‘Tip of the iceberg’: record human trafficking reports
Reports of forced removals and modern slavery have doubled, sending human trafficking alerts in Australia to an all-time high.
The number of human trafficking reports increased to 420 in the 2024/25 financial year, up from 382 in the previous 12 months, according to data released by the Australian Federal Police on Sunday.
The 10 per cent annual increase was mainly driven by reports that trafficking in Australia had increased from 35 to 75 cases.
Exit smuggling is the use of coercion, threats or deception to get a person to leave or attempt to leave a country.
Other notable increases in reports were for forced marriage (from 91 to 118), sexual slavery (from 59 to 84) and modern slavery (from five to 12).
Fewer reports were recorded in other categories, such as forced labor, human trafficking, debt bondage, and deceptive recruitment, and there were no reports of organ trafficking or harboring.
AFP Commander Helen Schneider said the overall increase in reports was “just the tip of the iceberg” as Australians became more attuned to recognizing indicators of human trafficking.
“From these figures, we see a gradual increase in reports of forced marriages and exits from trafficking,” he said.
“An increase in reports of forced marriage may indicate that our work and representation to at-risk community groups is working and that people are feeling more comfortable reporting this activity.”
The commander of the Australian Center to Counter Child Exploitation said more than 90 per cent of exit trafficking victims were women, a sign that women were more vulnerable to forms of exploitation.
But Ms Schneider argued that human trafficking does not discriminate and victims can come from any age, gender, culture, religion or socio-economic group.
“Indicators of human trafficking vary depending on each type of crime,” he said.
“But general themes include individuals being exposed to violence or threats of violence, not having access to or control over their earnings or identity documents, not being able to communicate freely with others, and showing signs of fear or anxiety.
“This is a social issue and any information, no matter how big or small, can help protect a person at risk of exploitation.”
An AFP program conducted more than 900 presentations and meetings with community, government and non-governmental groups in the last fiscal year to educate people about the indicators of human trafficking and where to get help.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Resolution Support Service 1800 211 028
Lifeline 13 11 14
beyondblue 1300 22 4636
