Labor exploitation is when someone, most often a supervisor, benefits from the work effort of another person. It can be when a person is tricked to accept a job with false information about wages and work hours, circumstances, and housing. Perpetrators use deceit and threats to prevent the victim from seeking help or stop working for them.

Labor exploitation is the most common manifestation of human trafficking in Iceland and it can happen anywhere. The most common places are in construction, cleaning, and other service jobs, such as hotels and restaurants. Labor exploitation can be the case if:   

Your supervisor makes you work long hours without having a choice. 

You live in unacceptable housing with several individuals. 

Your supervisor threatens to have you deported if you don’t do as he says.

Your supervisor threatens you or your family with violence if you don’t do as he says. 

You don’t get paid for cleaning the house or other service jobs you do extra. 

Your supervisor adds a location tracking app into your phone to watch your every step, against your will. 

Labor exploitation can be difficult to spot. It is easy to get help. Start the conversation with 112 to find out.

ASÍ is the head organization for labor workers in Iceland and provides the website labour.is, where workers can seek information on duties and rights in the work market in 11 languages: English, Polish, Lithuanian, Romanian, Spanish, Farsi, Ukrainian, Arabic and Icelandic.

ASÍ also has the goal of workplace surveillance to fight labor exploitation and inform workers on their rights. Inspectors visit workplaces and often they are the first contact of a worker being exploited. You can email them at asi@asi.is, where full confidentiality is promised.

TedX talk - Logan Lee Sigurdsson on human trafficking

Mannréttindi eru okkar allra: Vinnuréttindi

It can be tricky to spot whether a person’s circumstances indicate human trafficking or not. When a person is exploited in any way to benefit from it, it is human trafficking.

Huang-Kai was hired to work as a chef at a restaurant in Reykjavik. His supervisor provided him with housing nearby and promised to ...

Huang-Kai was hired to work as a chef at a restaurant in Reykjavik. His supervisor provided him with housing nearby and promised to send a part of his wages to his family abroad. 

When the Covid pandemic started the attitude towards Huang-Kai changed, all of a sudden his passport was taken from him and he did not get any pay. Huang-Kai’s supervisor placed a location app on his phone to track his movements, then forbid him to leave the restaurant and made him sleep on the kitchen floor. 

The Multicultural Center provides immigrants with information about their rights.

The Multicultural Information Centre gives immigrants in Iceland information on many aspects of everyday life and administration in this country. Their aim is to enable every individual to become an active member of Icelandic society, no matter the background or where they come from. MCC also provide institutions, companies and associations with advice and information relating to immigrant issues. You can find a lot of information on their website, for example:

You can get a language interpreter when you talk to counsellers at the Multicultural Centre. Their place is wheelchair accessible, but it's best to notify before if you need it. They don't offer sign language interpretation.

The Multicultural Information Centre is located at Árnagata 2-4 in Ísafjörður, but they service the whole country. Their offices are open on weekdays from 9 am to 16 pm. You can either call them: 4503090, or send an email to mcc@mcc.is.

Language interpretation. No sign language.

Immigrants in Iceland can get information about their rights and obligations at the Multicultural Centre.

The Icelandic Human Rights Centre helps immigrants who need legal counseling. 

The Centre is an independent organization that works to advance human rights in Iceland. If you are an immigrant and need legal counsel because of abuse, you can contact a counselor at the Icelandic Human Rights Centre.

The building is wheelchair accessible. You can request a sign language interpreter for the hearing impaired or language interpreter if you need. You must book an interview in advance.

The Centre is located at Túngata 14 and is open on Tuesday’s from 2 pm to 7 pm and on Friday’s from 9 am to 2 pm. You must book a time in advance by calling 5522720 or sending an email to info@humanrights.is.

Language interpreters and sign language interpreters for the hearing impaired.

At the Icelandic Human Rights Centre, immigrants can get free legal counsel.

112 operators will connect you to the police if you need assistance because of abuse or violence.

In Iceland, the police enjoy a high level of trust from residents, and people may safely approach the police if they believe that they have been the victim of an offence or violence. The Icelandic police works according to law and seeks to help everyone living in Iceland, irrelevant of whether they are Icelandic citizens or not. The Icelandic police does not have special connection to the police in your home country.

Abuse in close relationships is a matter of a priority for the police. It is possible to call, send a text message to 112 or contact them through the webchat. You can also go to the nearest police station.

If you have suffered any form of abuse you can also talk to a police officer at Bjarkarhlíð in Reykjavík or Bjarmahlíð in Akureyri. It can be more comfortable to go there. There is no pressure to press charges. Everything is done according to your wishes.

Immigrants have a right to get an interpreter when dealing with the police and in court.​ The institution in question should pay for the interpreter. ​You need to ask for an interpreter yourself with notice. Don’t be afraid to say you need the service. It’s your right.

The police helps everyone living in Iceland

Emergency, 112, calling, call, accident, violence, disaster, distress, iceland, icelandic helpline, police, fire, ambulance, human trafficking, axiety, call for help, assistance, sexual harrassment, emergency call, security, police officer, get help

The police in Iceland help people who have suffered abuse of any kind. Police see abuse in close relationships as a very serious matter. 

To prevent someone from watching your every move online and use that information to control you, you can implement the following instructions for your online safety. 

Sexual exploitation is when a person benefits from selling access to another person's body. 

Labor exploitation is when a person is exploited without getting the rights and wages she has the rights to according to law. The perpetrator uses deceit and threats to maintain the situation. 

Vinnumansal, human trafficking, mansal, vinnustaður, útlendingastofnun, 

Labor exploitation

What is labor exploitation?

Labor rights

More information

How can you spot human trafficking?

Do you recognize abuse?

Huang-Kai

Is this abuse? Pick your answer:

Available support

Multicultural Information Centre

Icelandic Human Rights Centre

Police

Your online safety

Sexual exploitation