Mobile app helps to combat human trafficking

A mobile application produced for foreign workers in different languages is expected to help to combat human trafficking.

The application named ´The Work Help Finland´, produced for foreign workers coming to Finland and residing in Finland, provides information about employee rights and responsibilities and the key parties that provide help in Finland, said the Ministry of the Interior in a press release on Monday…

The application includes an information package and key contact details in a total of 26 languages.

Foreign workers need to have access to information in their native language about working in Finland to prevent labor exploitation and human trafficking, said the ministry.

The Work Help Finland application was developed in the project on planned management of multi-authority action last year.

The project was part of the Government’s Action plan for tackling the grey economy and economic crime in 2020–2023.

The idea for the application came up on the basis of feedback received on supervision by the authorities.

Foreign workers hoped that information about employee rights and responsibilities would be easily available via a mobile phone application.

“Providing information is key in preventing and combating labor exploitation,” said Juha Tuovinen, Chief Superintendent of the Ministry of the Interior.

The Police University College (Poliisiammattikorkeakoulu- Polamk) carried out a communication project aimed at making the application better known.

“In the project, we produced a toolkit to support the authorities’ practical communication, including materials for use in customer service and on supervision visits, for example. As soon as the application gains more general visibility, not only the authorities, but members of the general public as well will be able to identify their possibilities for sharing information about this subject area,” said Terhi Kankaanranta, Senior Researcher of Polamk.