A Nepalese couple who owned a restaurant in Helsinki have been sentenced to one year and eight months of conditional imprisonment and community service by the Helsinki District Court for human trafficking and aggravated extortion. The sentence pertains to their mistreatment of two Nepalese domestic workers, who were subjected to inhumane working conditions and exploitation. The victims were linguistically challenged and had limited knowledge of their employee rights in Finland.
During the workers’ years-long employment, they received no actual days off or enough annual leave, and worked from early morning to late night doing housework and serving the couple’s visiting relatives and acquaintances at home, and occasionally working in the couple’s restaurant. The workers received very little salary for their work, as most of it was paid to their families in Nepal instead of being used for themselves. The workers were also in debt to their employers due to unpaid wages and had restricted social lives while being fearful and respectful of their employers.
The district court found that the compensation for the workers’ work was unreasonably low and that their human dignity had been violated. They were subjected to inhumane working conditions and were trafficked by the couple who had used deception, taking advantage of the victims’ dependent position and insecure status to control their lives. The same judgment also found the couple guilty of aggravated extortion against another Nepalese worker.
This case highlights the dangers of human trafficking and exploitation of vulnerable individuals. Employers must recognize the rights of all workers, especially those who may be at a disadvantage due to their linguistic and social limitations. The law must be enforced to ensure that all perpetrators of such violations of human rights and dignity are held accountable.
