As the Acting Director of End Child Prostitution and Trafficking New Zealand (ECPAT NZ) and a survivor of child trafficking, I find it deeply disheartening that Aotearoa New Zealand is once again ranked at Tier 2 in the 2024 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report by the U.S. Department of State.
For the fourth consecutive year, we haven't fully met the minimum standards to eliminate human trafficking. Despite making progress, we still face significant challenges in supporting victims, amending our laws, and preventing trafficking.
From June 2023 to May 2024, Immigration New Zealand received 1,097 trafficking allegations, leading to 378 investigations. Yet our support services for victims are still falling desperately short. Survivors often don’t get the essential services they need, like dedicated therapeutic care.
This gap highlights the urgent need for better support systems.
The TIP report exposes the harsh realities faced by both local and foreign victims in New Zealand. Many victims come from regions like Southeast Asia, South Asia, East Asia, the Pacific, North Africa, and Latin America. They often end up in forced labour in industries like agriculture, construction, hospitality, and domestic work.
Unregulated immigration brokers facilitate trafficking by helping with visa issuance. Migrant workers, including children, face gruelling conditions like poor housing, long working hours, underpayment, and threats from employers. Some are even forced into criminal activities.
To tackle these issues, the TIP report suggests several actions for New Zealand:
- Establish a National Referral Mechanism: This would help better identify and assist trafficking victims, including New Zealand citizens.
- Improve Victim Services: Enhance access to shelters and ensure government-funded services meet the specific needs of trafficking victims.
- Strengthen Partnerships with NGOs: Collaborate closely with non-governmental organisations to improve victim identification and support.
ECPAT New Zealand is calling for stronger government action. As an organisation that fights against child sexual exploitation, we are campaigning for a dedicated trafficking and exploitation helpline. We urge the government to allocate resources for its establishment and operation, ensuring appropriate support services are linked to the helpline.
When victims reach out for help, they need real support on the other end of the line. It's a brave step for them to take, and the government has a duty to ensure these victims are not left behind.
A strong stance on law and order is punitive; focusing on victim recovery and reintegration is restorative. My fellow victim-survivors who are still trapped or healing from these distressing situations deserve so much better after all they have endured.
As New Zealand continues its fight against human trafficking, implementing these recommendations and focusing on victim support and prevention will be crucial. By addressing these issues head-on, we can move towards a Tier 1 ranking and create a safer, fairer society for everyone.
For more information on the 2024 Trafficking in Persons Report and New Zealand’s efforts, please visit the official report page here.
Synteche Collins can be contacted at synteche@ecpat.org.nz
