Riya Mala 
The International Organization for Migration stresses the importance of raising awareness about issues related to human trafficking in the country.
IOM Chief of Mission and Sub-Regional Coordinator for the South Pacific, Solomon Kantha, explains that although people are aware of human trafficking, perpetrators can be anyone, including family members or someone within the household.
He adds that there is a need to step up the approach and strengthen partnerships, which are key to prosecuting perpetrators, addressing their actions, and ensuring victims are protected.
Kantha also notes that Fiji is a transit, source, and destination country, with risks associated with various movements.
“Of course, across different areas of institutional capacity building, one of the challenges we have is ensuring that our law enforcement agencies have the capacity to detect, investigate, and prosecute trafficking in persons. We have laws in the country, the Crimes Act and the Immigration Act, that address a number of elements of trafficking, and these need to be strengthened.”
Kantha also mentions cases involving Fijians being trafficked both abroad and domestically, as well as foreigners trafficked into Fiji.
He says they are working very closely with the Ministry of Immigration to strengthen legislation related to trafficking in persons.
He acknowledged that there have been some successful prosecutions of human traffickers in Fiji, but emphasized that more needs to be done.
Stream the best of Fiji on VITI+. Anytime. Anywhere.
