Increased Risks of Exploitation of Fijian Children in Commercial Sex and Forced Labour
Some Fijian children are at risk of sex and labour trafficking as families adhere to traditional practices of sending them to live with relatives or families in larger cities. In these urban areas, they may be exploited in domestic servitude or sex trafficking in exchange for basic necessities such as food, clothing, shelter, or school fees.
The US State Department’s 2024 Trafficking in Persons Report has revealed that foreign yacht owners and individuals hiring locally owned yachts dock in rural Fijian islands where they seek young women and, often, children for marriage. These individuals can subsequently become victims of forced labour or sex trafficking.
The report highlights that taxi drivers and other facilitators transport Fijian child sex trafficking victims to hotels in popular tourist destinations or to private yachts at the behest of foreign tourists looking for commercial sex acts.
According to the US State Department, Fijian children are also at risk of forced labour in various sectors such as agriculture and retail.
The report indicates that rising poverty levels contribute to the increased risks of Fijian children being exploited in commercial sex and forced labour. Economic crises related to the pandemic and recent natural disasters have driven more children to the streets for livelihood or forced them to seek incomes to support their families, thus making them vulnerable to exploitation in sex trafficking or forced labour.
It mentions that children as young as 12 have been subjected to sex trafficking, sometimes by their own family members to obtain food and other essentials.
Media reports suggest a rise in online child sexual exploitation, which may include child sex trafficking.
Inquiries have been sent to Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Professor Biman Prasad, Home Affairs Minister Pio Tikoduadua, and Acting Commissioner of Police Juki Fong Chew for further comments.