Eva Biaudet
Image: Yle
The office of the Ombudsman for Minorities is looking into whether the Finnish Immigration Service is able to recognise possible cases of human trafficking as it processes family reunification applications.
The Interior Ministry said recently it suspects that there are some cases of human trafficking among the current flood of applications to bring foster children from Somalia -- the vast majority of them being teen-aged girls, according to a report published in the newspaper Helsingin Sanomat on Sunday.
On Monday, Minorities Ombudsman Eva Biaudet asked why the Immigration Service has not reported any such cases to support organisations for victims of human trafficking.
She plans to find out whether there are grounds for such suspicions or shortcomings in the application process.
Biaudet, a former Minister of Health and Social Services, served as the OSCE's Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings until taking over as Ombudsman this year.
Under Finnish law, victims of human trafficking -- or even suspected victims -- are eligible for participation in a support system. Two immigrant reception centres, in Joensuu and Oulu, are specialised in assisting such individuals. Victims receive official protection and may be given temporary residence permits pending police investigations.
Biaudet told YLE that she wants answers on the issue from the Immigration Service by September 10.
Backlog of Applications for Somali Foster Kids
Tighter Rules on Family Reunification
YLE, Helsingin Sanomat
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