10 October 2014 - The Philippine Embassy in Oslo organized a briefing for Filipino au pairs on essential information on anti-trafficking and the rights of victims of human trafficking in Norway on October 8 as part of its Gender and Development (GAD) Program. Resource speakers for the briefing were Mr. Tore Jørgen Fjær, Adviser at the  Prevention and Crime Fighting Section of the National Police Directorate Norway - National Coordinating Unit for Victims of Trafficking and Ms. Magnild Otnes of  the Norwegian People’s Aid Au Pair Center.

Mr. Fjær presented the organizational flow of the inter-agency working group and the operational working group involved in the implementation of anti-trafficking measures  and ensuring victims’ rights, which included a residence permit, free legal aid, a safe place to live, living expenses, medical attention, appropriate activities, including the facilitation of safe return and re-integration in the victim’s home country. Mr. Fjær showed statistics from 2013  that indicate  77% of victims of human trafficking are women, 12% are men, 5% are girls and 6% are boys.  67% were cases of sexual exploitation and 29% were of labor exploitation. Mr. Fjær noted that the present trend is an increase in labor exploitation.

Ms. Otnes gave a briefing on the role and activities of the Au Pair Center in Oslo.  She explained  provisions in Norway’s au pair contract that were brought to her attention by the au pairs attending the briefing. She clarified that the au pair scheme is cultural exchange in which the au pair must learn the Norwegian language because the ability to communicate in Norwegian is a must if the au pair has plans, after the au pair stint, of having another job and staying in Norway. Ms. Otnes also pointed out that every year, the Immigration Directorate (UDI) increases the au pair’s minimum amount of pocket money and the amount for the au pair’s Norwegian course and study materials. She further clarified that if the host family claims they had paid the taxes and gives the au pair less than the minimum pre-tax amount, the au pair must ask for the receipts on taxes paid by the host family for the au pair’s monies.  Ms. Otnes clarified that the au pair must ensure the contract has this phrase “Au pairen skal minimum få utbetalt den til enhver tid gjeldende minimumssatsen.” ("The au pair must at least be paid the prevailing minimum rate.)  Because then, whether the contract  is “old” or “new”, the host family is obliged to increase the monies for the au pair and the au pair must be aware of this by familiarizing with the contract she signed for the au pair stint.

The vast majority of au pairs in Norway are Filipinos, and among the Filipino au pairs, females largely outnumber males. The Immigration Directorate has published the increase in the pocket money and Norwegian course and study materials  for the year 2014. The host family must give the au pair a minimum of NOK 5400 per month pre-tax as pocket money/salary  and the host family must pay a minimum of NOK 8100 pre-tax for the au pair’s Norwegian course and study materials.

Around 20 au pairs attended the briefing held at the Chancery. END