Addressing Human Trafficking in the Baltic Sea: Nordic-Baltic Partnership with Passenger Ferry Companies to Counter Trafficking in Human Beings, Smuggling of Migrants and Exploitation of Migrant Workers in the Baltic Sea Region

The HEUNI study “Addressing Human Trafficking in the Baltic Sea", released on the 20th of September, shed light on how human trafficking is related to the ferry industry, in particular in the Baltic Sea region. The report also looked at what ferry staff already know about human trafficking. The research confirms that the prevention of trafficking as such has not been prioritised by ferry companies in the region, although the corporate social responsibility strategies of many of the ferry operators do emphasise safety and security, in particular. Accordingly, one of the main conclusions of the research is that while human trafficking might not be one of the most topical problems in relation to the ferry industry in the Baltic Sea at the moment, the prevention of trafficking and related phenomena could become incorporated as a more integral element of the ethical and social responsibilities of the ferry companies.