The Fiji Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission has raised serious concerns over Fiji’s continued placement on the Tier 2 Watch List in the 2025 Trafficking in Persons Report, warning that persistent gaps in prevention, victim protection and prosecutions risk entrenching impunity.
In a statement issued yesterday, the Commission said Fiji’s second consecutive year on the watch list reflects “persistent and serious gaps and deficiencies” in the national response to human trafficking.
“The absence of recent prosecutions despite allegations of human trafficking reported to the relevant authorities is deeply concerning,” said Commission Director Loukinikini Lewaravu.
While acknowledging steps taken by the State, including updates to the National Action Plan and improved inter-agency coordination, the Commission said these measures have yet to deliver meaningful outcomes.
“Procedural progress without consequential accountability falls short of the State’s human rights obligations,” Lewaravu said.
“The current trajectory risks normalising impunity and denying victims their right to justice and an effective remedy.”
The Commission stressed that human trafficking is a grave violation of fundamental human rights, including the rights to dignity, liberty and freedom from slavery, which are protected under Fiji’s Constitution and international conventions such as the Palermo Protocol.
“Addressing this crisis requires renewed and genuine political will that prioritises victims, ensures accountability and dismantles the structures that enable exploitation,” Lewaravu said.
As an independent national human rights institution, the Commission has urged the State to act with urgency, calling for prompt and independent investigations into all trafficking allegations, including cases involving influential actors, and for prosecutions to be pursued where evidence allows.
It also called for stronger measures to prevent and sanction official complicity, a fully operational survivor-centred victim protection system, specialised training for law enforcement and prosecutors, and transparent public reporting on the implementation of the National Action Plan.
“Human trafficking is a profound challenge that tests the State’s commitment to human rights and the rule of law,” Lewaravu said.
“The Commission stands ready to engage constructively with the Government and civil society to deliver a comprehensive, rights-based response that protects human dignity and delivers justice for victims.”
