Alternative Media Group

Visa reform would brake trafficking

Author:

Jason Marshall

Posted:

Thursday, 17 November 2011

A national sex workers association has called for reforms to Australia’s visa system to prevent people trafficking.
Timed with this month’s visit by the UN Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons, the Scarlet Alliance is approaching the Federal Government to address some key facts about the underground business.
Scarlet Alliance spokesperson Jules Kim said the UN Special Rapporteur’s visit was a significant opportunity to discuss the need for change.
“The difficulty of obtaining a visa for sex workers is a major problem in our region and pushes sex workers towards traffickers,” Ms Kim said.
“21 years of experience in Australia has shown that taking sex work out of the shadows and promoting safe conditions leads to the best health and social outcomes, both for sex workers and the broader population.”
The criminalisation of sex work in the region has emerged as a major push for the labour migration of sex workers.
The difficulty of obtaining a work visa from east and south-east Asian nations to Australia correlates with a higher incidence of human trafficking.
“Sex work is a legitimate and voluntary occupational choice for many people and Australia’s work visa system should reflect that.”
The Scarlet Alliance is calling for a number of reforms that would help put people traffickers out of business.
The Association advocates giving sex workers the same access to employment visas as other professions and providing properly translated forms and information for sex workers seeking a visa.
They see elevating the principle of rights-based prevention above criminalisation as the key to busting the trade in human misery.
“The NSW experience of sex work is World’s best practice – sex workers have a lower rate of sexually transmitted infections than the broader population,” Ms Kim said.
“Removing discrimination and encouraging a decriminalisation approach to sex work provides a pathway to the best possible outcome.”

By Jason Marshall

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