People trafficking investigations in New Zealand have exploded by nearly 4000%, yet no prosecutions have been brought in the past five years.
Immigration New Zealand (INZ) data shows just six cases were investigated from 2018 to 2020, compared to 236 in the two years leading up to October 2023. Despite this surge, there are no traffickers being prosecuted.
The rise in investigations coincided with the introduction of the accredited employer work visa, which has seen overseas brokers working with local businesses to lure migrants into paying for jobs—some of which never existed.
Workers First Union general secretary Dennis Maga believes the official figures are just “the tip of the iceberg,” as many victims fear speaking out.
“The perception in the community is that the New Zealand government is not elevating these cases to human trafficking because it could affect the reputation of New Zealand,” Maga said.
Instead of pressing trafficking charges, prosecutors often pursue lesser offences, such as migrant exploitation or providing unauthorised immigration advice.
Anti-trafficking advocates are questioning why clear cases of deception and coercion fail to meet the legal threshold for prosecution.
The US Trafficking in Persons Report noted that authorities were “reluctant to pursue trafficking charges” and that INZ and the Labour Inspectorate “did not always respond to or investigate complaints made by exploited migrant workers.”
Centrist Ltd.