Vigorously investigate trafficking crimes and prosecute and convict traffickers using the anti-trafficking law, with an increased focus on pursuing labor trafficking cases. * Screen all foreign nationals and asylum-seekers for indicators of trafficking and stay deportation of potential victims prior to screening. * Ensure all trafficking victims receive access to assistance regardless of whether authorities investigate and prosecute a trafficking crime as another crime. * Train authorities to consistently implement the existing non-punishment provisions in the criminal code, ensuring trafficking victims are not inappropriately penalized solely for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of being trafficked. * Train police on investigating trafficking cases, collecting evidence, and applying trafficking laws. * Retain staff and resources of police anti-trafficking units to effectively investigate trafficking cases. * Enhance efforts to proactively identify and assist trafficking victims, particularly children, by training relevant workers on the new national guidelines. * Establish an NRM and victim identification procedures that receive adequate input from NGOs, define processes and roles of all relevant government agencies and front-line actors, and train those actors to ensure uniform implementation nationwide. * Develop and implement a reliable comprehensive statistical system for collecting and collating data, including on victim identification and assistance and investigations, prosecutions, and convictions. * Develop an updated NAP, corresponding to the current situation and trends in Norway, with related anti-trafficking activities.

The government decreased law enforcement efforts. Sections 257 and 258 of the penal code criminalized sex trafficking and labor trafficking and prescribed penalties of up to six years’ imprisonment for crimes involving adult victims and up to 10 years’ imprisonment for those involving child victims. These penalties were sufficiently stringent and, with respect to sex trafficking, commensurate with penalties for other grave crimes, such as rape. Police investigated 27 trafficking cases (17 sex trafficking, eight labor trafficking, and two unspecified forms of trafficking), compared with 32 in 2022. Authorities did not prosecute or convict any traffickers, marking a multi-year decrease from two prosecutions in 2022 and six in 2021 and from one conviction in 2022 and 12 in 2021. The government did not report any investigations, prosecutions, or convictions of government employees complicit in human trafficking crimes. The Norwegian government regularly collaborated with other European governments at national and local levels to pursue investigations and prosecutions of alleged traffickers. In 2023, the government posted a liaison officer in the Philippines to increase cooperation on cases of online exploitation of children. Under the auspices of the Nordic Council of Ministers, officials from all five Nordic countries maintained an anti-trafficking working group comprising stakeholders from across the region engaging on trends, best practices, challenges, and activities in their respective countries. As part of the working group and to facilitate international policing efforts, authorities developed a police network composed of Nordic police officers cooperating on cross-border investigations, exchanging information, and conducting trainings on investigating trafficking cases.

Staffing changes, reallocated funds, and knowledge gaps limited progress. All 12 police districts maintained dedicated anti-trafficking units responsible for investigating, prosecuting, and preventing cases. The number of investigators comprising each unit varied on the size of the district. Units operated in divisions with organized crime units, used the same investigative methods throughout the country, and had access to the same technical support. Staffing changes among police, such as transfers from anti-trafficking units to other investigative units to fill gaps, reduced focus on and knowledge of trafficking and anti-trafficking laws in some districts. Observers raised concerns that these changes could result in insufficient investigations and prosecutions and fewer identified victims. Experts criticized police for not having a point of contact for trafficking cases in Øst Police District, one of the largest in the country. Experts also criticized police for lacking the will and knowledge to investigate trafficking cases, leading to a dearth of investigations and case law. According to police, trafficking cases were demanding to investigate because they require a lot of resources and time and are challenging to prove, and limited capacity impacted its ability to conduct anti-trafficking prevention activities. Furthermore, police chiefs reallocated financial resources intended for the anti-trafficking units to other units inside the police based on priority, directly impacting investigations, prosecutions, and convictions. Government officials and NGO representatives noted forced labor continued to be a concern. Most suspected forced labor cases resulted in prosecutions on lesser charges of “social dumping,” whereby workers were given unacceptably low wages or unreasonable working conditions, such as long hours or inadequate living quarters, that were substandard compared to the law, because the burden of proof was difficult to meet and officials did not have a good understanding of forced labor. As in previous years, investigators and prosecutors continued to charge traffickers with non-trafficking crimes, such as narcotics and “pimping,” which subsequently barred victims from access to specific rights, such as legal aid. Under the law, when authorities investigated and prosecuted a trafficking crime as another crime, victims were unable to access assistance granted to trafficking victims. Officials noted authorities struggled charging traffickers under the trafficking statute because meeting the burden of proof was difficult, citing cases of online exploitation as particularly challenging to prosecute because traffickers hid traces of their crime via anonymous servers and other technological defenses. Experts attributed charging traffickers with non-trafficking crimes to insufficient evidence collection and authorities’ lack of expertise and knowledge and assessed more systematic training could enhance competence among investigators and prosecutors. The National Criminal Investigation Service maintained a national group of experts, consisting mostly of investigators and prosecutors, aimed at increasing understanding and knowledge of trafficking in the Norwegian Police Authority. The group’s responsibilities included sharing knowledge between police and prosecutors, developing working methods and anti-trafficking efforts, and advancing cooperation with relevant stakeholders. The group and KOM, the agency for coordinating efforts between authorities and relevant organizations, organized several seminars and trainings throughout the year for stakeholders from national and municipal levels, the health care sector, civil society, and academia on various topics, such as identifying victims and understanding regional trends.

The government slightly increased protection efforts. In 2023, KOM published an annual report on human trafficking with information on victim identification and assistance but did not disaggregate data for identified victims. Per the report, authorities identified 120 victims in 2023, a more than twofold increase from 57 in 2022. For the past seven years, the government delayed developing an NRM, which experts asserted would strengthen the identification of victims and overall data collection. According to experts, the absence of an NRM led to a fragmented structure and unclear roles and responsibilities for the many actors who came into contact with trafficking victims. While KOM and the Ministry of Justice and Public Security (MOJ) initiated processes to establish an NRM, none resulted in a mutually agreed upon proposal by various stakeholders. NGOs reported stakeholders had different agendas when it came to content and outcomes and some feared losing their position as an NRM would assign actors specific roles. Nonetheless, at the end of the reporting period, KOM and the MOJ continued the process. In the interim, to address some of these concerns, in 2023, KOM, in cooperation with other stakeholders, developed national guidelines for identifying trafficking victims and referring them to assistance. The guidelines included information on victim services and were available online for authorities, such as police, labor inspectors, and child protection services, as well as civil society. Experts reported some authorities were unaware of the new guidelines and called for the government to train on implementation.

The government provided victim assistance through municipal crisis centers and government-funded NGOs. According to KOM’s annual report, the government provided 216 potential trafficking victims (158 women, 55 men, and three members of the LGBTQI+ community), including all identified victims, with assistance in 2023, such as accommodations, and disaggregated data on potential trafficking victims. The vast majority of potential trafficking victims were foreign victims exploited in sex trafficking; six were Norwegian citizens. Authorities identified 13 child trafficking victims among the potential trafficking victims. Government-funded NGOs provided foreign and domestic victims with legal aid, medical assistance, psychological care, stipends for food, and accommodations, which included specialized centers, shelters for victims of domestic violence, and a shelter for male trafficking victims in Oslo. In 2023, the government allocated 37.5 million Norwegian kroner (NOK) ($3.69 million) for victim assistance services, compared with 37 million NOK ($3.64 million) in 2022, and an additional 5 million NOK ($491,840) to an NGO for victim assistance services and operating a hotline. In addition, Oslo’s Labor and Welfare Administration received funds from the city to provide services to trafficking victims in Oslo but did not report the amount of funds received. An NGO that provided assistance to individuals in commercial sex ran a program offering training and work experience to trafficking victims through internships. Oslo’s Labor and Social Affairs Department maintained Human Trafficking Support Oslo to assist and support adult victims, including foreign victims, in a six-month reflection period. During the reflection period, victims received legal assistance, health care services, shelter, and other necessary support. The Directorate of Immigration (UDI) followed the formal process established in the new guidelines to grant trafficking victims a reflection period to determine whether they would participate in criminal proceedings and apply for a residence permit or asylum in Norway. The law permitted residency to victims who testified in a criminal case regardless of whether it was prosecuted as a trafficking case or another crime. In 2023, authorities granted a reflection period to 10 victims and temporary residence permits of up to 12 months to 10 victims. Authorities granted six residence permits to potential victims based on protection status. Observers raised concerns police focused on an individual’s lack of residence permit or immigration documentation than screening them for trafficking indicators, resulting in the deportation of potential victims. Furthermore, observers criticized authorities for failing to screen potential trafficking victims during deportation proceedings, deporting potential witnesses of trafficking crimes, and showing more concern with fulfilling deportation quotas than investigating trafficking cases. The law allowed trafficking victims from countries in the European Economic Area (EEA) to receive full financial reintegration support to their country of origin. However, NGOs expressed concern that victims from outside the EEA who were ineligible for financial support, such as asylum-seekers whose asylum applications were rejected, were at risk of re-victimization. UDI and an international organization implemented a return and reintegration project for potential trafficking victims; in 2023, the project ensured the safe return of three potential victims.

The Child Protection Act required Child Welfare Services (CWS) to temporarily place all potential child victims in an institution for six weeks at a time and up to six months, for their protection and care, and without consent, if authorities considered them at risk for human trafficking. CWS directly assisted all identified child trafficking victims regardless of citizenship (16 in 2023) under the auspices of the Directorate for Children, Youth, and Family Affairs’ national guidance trafficking unit. The unit worked to improve procedures to identify child victims, support coordination among government authorities, and provide training and capacity-building activities. In 2023, the unit conducted several seminars, focusing on topics related to child trafficking, for child protection services employees and various stakeholders working in the field. CWS provided child trafficking victims support, such as interviews and medical examinations, at Barnehus – multidisciplinary centers (11 throughout Norway) offering a coordinated, child-sensitive approach to preventing re-traumatization during criminal proceedings. An NGO expressed concern statistics did not accurately reflect the number of child trafficking victims in country. To assist with the identification and investigation of trafficking cases involving children, the government maintained procedures for cooperation among police, immigration authorities, and CWS. Officials reported a lack of knowledge about trafficking among child protection services hindered identification. In response to these concerns, the new guidelines included child trafficking related information.

The government maintained 16 centers providing victims participating in criminal proceedings with guidance and support, including assistance applying for compensation and legal advice. The law entitled trafficking victims to financial compensation from traffickers and to three hours of free legal aid, regardless of income or immigration status, to consider applying for a reflection period. Experts raised concerns authorities did not consistently implement existing non-punishment provisions in the criminal code and instead penalized victims for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of being trafficked. Under Section 62a of the Criminal Procedure Act, prosecutors could reduce or remit penalties in cases involving more grave crimes. According to experts, however, some prosecutors believed individuals could not be compelled to commit a crime and were, thus, unwilling to reduce or remit penalties, especially in cases involving more grave crimes. Furthermore, experts reported authorities did not screen for trafficking indicators during investigations, hindering implementation of the non-punishment provision; did not always view suspected criminals as potential victims; and placed the onus on victims to prove their victimization. An NGO noted, because of a lack of training, police continued to neglect identifying some potential victims, and therefore charged, prosecuted, and deported victims when they should have received protection. An NGO and lawyer continued collaborating with the Norwegian Correctional Service, and, in 2023, identified one potential victim penalized for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of being trafficked.

The government increased prevention efforts. The MOJ coordinated the government’s anti-trafficking efforts and led an inter-ministerial working group composed of representatives from seven ministries. The group facilitated information sharing, developed anti-trafficking activities and action items, and ensured implementation of the NAP in collaboration with KOM and other relevant stakeholders. NGOs raised concerns about a lack of government interest and leadership on the issue, citing limited staffing in the government – KOM employed two senior advisors, and the MOJ did not employ any staff dedicated to human trafficking. NGOs also emphasized the need for the government to develop an updated NAP – the most recent NAP was adopted in 2016 – to address the current trafficking situation and trends in country, including increased online exploitation, and identifying responsibilities among various stakeholders. In 2023, the MOJ increased funding for information campaigns run by NGOs totaling 1.4 million NOK ($137,710), compared with 1 million NOK ($98,370) in 2022. A government-funded NGO managed a 24-hour hotline for potential trafficking victims, available in Norwegian, English, Spanish, Arabic, and Thai. The hotline received 64 calls from identified trafficking victims in 2023. The government made efforts to reduce the demand for commercial sex acts by funding two projects that provided counselling for persons who purchased sexual services and investigating and fining individuals purchasing sexual services. To complement domestic efforts, the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) granted international funding agreements through 2023 worth 190 million NOK ($18.7 million) for its Development Program to End Modern Slavery, which sought to reduce the prevalence and scope of trafficking in selected partner countries and sectors, and to cooperate with multilateral and civil society organizations. Separately, NORAD pledged 190 million NOK ($18.7 million) for a three-year project (2020-2023) targeting countries in the Sub-Saharan region of Africa with a focus on forced labor and child labor. Government representatives continued to participate in the Council of Baltic Sea States anti-trafficking task force, working to strengthen and improve anti-trafficking policies in the region, consolidate expertise from the national level with the international level, and exchange information on efforts and best practices. The government also participated in the Alliance 8.7 donor coordination working group to eradicate forced labor, end human trafficking, and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labor.

According to government officials and NGOs, forced labor remained a concern; the government continued to raise awareness of Norwegian laws and regulations among employers while, simultaneously, encouraging the public to abstain from purchasing abnormally cheap and potentially illegal services. Norwegian law prohibited recruitment agencies from charging fees to job seekers for placement services and required the labor inspectorate to monitor agencies for compliance. In addition, Norwegian law required medium- to large-sized companies operating in Norway to conduct due diligence assessments for human rights issues and labor conditions in their supply chains and provide information on how those companies managed violations to human rights and decent working conditions. As part of its work to promote corporate social responsibility, the government maintained an advisory center with resources and advice for companies on corporate social responsibility and stipulated that vendors respect internationally recognized human rights in government-awarded contracts. The government implemented its action plan against “social dumping” and work-related crime, which included several measures aimed at preventing the exploitation, including trafficking, of foreign workers, and an action plan against “social dumping” in the transportation sector. In addition, the government continued to implement its strategy against criminal activities in the workplace and in the labor market, which included control mechanisms and measures to combat illegal activities, including trafficking, and required cooperation among authorities, labor inspectors, NGOs, and businesses. The government also continued to implement its strategy against work-related crime, including labor trafficking, by regularly conducting workplace inspections, especially at construction sites and car washes, which were known to be frequently noncompliant with the law. According to authorities, inspections have led to detecting forced labor cases in the past. The government maintained seven interagency centers against work-related crime, consisting of representatives from the police, the Directorate of Labor and Welfare, and the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority, among others, to identify and investigate labor trafficking cases in collaboration with the anti-trafficking police units. The government maintained its international vessel tracking center in Vardø that communicates data and analysis about illegal vessels and, through the use of a digital platform developed by Norway, enables secure intergovernmental cooperation to combat fisheries crime. Analysts from the Norwegian Fisheries Directorate supported the center and produced reports on the movement of fishing vessels and potential illegal fishing operations. With government funding, an independent social science research foundation conducted a five-year project focusing on Norwegian policy development and efforts to combat exploitation of foreign workers, including the effects of increased interagency cooperation in anti-trafficking efforts, “social dumping,” and work-related crime. The same research foundation, in collaboration with an international organization, concluded a project on estimating the prevalence of presumed labor trafficking victims among foreign workers in Norway, and KOM hosted a seminar on the findings.

Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the government has taken steps to mitigate the potential for trafficking among refugees by developing informational material for refugees on trafficking risks in English, Russian, and Ukrainian. In addition, the government collaborated with an intergovernmental organization to conduct a workshop for NGOs, police, and other authorities on trafficking risks among Ukrainian refugees. UDI distributed information packages in multiple languages to Ukrainian refugees. The MOJ and inter-ministerial working group tasked directorates, such as the Directorate for Children, Youth and Family Affairs and UDI, to combat potential risks of trafficking by raising awareness of the risks among local authorities and municipalities. Police monitored for potential trafficking cases, particularly cases involving former convicted criminals transporting Ukrainian refugees to Norway in exchange for commercial sex. Moreover, the government granted nearly 57,000 refugees from Ukraine temporary protection status.

As reported over the past five years, human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Norway, and, to a lesser extent, traffickers exploit victims from Norway abroad. Vulnerable groups include children, migrants, and members of the LGBTQI+ community. Trafficking victims primarily originate from Africa, Europe, and South America, with the vast majority being adult women, often in their 30s with some intellectual disabilities, exploited in sex trafficking. Reports indicate an increase in victims from Thailand who come to Norway to reunite with their Norwegian spouses, and, once in the country, traffickers exploit them in labor or commercial sex. Traffickers tend to use threats and emotional manipulation to force victims into exploitation versus aggravated violence. Traffickers, particularly those who are part of criminal networks with international connections, increasingly use the Internet, social media, and messaging applications to recruit victims through fake advertisements and exploit victims in commercial sex. The government has reported cases of girls forced into marriage, which often correlate to sex trafficking and forced labor. Traffickers exploit women and girls in sex trafficking in massage parlors and men and women in labor trafficking, specifically in domestic servitude as well as in restaurants, grocery stores, and car repair shops. Other high-risk sectors include the agriculture, construction, hospitality, textiles, transportation, and extractive industries. Traffickers confiscate identification documents, withhold wages, and use debt-based coercion to control and exploit victims. Traffickers subject children to forced criminal activities and other forms of forced labor, including illegal employment in car washes and private housekeeping. In recent years, authorities and civil society representatives reported an increase in labor trafficking cases. Typically, labor trafficking victims are foreign workers whose traffickers are either their employers or other employees who act as facilitators. Reports indicate forced labor was a serious problem in the fisheries sector. Many fishers are foreign workers that are highly vulnerable to exploitation, including trafficking, aboard fishing vessels, which often operate far from shore. Labor trafficking in this sector is often associated with other criminal activities, such as illegal fishing and environmental crimes. More than 65,000 refugees fleeing Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine arriving in Norway are highly vulnerable to trafficking. Reports indicate traffickers working in criminal networks lure Ukrainian refugees via social media into exploitative situations before they leave Ukraine, offering transportation out of the country or shelter in exchange for commercial sex in Norway and other European countries.