Trafficking in human beings for sexual and other purposes - Polisen

6. Analysis and recommendations44explained by the fact that a human trafficking or procuringcase may involve hundreds of sex-purchasers,which can take a long time to investigate. Sex-purchasershave to be identified and it is not unusual forthese cases to be referred to other police authorities inwhose geographical area the sex-purchasers reside.This may mean that reports and legal proceedingsconcerning purchases of sexual services are difficultto compare from one year to another when the legalproceedings are not initiated in the same year inwhich the report was made.Proposed measures: The work of combatinghuman trafficking, regardless of its purpose, must beconcentrated on all stages of this criminal activity. Inthe case of human trafficking for sexual purposes, thework of the police authorities is focused both on themen who purchase sexual services or sex acts fromchildren under the age of 18 in Sweden and in transitcountries, and on the organisers of human traffickinginside Sweden and abroad. This is of particularimportance in preventing serious crime organisationsfrom becoming established in Sweden, and for eliminatingthe demand for sexual services. To succeed inthis work, not only the police authorities but also theprosecuting authorities and the courts must regularlyenhance their skills through skill enhancement initiativesand exchanges of experience as well as prioritisingwork to combat these crimes.Need for review of visa procedures at certain SwedishembassiesAs mentioned earlier, the scale of tips received by theNational Bureau of Investigation concerning suspectedprostitution in relation to Thai massage parloursin Sweden remains high. (For more information, seesection 3.1 Trafficking in human beings for sexualpurposes p. 11).The checks that the Swedish Tax Agency made during2011-2012 regarding the cash management on alarger number of Thai massage parlours, and on severaloccasions, showed weaknesses in this. In conjunctionwith these controls, it was also observed inseveral places that members of staff were remarkablyscantily clad and in any case did not have residencepermits.The parallel investigation conducted by the NationalBureau of Investigation in relation to a human traffickinginvestigation in Belgium initiated in 2008,showed that visas issued by the Swedish Embassy inBangkok were a facilitating factor in carrying out thecrime in Belgium. The visas were issued because theEmbassy was, in various ways, misled in a number ofapplication cases. (For further information, see underthe heading Collaboration with Belgium p. 37). In2011 reports were also received concerning the factthat referees, who proved both to be known in relationto brothel operations in Denmark, acted assponsors for visa applications at the Swedish Embassyin Bangkok and thus recruited women to exploitthem in prostitution.Proposed measures: A thorough targeted reviewand improvement of the visa procedures at Swedishembassies in selected countries of origin should beimplemented urgently. Reviewing and improving thevisa procedures is expected to make it difficult for thenetworks that specialise in human trafficking for sexualpurposes. In cases where problems emerge concerningthe misuse of visas, work permits etc, stricterchecking of applications could be introduced in theembassies concerned with the aim of preventing peoplefrom falling victim to human trafficking or preventingfraudulent entry into the country.Proposed measures: The police investigation workon these crimes would be facilitated if the SwedishMigration Board were given the opportunity toinform the police authorities in cases where the samereferee crops up in a large number of visa applications.Such a measure would also prevent women andgirls in these countries of origin being subject to thesecrimes.Proposed measures: Consideration should be givento whether the sponsor/referee should be held finan-