Norwegian law enforcement officials are increasingly concerned that the country’s system is overly permissive, allowing criminals to exploit it for human trafficking.
The Short Version
- Authorities have identified significant loopholes in the system for seasonal workers, with falsified contracts and diplomas making it easy for traffickers to gain entry.
- The UDI has detected widespread fraud and is actively implementing measures to avert further exploitation.
- Approximately 100 new victims of human trafficking are uncovered each year in Norway, prompting calls for enhanced inter-agency collaboration.
This summary has been generated with AI assistance and verified by Aftenposten journalists.
“This case exemplifies a modus operandi we frequently encounter in the human trafficking landscape in Norway,” remarks police chief Johan Martin Welhaven from the Innlandet police district.
Over the past 12 years, Norwegian farmers have recruited more than 27,000 man-years of seasonal labor, according to data obtained by Aftenposten from the UDI. The majority of these workers arrive from Vietnam.
Aftenposten has uncovered troubling instances where workers have vanished from rural fields, only to reemerge entangled in crime.
The head of prosecution in the Innlandet police district has made it clear: the ease with which employment contracts and diplomas can be forged has resulted in a disturbing trend.
Systemic Flaws
“Fake employment contracts and diplomas serve as effective tools for gaining entry into the Schengen area,” he notes.
Johan Martin Welhaven
Head of the Joint Unit for Prosecution in the Interior Police District
Seasonal workers can obtain a visa from the UDI. However, Aftenposten has reviewed a number of troubling cases, revealing that:
- Farmers have signed blank job offers lacking the names of potential employees.
- These blank contracts have often been handed over to middlemen, who then send them to Vietnam, recruiting workers there.
- Copies of signed, empty job offers have been circulated, allowing multiple Vietnamese individuals to leverage the same contract.
- Both UDI and the police confirm that numerous individuals have entered Norway using such falsified documents, only to go missing thereafter.
“The situation demonstrates that, until now, Norwegian authorities have lacked sufficient systems to thwart the exploitation of this process,” says Welhaven. “It has been alarmingly easy to forge contracts and thereby secure entry for individuals who subsequently travel to other Schengen nations.”
UDI Responds: Immediate Action Taken
On its website, the UDI cautions that there has been a marked rise in fraud targeting those applying to work as seasonal laborers in Norway. Unscrupulous operators are charging fees with little to no legitimate employment to offer.
In an email to Aftenposten, Christiane Heffermehl Lange, head of the Residence unit at UDI, outlines their proactive measures. These were initiated following the discovery of multiple fraudulent job offers in 2022.
“We took immediate action to mitigate the risk of further abuse,” she writes.
Most instances of fraud were detected before workers arrived in Norway, meaning those whose applications were denied while abroad never made it to the country. From this experience, we have begun verifying job offers directly with employers for all applications from Vietnam,” Lange explains.
Despite these precautions, many individuals still managed to arrive in Norway—and vanish.
Lange adds that UDI is working to implement a new technical solution aimed at preventing the submission of fake job offers.
A Staggering Toll: 100 New Victims Annually
Joakim Øren, State Secretary in the Ministry of Justice and Emergency Preparedness, has communicated to Aftenposten the government’s commitment to combating human trafficking, a crime that ravages lives.
“Each year, approximately 100 new victims—children, women, and men alike—fall prey to human trafficking in Norway. This is a grievous offense, and the government is resolute in its efforts to address it,” writes Øren.
As part of a comprehensive strategy against human trafficking introduced earlier this spring, the government aims to enhance collaboration among the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority, the police, and UDI regarding potential trafficking cases.
“This initiative is driven by a clear need for a cohesive approach to effectively tackle this critical issue.