Concern from parishioner helps stop human trafficker

People display signs in Los Angeles during the Jan. 9 "Walk 4 Freedom" in advance of National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, Jan. 11. Established in 2007, the day comes just a week and a half into what has been declared National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, a time when communities rally together to raise awareness about modern day slavery and what it looks like. (CNS photo/Victor Aleman, Vida Nueva)

A concern brought to authorities by a parishioner helped bring down the first person to be convicted of human trafficking in New Zealand.

Immigration New Zealand people smuggling and trafficking in persons programme manager Rebecca Miller said there is an image of human trafficking victims being locked up but that isn’t usually the case.

“Even though there is a form of control or intimidation, a lot of them do go out and interact with communities,” she said.

In December last year, Faroz Ali was sentenced to nine and half years in jail on 15 counts of people trafficking and ordered to pay more than $20,000 in reparation to his Fijian victims.

Investigations into Ali’s illegal recruitment activities came after a parishioner spoke to the victims while they were attending church and alerted the authorities to the crime.

“One individual said, ‘that doesn’t sound right’. She was the one who then went to immigration authorities and to say, ‘look, there’s a situation I’ve encountered with this individual. This doesn’t look right to me. What do you think?’,” Dr Miller said. “That was how the investigation was launched.”

Dr Miller said Immigration New Zealand is working hard to make sure that migrant workers who are coming to New Zealand are aware of their rights before they leave their country of origin and once they arrive in this country.

“Migrants are coming to New Zealand with promises of residency or a better life. Where it becomes trafficking is when there’s that element of coercion or deception,” she said.

She said talking to people is a great way of finding out what kind of situation a person may be in. There are indicators that help identify if a person is being exploited.

A person might be a victim of trafficking if: (S)he is working excessively long hours for little or no pay; his/her documents and personal belongings are confiscated by the people who brought him/her here; the person is being subjected to threats or actual violence; (S)he does not have a legal employment contract and/ or his or her living conditions are poor.

“One indicator on its own does not necessarily mean that someone is being trafficked. But again, indicators help paint that picture,” she said.

Dr Miller said there are a number of avenues that INZ offers for migrants who feel they are being exploited to come forward.

“It’s easier said than done, particularly when people are living in fear or being intimidated and feel that they may lose everything. It is difficult for the people to come forward,” she said. That is why, she said, the Government is raising awareness that its priority is the well-being of the victim.

“Whether they (victims of trafficking) are in the country illegally or do not have the proper visa, we make sure we regularise their status and provide what’s in their best interest and what support they need in terms of moving forward,” she said.

Dr Miller said New Zealand is a member of the Bali Process on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime, recognising the fact that human trafficking is a cross-border and regional issue. The Bali process is comprised of 45 governments and three international organisations.

“It’s really important that we are having this conversation in New Zealand to make sure this type of offending doesn’t occur in the future,” Dr Miller said. “We need to work closely, not just within government but also with non-governmental organisations, civil society, church groups and the general public to make sure that we prevent this crime from happening.”

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Rowena Orejana

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