Sex Workers

Letter to the Editor - The Canberra Times
5 July 2005

Dear Sir/Madam

Your article about sex workers may lead some readers to the view that all international students working illegally as prostitutes are victims of people trafficking and have their visas cancelled by compliance staff (Juggle in a HECS-sex mix, 5/7/05).

This is not the case.

When cases potentially involving trafficking come to the attention of the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs, they are referred to the Australian Federal Police for investigation.

Since 1999 the department has referred cases involving 159 people to the AFP, of which 147 related to the sex industry. Some 60 per cent of these have been subject to further investigation by the AFP.

The referrals overwhelmingly involve people entering as tourists. Of the 147 people working in the sex industry referred, only six had entered on student visas.

This compares with 34 students having been found working illegally in the sex industry in the 12 months to end March 2005. A further 100 were found to be working legally and no further action was taken. This is because only those found to be in breach of visa conditions have their visas cancelled.

Kym Charlton
Acting Director
Public Affairs
DIMIA