, but the sale and
purchase of sex in public is illegal. The law is interpreted
in such a way that brothels and other clubs with sex on
premises are prohibited. There are no "red light" districts
in Finland. Pimping, pandering, and organized prostitution
are illegal. The laws are generally enforced in practice,
and there are periodic raids on nightclubs where prostitutes

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are known to operate. In 2006, one of Helsinki's more
infamous nightclubs known for prostitution was repeatedly
raided and eventually closed its doors. Most "Finnish"
prostitution is facilitated through the internet and takes
place in hotel rooms or private apartments. Foreign
prostitutes, chiefly Russian, meet their clients at
nightclubs and casinos. In 2006, the GoF introduced
legislation to criminalize prostitution along the lines of
the Swedish model; however, the bill was rejected by
Parliament owing to strong opposition from left of center
parties and feminist organizations that support legalized
prostitution. A compromise bill was passed that criminalized
the purchase of sexual services from trafficked persons only.
It is too early to know if the new law has had any effect on
prostitution inside Finland.


23. (SBU) F: In July 2006, eight Finnish and Estonian
nationals were convicted of trafficking-in-persons and
sentenced to jail terms ranging from 27 months to 5 years.
The seven men and one woman were involved in an operation
that trafficked women from Estonia to Finland where they
worked as prostitutes in nightclubs and out of rented
apartments. In some cases, closed circuit television cameras
(CCTVs) were used by the traffickers to monitor activity
remotely from Estonia. The most egregious case involved a
mildly mentally retarded woman who was forced to see multiple
clients each day for virtually no compensation.


24. (SBU) F, cont.: In November 2006, a Russian national
was convicted of trafficking-in-persons and sentenced to 35
months in prison for his role in a ring that brought Russian
women to Finland to work as prostitutes in nightclubs.
Several other individuals associated with this ring were
convicted of related offenses such as organized prostitution.


25. (SBU) F, cont.: In September 2006, police arrested the
owners of a Chinese restaurant in Savonlinna and seized over
500,000 Euros in assets. The subjects were accused of
forcing as many as ten Chinese workers over an 8 year period
to work for virtual slave wages, and for hours far exceeding
those prescribed by Finnish labor law. The initial
trafficking charges were dropped to facilitate prosecution,
but the owners were successfully convicted under profiteering
and kidnapping charges, and the assets were forfeit.


26. (SBU) F, cont.: In October 2006, two Vietnamese
nationals were arrested in Pietarsaari on suspicion of labor
trafficking in a similar case involving 5 Vietnamese
restaurant workers. The case is still being investigated.


27. (SBU) F, cont.: In January 2007, a Bangladeshi sea
captain was convicted of trafficking-in-persons and sentenced
to 18 months in prison. The case involved 8 Bangladeshi
nationals who arrived at Helsinki's Vantaa Airport in
September 2006, claimed political asylum immediately upon
arrival, and then subsequently disappeared from the reception
center where they had been taken to. They were later
determined to have been part of a transit-trafficking
operation.


28. (SBU) F, cont.: Finnish authorities confirm that there
are additional cases of both sexual trafficking and labor
trafficking under investigation.


29. (SBU) G: Finnish authorities believe that most
trafficking to and through Finland is facilitated by large
organized crime syndicates, chiefly based in Russia and Asia.
An exception may be small-scale labor trafficking
facilitated by conspiracies of a few individuals. The
traffickers typically remain outside of Finland. Government
officials are not involved. Employment, travel, and tourist
agencies are not involved. Marriage brokers are not
involved. Profits are believed to be channeled back to the
organized crime syndicates.


30. (SBU) H: Finland actively investigates trafficking.
As part of its national action plan, the National Bureau of
Investigation formed a dedicated anti-trafficking unit.
Finnish liaison officers with anti-trafficking responsibility
are now stationed in Murmansk, Petrozavorsk, St. Petersburg,
Moscow, Tallinn, The Hague, Lyon, Malaga, and Beijing.
Finland also participates in the "Nordic Cooperation
Network", a network of Finnish, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian,
and Icelandic law enforcement liaison officers scattered
throughout Europe, Asia, and the MIddle-East. Maximum
penalties for traffickers are sufficient (7 years) to allow
law enforcement to use electronic surveillance techniques

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when investigating trafficking rings.


31. (SBU) I: The GoF provides specialized training for law
enforcement personnel regarding TIP. In April 2006, the
Embassy and the US LEGATT in Copenhagen facilitated the visit
to Finland of three FBI Special Agents involved in TIP
investigations in the United States. The Special Agents
presented a series of training seminars for Finnish law
enforcement personnel from the National Bureau of
Investigation (NBI),the Special Security Police (SUPO),
Frontier Guards, and local police officers. More than 100
Finnish personnel participated in the training. Finland
assumed the EU Presidency on July 1. Combating
trafficking-in-persons was one of Finland's top Justice and
Home Affairs priorities during the Presidency. Finnish
Interior Minister Kari Rajamaki referred to TIP as a
"scourge" afflicting the EU during his initial address in
July on Finland's JHA agenda and committed the GoF to finding
new ways to enhance trans-Atlantic cooperation against
trafficking. In October 2006, Rajamaki organized an EU-wide
conference on child victim identification and interview
issues as part of Finland's EU Presidency anti-trafficking
initiative. The Embassy again worked with our LEGATT in
Copenhagen to bring back Kimberly Poyer--one of the FBI
Special Agents who had visited Finland in April--to reprise
her performance during two days of seminars and workshops.
The GoF has also worked with IOM during the reporting period
to train law enforcement personnel; and continued its
consular officer training program in association with the
Frontier Guard.


32. (SBU) J: Finland cooperates with Europol, Eurojust;
with the Nordic-Baltic countries, through multilateral
processes such as the Nordic-Baltic Task Force and Arctic
Council; with Nordic-Baltic countries through the
Nordic-Baltic information sharing network; and bilaterally
with Russia, the Baltic countries, and any other relevant
countries. The case detailed in para 23 was investigated and
prosecuted with the assistance of Estonian authorities, and
the case detailed in para 24 was aided by Russian
authorities. Finland in the past has also cooperated with US
law enforcement to try and intercept a trafficking case.


33. (SBU) K: Finland will extradite persons charged with
trafficking to any country with which it has an extradition
treaty. Finland will extradite its own nationals on a case
by case basis to other countries with which it has an
extradition treaty provided that the individual would not be
subject to the death penalty if convicted of an offense.
Finland has ratified the EU Arrest Warrant.

34, (SBU) L: Government officials are not involved in
trafficking and do not tolerate trafficking.


35. (SBU) M: Government officials are not involved in
trafficking.


36. (SBU) N: Finland is not a source or destination
country for child sex tourism. However, at least two Finns
have been prosecuted for having sex with minors abroad
(Estonia and Thailand).


37. (SBU) O: Finland is a signatory to the listed ILO,
CRC, and UN conventions.



Protection and Assistance to Victims
--------------

38. (SBU) A: Trafficking victims are taken to reception
centers for refugees and asylum seekers operated by the Labor
Ministry. The system has a capacity for 2,539 persons
country-wide, and operates at any point in time at 60%-80%
capacity. Several centers have been designated as
"preferred" TIP shelters, including one in Helsinki and
another near the Russian border. TIP victims are housed in
separate units within the centers. Finnish reception centers
are open (residents can come and go),but visitors are
screened and not allowed to contact residents without their
consent. Victims receive legal counseling, medical and
psychological services, and monthly stipends. Recently,
after urging from IOM and other NGOs, the GoF has revised its
policy and is now encouraging victims to leave the reception
centers as soon as possible for private, NGO-run shelters.
There are several shelters for victims of domestic abuse that
have expanded their services to include counseling and care
for trafficking victims. During the reporting period, a TIP

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victim who was scheduled to testify against her traffickers
was allowed to stay in her private apartment awaiting the
proceedings, and was subsequently abducted by members of the
criminal organization in question. She was later found
unharmed. The incident prompted speculation about whether
Finland's "open door" policy and reluctance to keep victims
in institutional settings was too lax and failed to offer
adequate protection to victims, irrespective of the victims'
stated preferences.


39. (SBU) A, cont.: The reception centers are clean and
well-run, and medical services are adequate, but Finnish
officials admit the current system could be improved. The
shelters are not dedicated TIP shelters and are designed to
handle political and, chiefly, economic refugees and
migrants, not victims of violent and/or sexual abuse and
exploitation. Psychologists from Finland's National Health
Service have experience with domestic violence victims, but
less experience with TIP victims, and need specialized
training. The GoF in 2006 had hoped to pool resources with
other Nordic countries to sponsor a seminar to address these
issues; but this failed to happen due to budgetary
constraints and the competing demands of other events and
projects during Finland's EU Presidency. Finnish officials
hope that the project can be revived in 2007. The language
barrier can also be a problem. There are few Chinese or Thai
speakers in Finland, and Asian TIP victims may have problems
communicating with Finnish caregivers. Finally, the already
identified problem of victims disappearing from the "open"
shelters remains outstanding. Victims are usually only
placed in protective custody in a "closed" facility when they
are minors.


40. (SBU) B: The GoF provides the majority of funding to
Finnish NGOs for victim services. The GoF also provides
funding to IOM, the Nordic-Baltic Task Force, and the OSCE to
fund anti-TIP projects. Finn Church Aid receives its funding
directly from a "religious tax" that is levied on all Finns
for the Lutheran Church (Finns can opt out if they choose to
leave the Church).


41. (SBU) C: Finnish law enforcement and social workers
have a system in place to identify TIP victims or at-risk
individuals. Depending upon the circumstances of the case,
the victims may be referred to a private shelter or put in
one of the government-run reception centers. In the case of
minors and persons deemed particularly at-risk or threatened,
protective custody in "closed" reception centers may be used.
Potential witnesses in trials are supposed to remain in
protective custody, although the case mentioned in para 38
shows that this is not always done in practice if the victim
is resistant to the idea. The GoF emphasizes that it used
protective custody arrangements only when absolutely
necessary, and that any victims who choose to return to their
country of origin will be allowed to do so as soon as
arrangements can be made. TIP victims are kept in
sex-segregated units, and juveniles are kept apart from
adults.


42. (SBU) D: The rights of TIP victims are generally
respected. Identified TIP victims will not be jailed or
detained for crimes like prostitution or solicitation. They
will not be fined. Finland has stopped the practice of
deporting likely TIP victims. TIP victims may apply for a
special residency permit that allows them to remain in the
country for a "stabilization" period, and also allows them to
apply for permanent residency at a later period if they so
desire.


43. (SBU) E: The GoF encourages victims to assist in the
investigation and prosecution of trafficking. Police and
prosecutors have an informal system in place to protect
witnesses that cooperates with investigations, and the GoF is
working toward a formal witness protection program.


44. (SBU) F: See paragraphs 38, 39, and 41 for a detailed
description of government-run shelters and the types of
services they provide.


45. (SBU) G: See paragraphs 15 and 31 for a description of
specialized training for government officials in the
recognition of trafficking and in the provision of assistance
to trafficking victims, including children.


46. (SBU) H: There are no known cases of Finnish
trafficking victims.


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47. (SBU) I: Major NGOs addressing trafficking (in
addition to other issues) include: IOM, Finn Church Aid,
League of Finnish Feminists, Pro-tukipiste, MonikaNaiset, the
Refugee Advice Center, the National Council of Women in
Finland, and SALLI (commercial sex workers union). Several
of these NGOS operate shelters that provide assistance and
counselling to TIP victims. Pro-tukipiste operates a phone
hotline. IOM in 2006 organized training seminars for Finnish
law enforcement authorities. Some NGOs are also involved in
demand reduction efforts. All NGOs (with the exception of
the international NGO IOM) receive the bulk of their funding
from the GoF. NGOs participated in the drafting of the
National Action Plan and are frequently consulted by the GoF
on TIP issues. NGOs also participate in government-run
seminars, such as the April 2006 seminar that three FBI
Special Agents were at, as well as the October 2006 EU-wide
seminar.


48. (SBU) A FINNISH HERO: EVA BIAUDET.

Eva Biaudet was appointed as the OSCE Special Representative
on Combating Trafficking in Human Beings in October 2006.
This is the highest position that a Finn has held in any
multilateral organization as regards combatting trafficking.
Biaudet's appointment caps a long history of work against TIP
in Finland and the Nordic-Baltic region. As a former
Minister of Health and Social Services, Biaudet was one of
the First Finnish officials to highlight the problem and urge
concerted government action to address it. Through the
Nordic-Baltic Council, she launched a campaign against
trafficking and was strongly engaged throughout the region in
raising awareness and fostering public debate on the problem.
As a member of Parliament, Biaudet played a leading role in
drafting Finland's anti-TIP legislation in 2005 and
subsequently securing its approval and implementation.
Biaudet was one of a handful of influential Finns who used
their political capital and profile to raise the TIP issue to
the highest level in Finland and institute a sea change in
how the GoF thinks about and responds to TIP. Biaudet has
also participated for many years in the TIP-related
activities of NGOs. As OSCE Special Representative, Biaudet
will assist the OSCE's member states in implementing the OSCE
Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings, originally
adopted at the 2003 Maastricht Ministerial Council.
WARE