Norway has gambled on catching more human traffickers by implementing a new law to help their victims. The Ministry of Labour and Social Inclusion gave instructions to the Directorate of Immigration (UDI) to provide qualifying victims with residence permits to stay in Norway.
“The new instructions allow permanent work or residence permits for Norway to be issued to the persons in question. This is to ensure that victims of human trafficking can testify without fear of retaliation in their country of origin, and to make sure that we catch more ringleaders,” Labour and Social Inclusion State Secretary Libe Rieber-Mohn said.
The newspaper Balita reported the story, adding Secretary Rieber-Mohn’s motivation for the special permits. “This is (also) a good measure that will make it easier to persuade the women to testify against the ringleaders, while at the same time ensuring guaranteeing the safety of the women involved,” Secretary Rieber-Mohn explained. “Human trafficking is a cynical industry in which the ringleaders make billions. The victims have a central role, and they are often decisive in terms of bringing criminal charges and convicting the ringleaders. If the victims risk being sent out of the country after a criminal case, they are vulnerable to further harassment and abuse in their countries of origin.”