They had no money and did not know the language: Ukrainians fell into labor slavery in Finland, – media

Builders from Ukraine, along with builders from Latvia and Estonia, became victims of human trafficking in Finland. Reported by Yle.

Finnish law enforcement agencies, together with their Estonian counterparts, uncovered aggravated cases of human trafficking in the construction industry.

Foreigners from Ukraine, Latvia and Estonia were drawn to Finland to work in constructions that looked more like slavery, according to the investigation. “Employers” received 2.3 million euros from criminal activities.

Lawsuits were filed against 11 people on charges of human trafficking, pension fraud and using firearms.

The suspects employ workers for various jobs in the construction industry through the companies they have established. Workers arriving in Finland were misled and dragged into debt. Work shifts were long, there were no holidays or breaks, and working conditions were poor. In some cases, employees were not paid partially or fully.

“According to the police, for example, the suspects took advantage of the dependence of the persons concerned on the employer due to their proficiency in the language and lack of resources. Also, during the preliminary investigation, the violence and threats were directed at some employees,” he said.

Workers were registered as light entrepreneurs with a billing company without actually knowing the regulations and not understanding what light entrepreneurship is.

“The purpose of this arrangement was, among other things, to evade the employer’s obligations, reduce wages, transfer money from victims to suspects, and avoid pension insurance payments. Light entrepreneurship made it possible to artificially lower the wages of workers who are victimized by deducting miscellaneous expenses,” says chief Heinonen. investigation.

The organization promised workers free accommodation in Finland and wages for work done, but in fact, workers were calculated and fined not only for housing, but also for overalls. Few people’s salaries were so low that they even owed money to their employers.

The Finnish construction companies where the plaintiffs work are not suspected of committing any crimes.

Recall that during the six months of the full-scale occupation of Russian troops in Ukraine, 44% of Ukrainians were unemployed, and a quarter risked falling into labor slavery.