Norway has continued to develop its legal and policy framework to combat human trafficking, but a new report from the Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings GRETA says stronger protections are still needed, especially for migrant workers, children, asylum seekers, and other vulnerable groups.
The evaluation, covering the period from 2022 to March 2026, highlights both progress and gaps in Norway’s response to trafficking. Authorities have introduced new offences such as wage theft, amended key labour and child welfare laws, and adopted a new national anti-trafficking strategy for 2025–2030. However, GRETA notes that Norway still lacks a systematic national mechanism for collecting data on identified victims, which limits a full understanding of the scale of exploitation.
According to estimates cited in the report, around 100 adult victims are identified each year, with most cases involving sexual exploitation, followed by forced labour or services. Victims come mainly from Latin America, Africa, Eastern Europe, and Asia. The report also notes a rise in Norwegian child victims, particularly in cases linked to online sexual exploitation.
A major concern raised is the vulnerability of migrant workers in sectors such as agriculture, construction, fishing, cleaning, hospitality, and transport. GRETA urges Norwegian authorities to ensure workers are proactively informed about their rights, wages, contracts, and complaint mechanisms, and to strengthen labour inspections and penalties for abusive employers. It also calls for a ban on recruitment fees and stronger safeguards around employment conditions.
The report further warns that asylum seekers and refugees face increased risk of trafficking and recommends better training for border officials to improve victim identification. It also encourages improved access to language training, vocational programmes, and labour market opportunities to reduce vulnerability during the asylum process.
Children are highlighted as another high-risk group, with concerns about criminal exploitation by gangs, including drug-related activities. GRETA says frontline professionals often lack sufficient training to identify child trafficking cases, and it raises concern over the absence of specialised shelters for child victims. It recommends mandatory training for child welfare and healthcare workers, as well as stronger proactive identification systems beyond police assessments.
The Council of Europe body also criticises the low number of trafficking convictions in Norway, particularly in labour exploitation cases, and calls for better-resourced specialised police units and improved training for prosecutors and judges. It further recommends stronger access to legal aid, compensation for victims, and better use of recovery and reflection periods.
Finally, GRETA stresses that victims of trafficking should not be punished for crimes they were forced to commit, and it urges Norway to establish a more structured national referral system involving cooperation with NGOs and frontline services to improve early detection and support for victims.