(PACNEWS) — Human trafficking remains a serious and persistent problem in Tonga, with the latest U.S Trafficking in Persons Report warning that the country still falls short of minimum standards to combat exploitation despite recent progress.
Vulnerable young women and girls are increasingly being targeted under the guise of job offers or financial assistance, exposing a hidden trafficking crisis in Tonga, according to information recently obtained by Kaniva News from reliable sources.
It comes after we reported that Philippine authorities recently intercepted two individuals bound for Tonga under the guise of tourism, uncovering a scheme that promised lucrative jobs but led instead to exploitation.
The country’s Bureau of Immigration (BI) stopped the passengers, aged 35 and 31, on 10 October before they could board their flight.
The case highlighted a recurring trafficking modus operandi where victims are recruited with false promises of high-paying work abroad, only to be funnelled into situations of forced labour and severe exploitation.
In 2010, a Chinese woman residing in Tonga, Lirong Liu, was convicted by the Nukuʻalofa Supreme Court on seven charges, including trafficking in persons, keeping a brothel, and engaging in prostitution.
The court heard that Liu had brought two Chinese women to Tonga under the pretence of restaurant employment.
Upon arrival, they were forced into sex work, primarily servicing Chinese labourers in Tonga.
This case remains a significant legal precedent, underscoring the reality of cross-border trafficking.
