REPORT

2025 Trafficking in Persons report on New Zealand

The US State Department’s annual assessment of New Zealand’s response to human trafficking.

About this report

Each year the US State Department assesses how governments around the world are responding to human trafficking. The 2025 country narrative keeps New Zealand on Tier 2: the Government does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, but is making significant efforts to do so.

What the report found

The report notes increasing effort: more trafficking victims identified and certified, significantly more cases investigated, more traffickers prosecuted, and the first prosecution for alleged labour trafficking in five years.

It also names the gaps. The Government did not convict any traffickers, did not fund or provide specialised services for trafficking victims, and did not consistently screen vulnerable populations. Victim identification guidance is not yet available to all front line officials, and certification delays can deny victims access to resources, including shelter.

Why it matters for Aotearoa

The TIP report is the most widely used international benchmark of trafficking responses.

Its recommendations, from formal victim identification procedures to proactive screening of vulnerable populations, closely mirror the priorities the sector is advocating for in Aotearoa.