Human

Trafficking
In Australia
and
Internationally
BY NICOLE BLENKIRON
What is Human Trafficking

As most people believe would human trafficking is just recruiting victims as sex salves, human trafficking is
also forced labour, removal or organs, smuggling, and criminal activities. Traffickers (people who recruit the
victims) aim for vulnerable people for reasons such as lack of education, or protection from family or
resources, isolation or discrimination and unemployment.

Victims often face various forms of both mental and physical abuse. Human trafficking violates a range of
legislations and Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948.
In Australia

Australia is actually a very common destination for victims of human trafficking. Women in the mid 1980s
started to enter the sex industry, research shows that 90% of these women were trafficking into debt bonded
prostitution which is when traffickers force women into prostitution to pay off unlawful debts. Research shows
technology plays a big role in decreasing statistics, but permitting strategies for traffickers, to identify their
victims and operate internationally to avoid detection to their own advantage.
What is Australia doing to prevent it

The Australian Federal Police slowly adapts to technology to create awareness programs such as “Look-a-
Little-Deeper”, and make it easier to report. As well as assisting Commonwealth agencies, and society, to
become more aware of the topic and look for visual and emotional signs of human trafficking. Acts such as
Criminal Code Act 1995, criminalises slavery type practices. Including
Crimes Legislation Amendment (Slavery, Slavery-like Conditions and People Trafficking) Act 2013 and
Crimes Legislation Amendment (Law Enforcement Integrity
, Vulnerable Witness Protection and Other Measures) Act 2013.
Internationally

The human trafficking industry is estimated to be a $150 billion dollar industry (224 287 500 000). Data was
gathered from 155 countries to gain an information on where it occurs and what could be done to prevent it.
The most common form of human trafficking is 79% is sexual exploitation. Unexpectedly, women trafficking
women makes up a large number of the human trafficking statistics.
What is being done internationally

Teams such as Alliance against Trafficking in Persons including non-governmental, governmental, and
international organisations work together to prevent and fight human trafficking. The Inter-Agency
Coordination Group against Trafficking in Persons (ICAT) formed by the UN in March 2007, to enhance the
communication and cooperation between international communities holistically approaching the problem of
Human Trafficking. ICAT also provides a platform to exchange information, experiences and practices of anti
trafficking, this information goes towards human trafficking statistics. Helping to make the contemporary issue
more aware.