Aotearoa New Zealand has just been ranked at Tier 2 in the 2024 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report by the U.S. Department of State, marking the fourth consecutive year the country has not fully met the minimum standards to eliminate human trafficking.

Despite significant efforts, New Zealand continues to face challenges in several key areas, including victim support, trafficking legislation, and prevention measures. From June 2023 to May 2024, Immigration New Zealand received 1,097 allegations of trafficking, leading to 378 investigations*. However, support services for victims remain inadequate, with survivors lacking access to a range of support services, including dedicated therapeutic services.

The report highlights the exploitation of both domestic and foreign victims in New Zealand. Many victims come from Southeast Asia, South Asia, East Asia, the Pacific, North Africa, and Latin America. They often find themselves in forced labour across various sectors, including agriculture, construction, hospitality, and domestic service.

Unregulated immigration brokers in New Zealand and source countries, such as Bangladesh, India, China, and the Philippines, facilitate trafficking by assisting in visa issuance. Migrant workers, including children, face harsh conditions such as inadequate housing, long working hours, underpayment, and threats from employers. Some are even coerced into criminal activities like working in the cannabis industry.

The TIP report makes several recommendations to help New Zealand improve its anti-trafficking efforts, including:

• Establishing a National Referral Mechanism: To better identify and assist trafficking victims, including New Zealand citizens.
• Improving Victim Services: Enhance access to shelters and ensure government-funded services meet the needs of trafficking victims.
• Strengthening partnerships with NGOs: Strengthen collaboration with non-governmental organisations and social service providers to improve victim identification and support.

Despite recommendations from the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, New Zealand has not yet implemented a formal data collection system for child exploitation**. Current referral processes from the U.S. National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) to New Zealand law enforcement are insufficient, with around 200 referrals received each month***.

ECPAT New Zealand/Child Alert has expressed concern over the country’s ongoing Tier 2 status and is advocating for stronger actions. The organisation works to combat child sexual exploitation and is campaigning for a dedicated trafficking and exploitation helpline, urging the government to allocate resources for its establishment and operation. This includes ensuring there are appropriate support services connected to the helpline. More information on the petition can be found here.

"There are currently an overwhelming number of helplines for different types of exploitation and abuse, which can confuse victims about where to get the best help," said Synteche Collins, Acting Director of ECPAT New Zealand.

"When victims reach out for help, they need real support on the other end of the line," said Synteche Collins, Acting Director of ECPAT New Zealand. "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 not enough; recovery and reintegration must also be key priorities."

For more information on the 2024 Trafficking in Persons Report and New Zealand’s efforts, please visit the official report page here.

*Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. (2024). Data on human trafficking cases (OIA reference DOIA 2324-2750). Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, New Zealand.

**United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child. (2023). Concluding observations on the sixth periodic report of New Zealand. tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/treatybodyexternal/Download.aspx?symbolno=CRC%2FC%2FNZL%2FCO%2F6&Lang=en

***New Zealand Police. (2023, May 28). NZ agencies urge young people to be safe online as reports of online child exploitation continue to rise. https://www.police.govt.nz/news/release/nz-agencies-urge-young-people-be-safe-online-reports-online-child-exploitation-continue

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