- Human trafficking for forced labour, sexual exploitation, begging, organ selling or any other purpose can be considered today’s modern slavery. Combating human trafficking is one of humanity's most important issues, said Swedish MP (Social Democrat) and Nordic Council member Maria Stenberg at the Parliamentarians Against Human Trafficking (PAHT) seminar in Sweden.
Maria Stenberg, Swedish MP (Social Democrat) and member of The Nordic Councils Citizens' and Consumer Rights Committee.
As a member of the Nordic Councils Citizens' and Consumer Rights Committee, Maria Stenberg called for reviews of legislation, more specialized training of police and cooperation across borders in order to combat trafficking.
The work of police and prosecutors was the focus at the PAHT-event at the Swedish parliament in Stockholm 15.03.13. The combat against human trafficking in all its forms has been on the Nordic Council agenda for a long time. Even though the police cooperation in the Nordic countries has been on-going since the fifties, the Council believes that the cooperation across borders has to be further developed when it comes to combating human trafficking, considering the cross-border nature and complexity.
The recent report Balancing protection and prosecution in anti-trafficking policies published by The Nordic Council of Ministers describes the conflict between a police led approach focusing on prosecution and a protection-based approach focusing on the welfare of the victims of trafficking. The report concludes that the Nordic countries have very different policies when it comes to reflection periods
- There is need for the Nordic countries to coordinate their legislation regarding reflection period for victims of human trafficking. It should be in the interest of all the Nordic nations to strengthen Nordic cooperation in the fight against human trafficking, Maria Stenberg concluded.
Read more about the PATH seminar here:
PAHT seminar in Sweden on regional cooperation by police in the fight against human trafficking
Frøydis Johannessen
Phone
+45 21 71 71 44
Email
frjo@norden.org
Jenny Pentler
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+45 24 69 94 45
Email
jepe@norden.org