[ Human Trafficking, Country-by-Country ]

Fiji (Tier 2) – Extracted in part from the U.S. State Dept 2023 TIP Report

The Government of Fiji does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so.  The government demonstrated overall increasing efforts compared with the previous reporting period, considering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, if any, on its anti-trafficking capacity; therefore Fiji remained on Tier 2.  These efforts included investigating more trafficking cases and prosecuting more traffickers.  The government also identified more trafficking victims.  However, the government did not meet the minimum standards in several key areas.  The government did not report whether victims received services and did not have adequate shelter services for adult victims.  The government did not convict any traffickers.

Prioritized Recommendations

Draft, finalize, and implement the formal SOPs for victim identification and referral for police, immigration, customs, and labor officials.

Proactively screen groups vulnerable to trafficking, including persons in commercial sex, migrant workers, and child laborers.

Increase efforts to prosecute trafficking crimes, including those of individuals complicit in child sex trafficking on private yachts and in hotels, and seek adequate penalties for convicted traffickers, which should involve significant prison terms.

Amend trafficking-related provisions of the 2009 Crimes Act to criminalize all forms of trafficking and immigration-related provisions to enable identified foreign victims to work and earn income while assisting with investigations and provide a legal alternative to victims’ removal to countries where they may face retribution or hardship.

Provide comprehensive services to victims and ensure victims are referred to the Case Management Coordinator Office.

Improve collaboration between police and prosecutors working trafficking cases to improve the success of prosecutions.

Proactively investigate potential official complicity in trafficking-related crimes.

Increase the oversight of the working conditions of foreign construction workers and increase investigation of labor violations involving children and migrant workers for forced labor.

Increase dissemination of labor and sex trafficking awareness campaigns, including to raise awareness of sex trafficking laws among foreign tourists.