NCJ Number
183840
Date Published
2000
Length
69 pages
Annotation
Human smuggling and trafficking are matters of increasing concern to the Australian Government, and the Australian Institute of Criminology is currently taking part in the United Nations (UN) Global Program Against Trafficking in Human Beings.
Abstract
Despite the public interest in interceptions of sea vessels carrying illegal migrants, the largest number of people detected by Australian authorities are those who overstay their visas and work illegally. The second largest group includes individuals intercepted at Australian airports, either because they are using false or fraudulent travel documents or because they intend to work in Australia in contravention of their visas. There are indicators that transnational organized crime groups are becoming increasingly involved in people smuggling in Australia. The sector that has received the most media attention relative to people smuggling is the sex industry. Australian government responses to people smuggling have encompassed legislation, law enforcement, international cooperation, economic assistance, victim services, education programs, and research and data collection. Because people smuggling is a transnational activity, however, it cannot be stopped by one country alone. The UN global program will collect data on different routes for people smuggling and on structures and methods used to transport and subsequently exploit them. In addition, a global inventory of best practices used to address organized crime involvement in people smuggling, including special legislation and institutional arrangements, will be created. An appendix contains the Bangkok Declaration on Irregular Migration, of which Australia is a signatory. 32 references, 4 tables, and 1 figure