Although Australia enjoys the natural protection provided by being both an island and geographically remote, and has extensive border protection mechanisms this paper argues that we need to be aware of trends, internationally and in the region, to ensure we have early warning of activities that could impact on the level and type of trafficking...

In June 2003, the committee decided to conduct an inquiry into trafficking of women for sexual servitude, with the committee tabling its report in June 2004. During the course of that inquiry the government introduced a National Action Plan to combat the trade, which included a range of measures such as the instigation of a...

Recent years have seen many changes in international and national responses to, and legislation on, trafficking in persons. In this paper Lara Fergus reviews some of the theoretical approaches to trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation, as well as examining the current legislative, policy and service responses. The paper aims to provide an overview...

Janet Phillips looks at some of the issues associated with people trafficking, outline Australia's responses to date, and discuss how effective those measures are likely to be in combating trafficking.

This brief provides an overview of the trafficking of women and children into the Australian sex industry in the context of the global trade in people trafficking. It examines why there have been no prosecutions of traffickers under existing Commonwealth laws. It explains how Australia's emphasis on border control is working against the prosecution of...