Tougher penalties alone won’t stop modern slavery
At World Vision New Zealand, we welcome the Crimes (Increased Penalties for Slavery Offences) Amendment Bill as a step forward in addressing an aspect of modern slavery. However, increasing penalties alone won’t stop modern slavery.
That’s why we’ve made a submission to the Select Committee recommending further amendments to the Crimes Act 1961 and outlining the need for broader reform.
The proposed bill highlights the significant gaps and shortcomings in New Zealand’s modern slavery and trafficking laws—gaps that must be addressed through broader reform. If one flaw in the system is being addressed, others—like prosecution failures, lack of victim support, and weak supply chain protections—must also be fixed. Our submission draws heavily on the Combatting Trafficking in Persons and Modern-Day Forms of Slavery Bill (Modern Slavery Bill)1 and the accompanying Building Consensus Report.
What the Bill fails to address
We recommend that amendments outlined in the Modern Slavery Bill are incorporated to address prevention, protection and prosecution- not just punishment.
What World Vision recommends World Vision’s submission strongly recommends incorporating key amendments from the Modern Slavery Bill into the Increased Penalties Bill—including strengthening sections 98B, 98D, and 98F of the Crimes Act—to ensure New Zealand’s trafficking laws align with international standards, enhance enforcement mechanisms, and improve protections for victims.
In our submission, we also emphasise that, while strengthening and amending the Crimes Act trafficking in person is important, broader reform beyond the Crimes Act is also needed to strengthen New Zealand’s response to modern slavery.
We continue to advocate for the introduction of mandatory modern slavery reporting requirements for New Zealand entities, as well as the establishment of an Anti-Slavery Commissioner.
We call for these measures to be prioritised and introduced in a separate private member’s bill to Parliament if the whole bill cannot be introduced independently.
You can watch our submission to Justice Select Commitee here.
That’s why we’ve made a submission to the Select Committee recommending further amendments to the Crimes Act 1961 and outlining the need for broader reform.
The proposed bill highlights the significant gaps and shortcomings in New Zealand’s modern slavery and trafficking laws—gaps that must be addressed through broader reform. If one flaw in the system is being addressed, others—like prosecution failures, lack of victim support, and weak supply chain protections—must also be fixed. Our submission draws heavily on the Combatting Trafficking in Persons and Modern-Day Forms of Slavery Bill (Modern Slavery Bill)1 and the accompanying Building Consensus Report.
What the Bill fails to address
- Outdated legal definitions – New Zealand’s trafficking laws are inconsistent with international standards, making prosecutions difficult. Right now, our definition of child trafficking is at odds with the international definition.
- Low prosecution rates – Since 2002, only four trafficking cases have been prosecuted. Key parts of the Crimes Act, like provisions on forced labour and exploitation, have never been used in court. Without fixing the law, traffickers will continue to operate with impunity.
- No national support system for victims – Trafficking survivors struggle to access emergency accommodation, legal aid, or even basic services. New Zealand lacks a national referral mechanism, meaning victims often receive no formal support.
- No action on modern slavery in supply chains – Businesses are not required to identify, prevent, or report modern slavery risks in their operations or supply chains. This leaves workers—many of them migrants—vulnerable to extreme exploitation.
We recommend that amendments outlined in the Modern Slavery Bill are incorporated to address prevention, protection and prosecution- not just punishment.
What World Vision recommends World Vision’s submission strongly recommends incorporating key amendments from the Modern Slavery Bill into the Increased Penalties Bill—including strengthening sections 98B, 98D, and 98F of the Crimes Act—to ensure New Zealand’s trafficking laws align with international standards, enhance enforcement mechanisms, and improve protections for victims.
In our submission, we also emphasise that, while strengthening and amending the Crimes Act trafficking in person is important, broader reform beyond the Crimes Act is also needed to strengthen New Zealand’s response to modern slavery.
We continue to advocate for the introduction of mandatory modern slavery reporting requirements for New Zealand entities, as well as the establishment of an Anti-Slavery Commissioner.
We call for these measures to be prioritised and introduced in a separate private member’s bill to Parliament if the whole bill cannot be introduced independently.
You can watch our submission to Justice Select Commitee here.