The Government’s Response to People Trafficking

Australia.to NEWS
November 22, 2010

Today, I am pleased to present to the Parliament the second report of the Anti-People Trafficking Interdepartmental Committee. People trafficking is a heinous crime which involves serious contraventions of human rights. It is a sobering and shocking fact, that in the 21st century, all around the world, slavery and servitude remain the daily reality for very many of our fellow human beings, and Australia is not immune. People traffickers recruit, transport, transfer, harbour or receive their victims through force, coercion or other means in order to exploit them. Globally, people trafficking takes many forms: forced or bonded labour; domestic servitude and forced marriage; sexual slavery; organ harvesting; and the exploitation of children such as through forced begging, the sex trade and abduction for warfare.

The motivation for this crime is simple – profit: the International Labour Organization has estimated that it nets traffickers $32 billion US every year. The impact of this crime on victims is traumatic and has lifelong consequences. read more…