Task of the National Rapporteur on Trafficking in Human Beings

The Non-Discrimination Ombudsman is the National Rapporteur on Trafficking in Human Beings. The task of the Rapporteur is to examine the work to combat human trafficking in Finland as an independent body. The aim of the Rapporteur is to ensure that the victims of human trafficking are identified and receive help and that their rights are enforced. In the Rapporteur’s view, it is important that those responsible for human trafficking are held criminally liable for their acts and that structural measures are taken to prevent human trafficking.

The duties of the National Rapporteur on Trafficking in Human Beings are laid down in the Act on the Non-Discrimination Ombudsman. Under the act, the task of the Rapporteur is to monitor human trafficking phenomena, compliance with international obligations and the effectiveness of the national legislation. As part of this task, the Rapporteur produces reports on human trafficking and related phenomena. The Ombudsman may also provide legal advice and, in exceptional situations, assist victims of human trafficking in courts. 

The Ombudsman has the right to access a wide range of information, including details of criminal convictions that are normally kept secret. This is important so that the Ombudsman can assess compliance with international agreements on human trafficking and determine how the national legislation is responding to the challenges arising from human trafficking. 

The National Rapporteur on Trafficking in Human Beings was appointed in 2009

The National Rapporteur on Trafficking in Human Beings was appointed in 2009 to monitor human trafficking and related phenomena. The decision to establish the post was prompted by the belief that the action against human trafficking would benefit from external monitoring and assessments, and analysis-based development proposals. 

The view was also that the Rapporteur could bring the issue of human trafficking to political and public debate, which was expected to make the efforts to combat human trafficking more effective. Over the years, the Rapporteur has been doing this for example by publishing reports and studies, and by issuing recommendations, which have also led to progress in the efforts to combat human trafficking by different government agencies. 

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null What is the principle of non-punishment of victims of trafficking in human beings?

What is the principle of non-punishment of victims of trafficking in human beings?

The non-punishment principle is an international legal principle. According to the principle, victims of trafficking in human beings must not be prosecuted or punished for their involvement in unlawful activities which they have been compelled to do as victims of trafficking in human beings. 

The principle of non-punishment protects victims of trafficking in human beings from criminal liability for acts they have been forced to do. The principle is necessary because it can be used to combat exploitation related to criminal activity, ensure realisation of the rights of victims and promote the sentencing of perpetrators guilty of trafficking in human beings. 

Provisions on the non-punishment of victims of trafficking in human beings are included in legislation such as the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (Article 26) and the EU Directive on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims (Article 8). 

Exploitation of criminal activities as a form of trafficking in human beings

Trafficking in human beings does not mean selling and buying of human beings as such. Instead, a trafficking offence is a process in which human beings are exploited, typically for financial gain. This means that trafficking in human beings is essentially about an imbalanced power structure where the victim does not have a real possibility to defy the perpetrator’s will. 

The principle of non-punishment is fundamentally connected to exploitation of criminal activities, which is an internationally recognised form of trafficking in human beings. According to the EU Directive on trafficking in human beings, this means the exploitation of a person to commit, inter alia, pick-pocketing, shop-lifting, drug trafficking and other similar activities which are subject to penalties and imply financial gain. 

Unlawful acts that victims of trafficking in human beings are compelled to do may also be related to use of falsified documents or illegal immigration. Furthermore, victims may be forced to participate in the trafficker’s offence of trafficking in human beings, the victims of which they themselves also are. For example, a victim exploited for prostitution may be forced to recruit new victims to be exploited. In some countries, begging and prostitution constitute criminal activities.

Exploitation for criminal activities may not be the primary purpose of exploitation of a victim of trafficking in human beings. For instance, in addition to being sexually exploited a victim may also be exploited for trafficking of narcotics while the victim is being transported from one country to another.

The non-punishment principle and identifying victims of trafficking in human beings

Identifying victims of human trafficking exploited for criminal activities is crucial in order to offer them the help they need. Identifying victims of trafficking in human beings is also important for application of the non-punishment principle because the principle cannot be invoked if victims are not identified.

It is difficult to identify victims exploited for criminal activities because the victim cannot tell authorities about the exploitation they have been subjected to, without revealing their own participation in criminal activities. Therefore, victims find it hard to seek help from authorities and they may not be willing to explain the full situation even after being caught for crimes they were compelled to commit. Furthermore, victims of trafficking in human beings may not consider themselves to be victims. Compelling a victim to commit crimes tightens the trafficker’s control over the victim because the victims fear of criminal liability and the threat of getting caught increase the victim's dependence on the trafficker. 

If exploitation of criminal activities is not identified, the victim of trafficking in human beings is treated as an offender instead of a victim. In such case, the trafficking in human beings does not become known to authorities and the perpetrator does not face criminal liability. In other words, the victim of a serious crime is punished instead of the actual perpetrator. The purpose of the non-punishment principle is to address this fundamental problem. The non-punishment principle is a form of incentive for victims to tell authorities about exploitation and a guarantee that this does not turn against the victim. 

Purpose of the non-punishment principle 

According to the Directive on trafficking in human beings, the aim of the non-punishment provision is to safeguard the human rights of victims, to avoid further victimisation and to encourage them to act as witnesses in criminal proceedings against the perpetrators. The purpose of the non-punishment principle is not to release victims of trafficking in human beings from all liability. According to the Directive on trafficking in human beings, the non-punishment principle does not apply to offences that a person has voluntarily committed or participated in. Thus, application of the non-punishment principle requires that the unlawful act committed by a victim of trafficking in human beings was materially related to the trafficking circumstances.

The principle of non-punishment promotes the realisation of the victim’s rights and compliance with human rights obligations, such as respecting the obligation to protect victims of trafficking in human beings under Article 4 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Another purpose of the non-punishment principle is to avoid further victimisation by removing the victim from the perpetrator’s control. 

The non-punishment principle is also aimed at preventing secondary victimisation and harm caused by it. This means the victim having to go through strenuous criminal procedure as a suspect in addition to being a victim of trafficking in human beings. In extreme cases, this may lead to a victim of trafficking in human beings getting sentenced to imprisonment for an act for which the victim should not have been punished according to the non-punishment principle. A punishment may also lead to administrative sanctions, such as deportation or a criminal record entry, which may have far-reaching consequences in the life of the victim.

Personal evidence often plays a key role in criminal cases concerning trafficking in human beings and cooperation with victims helps authorities with their obligation to ensure that perpetrators are held liable for their crimes. The non-punishment principle encourages victims to testify against their traffickers, because the principle includes a promise that this will not be held against the victim. This allows for more efficient combating of trafficking in human beings by protecting victims and promoting the implementation of the non-punishment principle.

The Office of the Non-Discrimination Ombudsman is currently conducting research on the non-punishment principle. The report ordered by the Ministry of Justice will be completed in the spring of 2022.