Human Trafficking Reports Have Almost Doubled in 5 Years, Police Say

Police are concerned as reports of trafficking and modern slavery reach an all-time high, with women the majority of victims in some types of crime.

Stock image of a trafficked child. Posed by a model. doidam10/Depositphotos

Many forms of human trafficking in Australia have risen alarmingly in the past year. Reports of exit trafficking—where a person is taken or sent overseas and then has their passport taken from them so they have no choice but to remain, often illegally—have jumped by more than 100 percent between 2024/25 and the previous year.

Meanwhile, reports of human trafficking and modern slavery have reached record highs.

In its latest report on the issue, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) has detailed 420 reports of human trafficking, an increase of 10 percent overall from 382 the previous year, equating to an average of one report per day.

Offence	2024/25	2023/24
Forced marriage	118	91
Sexual servitude	84	59
Exit trafficking	75	35
Forced labour	42	69
Child trafficking	36	35
Domestic servitude	22	21
Trafficking in persons	15	39
Slavery	12	<5
Debt bondage	9	10
Deceptive recruiting	5	16
Domestic trafficking in persons	2	0
Organ trafficking or harbouring	0	<5

The number of reports does not represent the number of victims, as a single report may encompass multiple people.

The increase in reports, particularly for certain offence types, may also indicate greater awareness rather than higher levels of offending, or both.

Research from the Australian Institute of Criminology suggests that for every victim of human trafficking and slavery detected, four are undetected.

Majority of Exit Trafficking Victims are Women

AFP Commander Helen Schneider said the figures were just the tip of the iceberg, and Australians were now more attuned to the indicators of human trafficking.

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

“More than 90 percent of exit trafficking victims are female, which tells us that women are more vulnerable to this type of exploitation, which occurs when coercion, threats or deception are used to exit, or attempt to exit, an individual from Australia.”

Schneider said human trafficking victims could come from any age, gender, culture, religion or socioeconomic group, though some groups face higher risks than others.

“Some people may be at a higher risk of becoming a victim due to vulnerabilities such as poor socioeconomic background, language barriers, unregulated visa status, and a lack of awareness or understanding of Australian legislation,” she said.

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

Help From Communities

She highlighted that any information from the public, no matter how trivial, can help protect someone at risk of becoming a victim.

In 2023, the AFP began running a Human Exploitation Community Officer (HECO) programme, which delivers education to help communities understand their rights. It aims to increase reports to police and help disrupt criminal activity before it occurs.

In the past financial year, the officers delivered more than 220 presentations and undertook more than 700 engagements with the community, government, and non-government organisations, focusing on human and online child sexual exploitation, including indicators of human trafficking, and where to seek help.

“The AFP takes a victim-centric approach to human trafficking investigations, and every report is dealt with carefully and with the victim’s interests and needs front of mind. If prosecution is not suitable, our investigators look for opportunities to prevent and disrupt human trafficking offences, as well as educating the community,” Schneider said.

Where to Get Help

If someone suspects they are experiencing, or at risk of, modern slavery or human trafficking—or that someone else is—they should call 131 AFP (237) or use the AFP’s confidential online form.

The Support for Trafficked People Program (STPP) is delivered nationally by the Australian Red Cross.

The Forced Marriage Specialist Support Programme (FMSSP) allows those who are at risk of forced marriage or experiencing forced marriage to access assistance without having to report to the police. The programme can be contacted by phone [phone]). More information is available on the Life Without Barriers website.

In addition to law enforcement avenues, the Additional Referral Pathway provides potential victims and survivors of human trafficking and modern slavery an alternative way to access the STPP and FMSSP. The pathway can be contacted nationwide during business hours on 1800 000 277 or via the Salvation Army website.