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Identifying victims of human trafficking

The Centre of Expertise in Immigrant Integration of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment has published an instruction card to help those involved in integration and others to recognise labour exploitation and human trafficking. The card also provides instructions on what to do if suspicions of exploitation or human trafficking arise in a customer service situation.

The instruction card was produced as part of the IKUT project of the Centre of Expertise in Immigrant Integration of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, the European Institute for Crime Prevention and Control (HEUNI) and the assistance system for victims of human trafficking. The IKUT project focusing on the working life skills and capacity development of victims of human trafficking has been funded by the European Social Fund. The funding was granted by the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY Centre) of Häme.

The instruction card: How to recognise labour exploitation and human trafficking?

Translations of the question list on the instruction card

The instruction card contains a list of questions, which have been translated into 13 languages. The translations are identical to the question list on the English instruction card. In situations with customers, the official can give the list of questions to customers to answer in their own language or in the language they know best. The official then compares the ‘Yes’, ‘Maybe’ and ’No’ answers to the question list on the English instruction card. If the customer has ticked ‘Yes’ to at least one question or ‘Maybe’ to two or more questions, the official should examine the customer’s situation in more detail. In customer service situations where Finnish, Swedish or English is spoken, the official goes through the questions orally with the customer. This is why no separate question lists are available in these languages.

How to use the question list

  1. Print the question list in the customer’s own language or in the language the customer knows best.
  2. Tell the customer that the questions are meant to assess his or her situation and that you and the interpreter are bound by non-disclosure obligation. 
  3. Give the question list to the customer to complete.
  4. Compare the customer’s answers to your English instruction card.
  5. If the number of ‘Yes’ or ‘Maybe’ answers is a cause for concern, review the situation or refer the customer to other services as advised on the instruction card.

Question list in different languages