"Survey respondents indicated that trafficking for the purpose of forced labour and sexual exploita$on is occurring at a high rate... The logging industry received the highest results by survey respondents as a business sector that exposes persons to risks of trafficking."

"Consultations with... law enforcement and border officers indicated that logging industry tugboats smuggle people in containers under the cover of darkness at night or during stormy weather bypassing checkpoints to directly enter logging camps to evade detection. These people work as laborers or as prostitutes at the logging sites." 

Trafficking for forced labour and sexual exploitation rife in Papua New Guinea – report 

Thin Lei Win | Trust Law

Women and girls in Papua Guinea are being trafficked for sexual exploitation, forced labour and domestic servitude within the country and across international borders, according to a new report launched this week [1.5mb].

In the absence of any laws criminalising trafficking in persons, “victims of trafficking are at risk of prosecution and further psychological and physical abuse and trauma” under Papua New Guinea’s current legal system, the report added.

The report, by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the Papua New Guinea Department of Justice and Attorney General, is the first to provide baseline statistics on people who have been smuggled and trafficked in the country.

The report is based on 93 surveys and 27 in-depth consultations in four provinces.

Survey respondents said sex trafficking is the most prevalent form of trafficking in PNG, followed by labour, domestic servitude and child trafficking.

Females, especially young women between 18-25, are perceived to be more vulnerable in all demographics.

Girls are more than twice as likely to become trafficking victims as boys and children who do not attend school are at greater risk, the report said.

The logging industry was identified as the sector that most exposes people to the risk of trafficking, the survey found.

People who work in and around marketplaces, bars, restaurants and gaming clubs faced the second-highest level of risk.

Respondents said trafficking in PNG is both internal and transnational in nature, with most transnational trafficking occurring through the PNG-Indonesia border with PNG as a destination.