Under-age sex trafficking in NZ: Report

Photo / Glenn Jeffrey

Under-age women are being forced into prostitution in New Zealand, a United States report on human trafficking shows.

The annual Trafficking in Persons report said New Zealand was a destination for women from Asian and Eastern European countries trafficked into forced prostitution.

But no new substantive information about such cases was discovered in the past year.

Child trafficking victims were found engaging in prostitution in brothels and on the street, some being closely controlled by local gangs, the report said.

Asian and Pacific Island migrants working in sectors such as agriculture and nursing were charged excessive recruitment fees and had their passports confiscated.

Asian fishermen were also allegedly victims of forced labour in New Zealand waters.

The report noted no independent research had been done to determine the full extent of the trafficking problem in New Zealand.