Report by Denmark on THB March 2010

The Fight against Trafficking in Human Beings – Danish Actions1. AnalysesSeveral analyses have been made in Denmark. However, it is difficult to gain precise knowledge regarding the extent of human trafficking, both worldwide as well as in Denmark.In Denmark, the main focus in relation to trafficking has been on prostitution, and the majority of trafficked persons are believed to be trafficked into prostitution. In 2009, social organisations offering services to victims of trafficking in Denmark had contact to 1067 women which could have been potential victims of human trafficking. From August 2007 to December 2009, 91 women and one man have been identified as victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation.In 2009 one child has been identified as victim of trafficking. There have been 5 more cases with strong indication of trafficking.There are many grey-zones when examining the field of human trafficking; potentially a great number of victims of human trafficking, for example individuals working in escort prostitution, are never identified by law-enforcement agencies or social services, and therefore are not included in national statistics. Information from various social organisations can therefore be utilized as an indicator for tendencies in the field of trafficking, but cannot be considered alone, when estimating the extent of human trafficking in Denmark.The analyses made in Denmark include among other things:• Annual status rapports made by the cross-ministerial work group for combating trafficking in human beings• Reports and strategies from the Danish National Police• Report on Au Pair and Human Trafficking from the Danish Centre against Human Trafficking, 2010• Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Women, December 2002• Appendix to the Danish Government’s Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Women, September 2005• Action Plan to Combat trafficking in Human Beings 2007-2010• Evaluations of the action plans2. National Co-ordinating Mechanism, National Action Plan and National RapporteurNational Co-ordinating MechanismDenmark has a National Co-ordinating Mechanism, namely The Danish Centre against Human Trafficking. The centre was officially established in September 2007 and manages the social dimensions of the national Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings 2007 – 2010. The centre has three executive goals:• To improve the social assistance offered to victims of human trafficking.• To coordinate collaboration between social organizations and other public authorities.• To collect and convey knowledge in the field of human trafficking.The Danish Centre against Human Trafficking is organized within the National Board of Social Services, and reports to the Danish Minister of Gender Equality and the Department of Gender Equality, the authority responsible for the implementation of the national Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings 2007 - 2010. The Danish Centre against Human Trafficking is responsible for the implementation of numerous key elements of the Action Plan.National Action PlanDenmark has the following National Action plans:• Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Women, December 2002• Appendix to the Danish Government’s Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Women, September 2005• Action Plan to Combat trafficking in Human Beings 2007-2010The target groups for the National Action Plan are all individuals who have been subjected to human trafficking in Denmark. The largest group has, until now, been women trafficked into prostitution, but children trafficked into crime, begging or prostitution as well as men and women trafficked into forced labour, crime, or organ donation are also included in the Action Plan.National RapporteurDenmark does not have an independent National Rapporteur. The Danish Centre against Human Trafficking (see above), however, collects data within the field of trafficking in human beings.3. National Legislation regarding human traffickingLegislation related to human trafficking was incorporated into the Danish Penal Code in 2002 and went into practice on June 8, 2002. The formulation of Section 262 a of the penal code is based on and in order to implement simultaneously the United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in human beings to the so-called Palermo Convention of 2000 Against Transnational Organized Crime as well as the EU Framework Decision of July 19, 2002 in Combating Trafficking in Human Beings. The provision thus comprises all forms of trafficking in human beings as defined in these two acts.1 August 2007 an amendment to the Danish Aliens (Consolidation) Act (law no. 504, 6 June 2007) went into practice. Within the field of the Ministry of Refugee, Immigration and Integration Affairs it implemented the following initiatives from the National Action Plan:• An expanded period of reflection of up to 100 days if particular reasons make it appropriate or if the alien is cooperating concerning a prepared return (the Aliens (Consolidation) Act, Section 33, subsection 14) (the time-limit for departure is otherwise 30 days)• A change of the expulsion practice for aliens subject to trafficking (the Aliens (Consolidation) Act, Section 26 a)• The appointment of a personal representative to all unaccompanied aliens under the age of 18 (the Aliens (Consolidation) Act, Section 56 a, Subsection 1)• A expanded search for the parents of unaccompanied children (the Aliens (Consolidation) Act, Section 56 a, Subsection 8)Sources: The Danish Centre against Human Trafficking and the Danish Ministry for Gender, Equality