9.000 humans are slaves in Norway

Slavery. Photo: Pixabay.com

As many as 9.000 are slaves in Norway

A report estimates that up to 9,000 persons may be slaves in Norway. In total, more than 40 million people in the world live in both modern and traditional slavery. Many are victims of war or snared into prostitution. Child marriage is also defined as a form of slavery.

 

Recent figures from the Global Slavery Index report estimates that the number of modern slaves, both in Norway and the West as such, can be many times higher than previously estimated.

According to the newspaper, the Police Coordination Unit for Victims of Human Trafficking (COM) estimates that 262 people received assistance as potential victims of human trafficking in 2016. The report estimates that 9,000 persons are held as slaves in Norway.

Advisor in the think-tank Skaperkraft (Power of Creation), Catharine Drejer, does not refute that the number of slaves in Norway may be close to the figure that the report estimates.

Diverging views on the figures

– The figures we use in Norway, including COM, relate only to those who are reported as victims – but do not make use of estimates. This figure is also really low and there is every reason to believe that the real number of slaves is far higher, says Drejer to the newspaper Dagen.

The leader of the Rosa project, Mildrid Mikkelsen believes that the report’s figures are too high. The Rosa project is working with victims of human trafficking.

– No, it does not sound realistic. Admittedly, the term slavery in the report includes more forms of exploitation than defined as being human trafficking in Norway today. Furthermore, it is true that there are a lot of hidden victims not included in the 200-300 that are identified, but the figure from the report seems way too high in light of the reality we are facing, says Mikkelsen.

 

© NTB scanpix / #Norway Today