New centres for preventing work-related crime
Published
The Government prioritises efforts to combat work-related crime, which in its most serious forms can involve human trafficking and human exploitation and is often a source of income for the criminal economy. Several regional centres for preventing work-related crime have opened in Sweden in late 2023. Minister for Gender Equality and Working Life and Deputy Minister for Employment Paulina Brandberg attended the opening of the Stockholm centre in mid-November.
“Work-related crime undermines confidence in fundamental social structures and is harmful, both to society and to individuals who are exploited for and subjected to crime. With all the centres open, there will be increased focus on how this kind of crime can be stopped. It’s important to have a deeper understanding of how this type of crime can be combated operatively,” says Ms Brandberg.
Work-related crime is a serious societal problem and is often cross-border in nature. It leads to distorted competition and to law abiding companies being undercut by unscrupulous companies. This creates insecurity in the labour market, exploits workers and risks channelling public funds to criminals.
Seven centres for preventing work-related crime
In 2022 and 2023, a total of seven regional centres for preventing work-related crime have opened in Sweden. They act as a hub for government agencies’ efforts to combat work-related crime and aim to facilitate the planning, implementation, and follow-up of the agencies’ joint inspections and other activities. They are co-located with regional intelligence centres for preventing organised crime. Working together offers major added value compared to if agencies only work within their own organisations.
Since earlier centres has been opened in Umeå, Gothenburg and Norrköping. In November, new centres opened in Örebro, Uppsala and Stockholm; and on the 1 of December the seventh centre in Malmö was opened.
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