Yes, we’re starting off our trek in the beautiful landscapes of New Zealand, as it is the first stop scheduled on the January 2010 route. Didn’t think New Zealand had an issue with human trafficking? One thing you’ve got to remember is that every country in the world has an issue with human trafficking. The question you have to ask is – how prevalent is it in *insert country name*?The Low-Down on Trafficking in New Zealand
The UN Office of Drugs & Crime’s Story
The UNODC (United Nations Office of Drugs & Crime) 2008 Global Report on Trafficking in People reports there have been no trafficking cases investigated, much less prosecuted.
The US Department of State’s Story
According to the US Department of State’s 2008 Trafficking In Peoples report, New Zealand is considered to be a destination country for trafficking… people are trafficked in from other countries, but New Zealanders aren’t trafficked out. The amount, they say, is modest, and there have only been a few cases with minors where authorities had reason to be suspicious they were victims of trafficking. The Department of State notes that “[t]he government of New Zealand fully complies with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking.” But “sentences handed down to those convicted of exploiting minors… remained relatively light….”
It sounds contradictory until you read the part where it says that “While there have been no prosecutions under New Zealand’s anti-trafficking law, which requires movement across an international border, internal trafficking can be prosecuted under New Zealand’s laws on forced labor, slavery, other forms of abuse, and the PRA.” [PRA = Prostitution Reform Act… passed in 2003, makes prostitution over the age of 18 legal in NZ, and decriminalizes solicitation in those cases as well]. There have been trafficking related convictions under these other laws (25 out of 31 cases in 2007).
The nations trafficking victims in New Zealand come from:
– Malaysia
– Hong Kong
– China
– other Asian nations
Agreement in tales
Both the UNODC and the US Department of State cane agree on one thing – which is that New Zealand has stepped up with programs and services for people who have been trafficked. The government also helps fund programs for victims’ protection and assistance in countries where people are being trafficked from.
There’s a lot more that I could spend time elaborating on, but that’s another blog for another day. Just remember – New Zealand has trafficking problems just like everyone else.
