Human Trafficking Files – Australia

 

Stop #2 on the January 2010 race route. Also, the second place where people’s face contort into weird shapes when you mention it has trafficking issues. At the risk of repeating myself, human trafficking really is a global issue. 161 out of 161 countries have problems with it… the difference is in how each country deals with it. Or doesn’t (depending on the country).

The Stats:

According to the US Department of State 2008 Trafficking in Persons Report, Australia is a destination country for trafficking (people aren’t trafficked out of Australia… just into). The largest percentages come from Southeast Asia, South Korea, People’s Republic of China, and Taiwan, but victims have come from as far as Ireland. Because prostitution is legal in most Australian states (Western Australia and South Australia being the exceptions), many trafficking victims are people who came to work in the brothels (legal or not) and found themselves in debt bondage or involuntarily servitude.

 

The UNODC’s 2008 Report on Trafficking in Persons  shares these numbers:

— 34 people have been charged in the time period from 2003-2008 in human trafficking cases.

— In that same period, 111 victims have been identified and placed in the care of the Australian government.

      — 109 of these were women, 2 men.

      — 107 were trafficked in for sexual exploitation, 4 forced labor.

      —  Countries they came from:

             — Thailand — 69

             — Other East Asian nations — 36

             — Other Countries — 6

The US Department of State and UNODC both cite Australia as making an effort to combat human trafficking and deal with the aftermath. Besides making human trafficking a crime, the government gives victims “legal protection, temporary stay permits [which have the potential to turn into permanent visas should the victim opt to work with authorities in building a case against traffickers], medical and psychosocial services…” etc. NGOs also step in with legal advice, medical services and housing.

 

Australia has partnered with Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Burma, and Indonesia, in the Asia Regional Trafficking in Persons (ARTiP) project – a $21 million dollar/5 year project which started in August of 2006 with the goal of better judicial coordination between countries in trafficking cases. Also, it takes part in the Thai Returnees Project, which helps support to victims of trafficking returning to Thailand as they reintegrate.

 

Lastly, reps of the Australian government are meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia with the Malaysian government to discuss trafficking right now.

 

– Be praying right now for the aforementioned meeting. Specifically, pray for wisdom for Malaysian Deputy Home Ministers, Datuk Wira Abu Seman Yusop and Jelaing Mersat, and Duncan Lewis, the Australian Prime Minister’s National Security Advisor.

– Pray for the victims – known or not – in Australia and around the world.

– Pray for God to break more hearts for this issue and to call on more people to make a difference in the lives of those caught up in it.