To Better Know a Country: Human Trafficking In New Zealand

by Amanda Kloer · 2009-11-11 07:00:00 UTC
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Every year, the U.S. State Department releases a Trafficking in Persons report which rates countries on their efforts to combat human trafficking.  Each week, I'll be providing a brief glance at human trafficking in one of those countries, based off the 2009 Trafficking in Persons Report, with my own (often snarky) analysis added.  This is just a snapshot of what's going on in the country.  For more information, you can check out the full text of the 2009 Trafficking in Persons Report here.

This Week's Country..... New Zealand

Basic Stats

  • Ranking: Tier1

  • Status: Source and destination country for trafficking victims

  • Political Stability: Ruled by wizards, but populated by all the diverse creatures of Middle Earth

  • Cash Flow: The Gandalf and Friends tour package accounts for 62% of the GDP.

  • Do I Think They Care?: Yes, and it shows.

Who Are the Victims and What Are They Doing?

  • Women: commercial sex, agricultural labor

  • Girls: commercial sex

  • Men: agricultural labor

Where Are They Coming From and Where Are They Going?

  • Victims are trafficked from Hong Kong, Thailand, Taiwan, China, and Eastern Europe to New Zealand.

  • New Zealanders are trafficked internally.

What's Gotta Happen

  • Develop anti-trafficking campaign for clients of the legal sex trade.

  • Proactively identify victims among migrant populations.

  • Create minimum sentences for traffickers.

In summary, New Zealand has one of the lowest population-to-trafficking-problem ratios in the world. However, some people say that research into the issue there has not been extensive enough. The legal commercial sex trade poses interesting challenges to law enforcement and activists, and may require additional public education about human trafficking. Kiwis are famous for their peaceful ways, and perhaps the lack of trafficking in that country is a symptom of that reputation. So, New Zealand, congratulations on your good work preventing trafficking. And on Flight of the Concords. I intend to enjoy both equally.

Photo credit: kiwinz

Amanda Kloer is a Change.org Editor and has been a full-time abolitionist in several capacities for seven years. Follow her on Twitter @endhumantraffic
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