The Fiji Council of Social Services (FCOSS) Executive Director, Vani Catanasiga, has urged the Government to recognize human trafficking as a significant concern. She highlighted that Fiji is identified as a source country for human trafficking, and policymakers must not underestimate the issue.
Catanasiga emphasized the importance of re-evaluating policies related to immigration, employment, and labour mobility schemes to address this problem comprehensively. She stressed that the social implications of these schemes need to be considered alongside their economic impacts.
Catanasiga referenced the US State Department’s 2024 Trafficking in Persons Report, which indicated a decline in the Government’s efforts to identify and protect trafficking victims. She also cited a report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, which pointed out that Fiji serves as a transit point for human traffickers.
The report noted a significant increase in foreign workers from countries like Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and other Southeast Asian nations since 2017. These workers, mostly males aged 25 to 45, are drawn to Fiji by favorable working conditions and opportunities to migrate to New Zealand or Australia.
Additionally, data from the Fiji Migration Profile of 2020 showed a rise in permits issued to foreign workers, underscoring the growth in labour migration to Fiji. The Asia Foundation’s findings further revealed that domestic trafficking is closely linked to child labor and the sexual exploitation of children.
The report indicated an increase in children out of school and engaging in street vending, begging, or casual labor since the COVID-19 outbreak. It also highlighted a rise in young people involved in the commercial sex trade in both urban and rural areas, with some cases showing evidence of family complicity in this exploitation.
Sandra Kraushaar from the Asia Foundation confirmed that Fiji has become both a source and destination country for human trafficking. She stressed that the crime is no longer confined to international borders but is happening within Fiji itself. Kraushaar described human trafficking as a heinous crime that affects families, communities, and nations across the region.
She underscored the crucial role of the media in raising awareness about human trafficking, exposing traffickers, advocating for survivors, educating the public, and influencing policies and public opinion.