[ Human Trafficking, Country-by-Country ]

SWEDEN (Tier 1) – Extracted in part from the U.S. State Dept 2023 TIP Report

The Government of Sweden fully meets the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking.  The government continued to demonstrate serious and sustained efforts during the reporting period, considering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, if any, on its anti-trafficking capacity; therefore Sweden remained on Tier 1.  These efforts included increasing the number of identified victims, including for labor trafficking; introducing a sustainable financial mechanism for consistent funding toward shelters and NGOs supporting victims of violence, including trafficking; and allocating more funds to the national support program (NSP) – a civil society platform representing 20 NGOs assisting trafficking victims.  The government also approved and enacted an amendment to the law allowing municipal social welfare boards to apply for a 30-day reflection period on behalf of foreign trafficking victims, giving them the opportunity for assistance and recovery regardless of their cooperation with authorities.  In addition, the government updated identification procedures and digitized the NRM, making it more accessible and user-friendly.  Furthermore, the government established two regional centers addressing workplace crime, including labor trafficking.  In response to the inflow of refugees fleeing Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the government established secure registration at Sweden’s borders to enable identification and protection for vulnerable refugees, especially children; produced information on preventing and detecting trafficking among adults and unaccompanied children; and operated a support hotline for professionals working with refugees who fled Ukraine.  Although the government meets the minimum standards, authorities investigated, prosecuted, and convicted fewer traffickers.  Moreover, the government continued to provide inconsistent funding to NGOs for assistance to victims, hindering their ability to comply with obligations and demand.  Finally, the level of assistance to victims was conditional on their cooperation with investigations and prosecutions.

Prioritized Recommendations

Vigorously investigate and prosecute trafficking crimes, convict traffickers using the trafficking statute rather than crimes with lesser penalties when possible, and seek adequate penalties for convicted traffickers, which should involve significant prison terms.

Ensure all victims have full, unconditional access to assistance, regardless of whether they cooperate with authorities.

Allocate adequate funding to NGOs for victim assistance.

Proactively identify trafficking victims and screen for trafficking indicators, particularly among vulnerable groups, such as unaccompanied children.

Provide clear procedures for identifying child victims and train relevant workers to identify potential victims and recognize trafficking indicators.

Train investigators and prosecutors on evidence collection and applying anti-trafficking laws and officials involved in judicial proceedings, particularly judges, on understanding all aspects of trafficking.

Develop procedures for labor inspections, clearly outlining roles and responsibilities for participating agencies.

Establish specialized housing for trafficking victims, including for male victims.

Strengthen international law enforcement cooperation to prevent and investigate child sex tourism.