The Truth About New Zealand Sex Trafficking Might Lie in the Middle-Earth

Is New Zealand a hotbed of human trafficking? Not so much, according to the U.S. State Department's 2010 Trafficking in Persons Report. But the New Zealand Herald (NZH) reports that hobbits aren't the only inhabitants squirreled away in the country's landscape: Sex traffickers recruit girls from places like Malaysia, Hong Kong, and China with promises of money and opportunities, and instead lead them into lives of debt bondage and sexual servitude.

So ... which is it?

The truth might lie somewhere in the Middle-earth. (Oh, come on. That was punny.) Overall, New Zealand doesn't seem to have a huge sex-trafficking problem and in response to crimes that do occur, the country has an official Plan of Action, as well as a substantial network of resources available to victims. Anti-trafficking laws are in place, and all health and safety inspectors, police force members, and Immigration Compliance Officers have been trained to recognize victims.

In so many ways, the Kiwis are doing exactly what they should to fight sex slavery — except, perhaps, actively pursuing it. As yet, no research has been done to determine the real extent of the issue throughout New Zealand. And, the NZH hints that — particularly in cases of women and girls who are trafficked from other countries — the system is full of loopholes that are not helpful to victims.

The only immigrants who can legally work in the sex industry in New Zealand are Australians on permit. So, a woman or girl from another country might know they are technically breaking the law, but also might not know their rights if they are trafficking victims. Brothel owners can try to pass the buck onto the girls with the argument that they, themselves, are not breaking any laws, for "sex workers [are] not employees, but self-employed independent contractors." However, the Immigration Act states that "employment includes any activity done for gain or reward," so already, brothel owners are culpable. And they are (or should be) a whole lot more culpable if their employees are not even, in fact, their employees, but their slaves.

Women and girls trafficked into New Zealand's sex industry ought to know that their day shouldn't be 14 hours long. It shouldn't involve 10 to 20 clients whom they have no choice but to service. Their passports should not be relinquished from their hands. They should not owe an absurd amount of money to their brothel owner — or "self-employed independent contract owner," whichever — whose balance never diminishes. They should not be abused. They should not be virtually imprisoned in their place of "employ." They should know that in reality, they're not breaking the law, but are victims entitled to services and protections that the country is supposed to provide.

New Zealand continues to keep up the conversation and has plans in the works to strengthen its multi-agency approach to combat human trafficking. As they move forward with their admirable plans, I hope they remember to move beyond what's on paper and actively seek to identify and assist those victims tucked away in places far less cozy than a hobbit-hole.

Photo credit: sanderovski & linda