Media contributions
1Media contributions
Title Exclusive: Human trafficking 'in plain sight' Degree of recognition National Media name/outlet Fairfax (Sydney Morning Herald, The Age) Media type Print Duration/Length/Size 941 Words Country/Territory Australia Date 8/12/23 Description Ayra gripped a small satchel as she slept. Inside was an extra phone, a SIM card, cash and the number of the Australian consulate. She was thousands of kilometres from home and totally isolated as her parents forced her towards marriage with a man she had never met.
"I was staying with my family but in the same city as him. I felt like I had no one on my side, other than my sister who was in Australia," said Ayra, who spoke to the Herald using a pseudonym.
"I slept with that little bum bag ... in case I needed to just get out."
At just 19, Ayra was one of an unknown number of mostly young women taken from Australia by their own families to be married off against their will. She risked everything - her family, her community, her safety - to stop it.
The Australian Federal Police this week released data showing reports of human trafficking have increased year-on-year in Australia.
Child trafficking, sexual servitude, forced labour and exit trafficking - when a person is forced to leave Australia against their will - all marked significant increases in reporting since 2018-19.
Forced marriage is consistently the most common type of human trafficking, making up 90 of the 340 reports of 2022-23.
But police, researchers and survivors know this represents just a fraction of a much larger problem.
"In Australia, at the moment, we estimate about 41,000 people are living under some form of modern slavery," said Dr Johannes Dumay, of the Australian government's Institute of Criminology's human trafficking and modern slavery research network.
Dumay said human trafficking was a problem that "hides in plain sight" even though it had become more prevalent in recent years.
"It's not seen as an Australian issue and I think it's because of how or what people view as Australian," Ayra said. "But ... there are so many young people, born and raised here, that are impacted by it.
"It's only when you put it in the terms of 'modern slavery' that people feel the gravity of the issue."
Ayra was flown to her parents' home country because they were anxious for her to settle down, start a family and carry on their cultural traditions as she approached her 20th birthday.
No one asked for her consent.
Ayra was "in survival mode" as she met her future husband and then his family in a cafe the next day. No one in the room listened to her pleas to call off the marriage.
She repeated a mantra privately to herself as the families discussed the ceremony: "Fight the good fight now or you will be fighting for the rest of your life."
Hanging over her head were stories of enraged parents harming daughters for acts of defiance and disrespect. Many young women who have fled forced marriages are ostracised from their communities or disowned by families.
Ayra holds both Australian and New Zealand passports. She believes that was her true value to her prospective husband.
Sometimes, she said, Australian women were forced to marry their cousins so visas could be obtained for the extended family.
"You're expected to marry them so the rest of the family can come here for a better life. It's very hard to say no to that," Ayra said.
Ayra told her parents there was "no way in hell" she would let the marriage ceremony proceed, and she was escorted outside, crying, in a strange city, isolated and in fear.
Her father was "furious" but did not harm her. Instead, Ayra's family cut her off.
She is now rebuilding the relationship back in Australia and working with Anti Slavery Australia to help other young people resist forced marriage.
"More needs to be done focusing on raising awareness about these terrible crimes and human rights abuses, because every single one of them is a breach of fundamental human rights," said Anti Slavery Australia's director, Jennifer Burn.
"There are many reasons people don't report - they're fearful of law enforcement or authority, or have uncertain visa status or don't want to get their parents into trouble."
AFP Acting Detective Superintendent Kurt Wesche said human trafficking was known to be significantly under-reported in Australia, and it was difficult to understand what was driving the increased reports.
"Those who don't have a knowledge of Australian laws are quite often vulnerable victims and often reluctant to progress to a criminal justice response, which can be quite traumatic," Wesche said.
He said the trend could reflect a rise in actual incidences of trafficking, or the impact of the AFP's "Look a little deeper" campaign - which teaches frontline responders how to identify signs of human trafficking - or both.
"The AFP is very focused on conducting these investigations and prosecuting those involved," Wesche said.
Anti Slavery Australia says its lawyers receive reports or requests for help related to forced marriage each day through its online service, My Blue Sky.
Among its goals is to help frontline workers from health, schools, law enforcement and social agencies to recognise and support people in forced marriages.
AFP's human trafficking commander, Helen Schneider, said her investigators were taking a victim-centric approach and were committed to disrupting and preventing human trafficking.
"We hope that with an increase in public awareness, people who would have otherwise remained silent now feel empowered to report their experiences to the AFP," she said.
"We will do everything we can to protect victim-survivors and put offenders before the courts."
Fairfax Media Management Pty Limited
Document AGEE000020231207ejc80000oProducer/Author Perry Duffin and Clare Sibthorpe URL https://www.smh.com.au/national/human-trafficking-on-rise-in-australia-and-hidden-in-plain-sight-20231206-p5epfe.html Persons John Dumay