'Tip of the iceberg': Human trafficking reports in Australia reach all-time high

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Forced removal and modern slavery reports have doubled, lifting Australian human trafficking alerts to an all-time high.

There were 420 reports of human trafficking in the 2024/25 financial year, up from 382 in the previous 12 months, Australian Federal Police (AFP) data released on Sunday shows.

The 10 per cent year-on-year rise was mainly driven by reports of exit trafficking in Australia spiking from 35 to 75.

Exit trafficking is when coercion, threats or deception are used to exit or attempt to exit a person from a country.

Other notable report rises were for forced marriage (from 91 to 118), sexual servitude slavery (from 59 to 84) and modern slavery (from fewer than five to 12).

A female police officer in uniform speaks to another woman sitting across from her at a desk.

AFP commander Helen Schneider says the reports were just the ‘tip of the iceberg’. Source: Supplied / Australian Federal Police

Other categories, such as forced labour, trafficking in persons, debt bondage and deceptive recruiting, recorded fewer reports, and none related to organ trafficking or harbouring.

‘People feel more comfortable reporting’

The overall increase in reports was “just the tip of the iceberg”, with Australians becoming more attuned to recognising human trafficking indicators, AFP commander Helen Schneider said.

“What we see from these figures is a trending increase in forced marriage and exit trafficking reports,” she said.

“The increase in forced marriage reports may indicate our engagement and presentations to at-risk community groups are working, and people feel more comfortable reporting this activity.”

More than 90 per cent of exit trafficking victims were female, a sign women were more vulnerable to the form of exploitation, the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation commander said.

However, Schneider suggested human trafficking did not discriminate and victims could come from any age, gender, culture, religion or socio-economic group.

“The indicators of human trafficking vary for each crime type,” she said.

“But general themes include individuals being subjected to violence or threats of violence, not having access to, or control of earnings or identity documents, being unable to communicate freely with others, and showing signs of fear or anxiety.

“This is a societal problem and any piece of information, however big or small, may help protect a person who is at risk of being exploited.”

An AFP program delivered more than 900 presentations and engagements last financial year with the community, government, and non-government groups to educate people on the indicators of human trafficking and where to seek help.

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