In this report, what is known about human trafficking involving marriage and partner migration to Australia is described, drawing on primary information obtained from victim/survivor testimonies, stakeholder knowledge and expertise, and reported cases that progressed through the Australian justice system. It confirms what some stakeholders in the human trafficking area have long suspected—that marriage and partner migration have been used to facilitate the trafficking of people into Australia.
Acknowledgements
Numerous individuals and organisations played an important role in this research project. The authors would like to acknowledge colleagues at the Australian Institute of Criminology, particularly Samantha Bricknell and Laura Beacroft, for their input into the research. The assistance and advice of stakeholders from the government and non-government organisations consulted for this research is also gratefully acknowledged. Specifically, the authors would like to thank the Salvation Army for facilitating access to migrant women affected by human trafficking. Most importantly, the authors wish to acknowledge the women who shared their stories of exploitative marriages for this project. The courage, strength and resilience of these women made conducting this research a humbling experience.