More minors victims of human trafficking in Norway last year
In 2015, 301 possible victims of trafficking were identified in Norway. Of these 42 were minors, an increase from the previous year, when 36 children were reported as possible victims.
The figures come from a report by the Coordination Unit for Victims of Trafficking (KOM) in the Police Department, the newspaper VG writes.
The increase is considered to be connected to the drastic increase of unaccompanied minors who came to Norway in 2015. Senior Adviser Julie Platou Kvammen KOM says these children are particularly vulnerable because they are unaccompanied and can easily form an attachment to adults who looks like they could become caregivers of the children.
– We see that they can be exploited sexually or be forced to do things like selling drugs or carrying out thefts for the traffickers.
The children can also be used for other forms of trafficking like being exploited for forced labor such as house cleaning or washing of cars, Kvammen, who prepared the report, says.
The Directorate notes that the number of children who are identified and monitored as potential victims of human trafficking, has varied in the years from 2007 to 2015.
Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today
