Understanding and addressing trafficking dynamics along the Indonesia–Timor-Leste border is therefore critical for Australia, because targeted cooperation, improved data, and gender-sensitive, victim-centred approaches can prevent exploitation while strengthening regional governance.
In July 2024, a man was charged in connection with the trafficking of an Indonesian teenager to work in a Sydney brothel. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) have expressed concerns that the trafficking case may be linked to a global organised crime network. This incident not isolated. It highlights the persistence of trafficking operations originating in the Global South and extending into Australia. Australia’s geographical proximity to Indonesia and Timor-Leste has also contributed to the use of these borders as key routes for trafficking networks. If left unexamined, these dynamics risk entrenching organised criminal activity and undermining regional governance.
Despite the significance of these issues, there is a notable lack of data on trafficking along the border between Indonesia and Timor-Leste. This gap limits governments’ ability to identify patterns, understand victim profiles, and map organised criminal involvement. For Australia, improving knowledge of trafficking flows is essential to anticipating risks and developing effective responses. It also enables Australia to more effectively support and encourage ASEAN members, including Indonesia and the newer member Timor-Leste, through platforms such as ASEAN-Australia Counter Trafficking (ASEAN-ACT) and The Bali Process.
Human trafficking, often described as a form of modern slavery, remains a significant global concern. It affects individuals across genders, backgrounds, and regions, and occurs in sectors including fishing, agriculture, the sex industry, and domestic work. Structural factors such as poverty, unemployment, conflict, and irregular migration increase vulnerability, creating opportunities for organised crime groups to exploit migrants for profit.
The domestic sector is a major employer of low-skilled labour, with women comprising a significant proportion of this workforce. Women from disadvantaged backgrounds are therefore particularly vulnerable to labour and sexual exploitation. Addressing the feminisation of labour migration requires attention to its root causes, including persistent gender inequality. A gender-sensitive approach is necessary to ensure that anti-trafficking responses do not inadvertently reproduce harm or overlook victim protection.
Indonesia and Timor-Leste have both made efforts to combat human trafficking, yet progress remains limited. Both countries are currently assessed at Tier 2, indicating that minimum standards outlined in the Trafficking Victims Protection Act have not yet been fully met. Challenges include weak data integration between government institutions and insufficient coordination in handling trafficking cases at border points. While reported trafficking cases are higher in Indonesia than in Timor-Leste, data on transnational trafficking that utilises border regions remain particularly scarce.
East Nusa Tenggara, which borders Timor-Leste, has long functioned as a transit point for irregular migration. Australia has invested heavily in legislation and border control to prevent traffickers and victims from entering its territory. However, given the potential impact of trafficking and other transnational crimes along the Indonesia–Timor-Leste border, Australia must also strengthen its upstream engagement. This includes improving data collection and analysis related to trafficking in neighbouring states, alongside continued implementation of the National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking, the Women, Peace and Security Agenda (WPS), and the Modern Slavery Act 2018.
Australia’s Tier 1 status reflects its strong policy frameworks, including the Modern Slavery Act 2018, the National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking, and adoption of UNSCR 1325. Australia has integrated the WPS Agenda into its programmes to combat modern slavery, demonstrating its commitment to prioritising women in its security agenda. Yet, greater emphasis on victim-centred approaches is needed. This includes recognising victims’ rights and ensuring they are not prosecuted for crimes resulting from their exploitation.
Regionally, Australia has demonstrated leadership through funding ASEAN-ACT and encouraging ASEAN members to take serious action against human trafficking through the Bali Process. Since 2015, Australia has also contributed to the Tripartite Action to Enhance the Contribution of Labor Migration to Growth and Development (TRIANGLE) programme, which supports safe and fair labour migration across ASEAN countries. In bilateral partnerships, Australia has assisted Indonesian institutions, including the Supreme Court, through training on judicial decision-making and best practices in handling trafficking cases. It has also strengthened cooperation with the Timor-Leste Police Institution by supporting forums that promote gender equality and the sharing of operational experience.
However, these partnerships remain insufficient to address trafficking dynamics at the border itself. There is scope for Australia to expand its engagement to include targeted support for border officials in both Indonesia and Timor-Leste. Training focused on victim identification, gender sensitivity, and cross-border cooperation would strengthen early detection and response to trafficking cases.
To address human trafficking along the Indonesia–Timor-Leste border more effectively, Australia should pursue several complementary measures. First, it should continue strengthening the implementation of its domestic legal framework while maintaining effective border control. Second, it should deepen collaboration with Indonesia and Timor-Leste through joint research initiatives involving local universities and non-governmental organisations. Improved empirical knowledge of trafficking patterns and motivations would provide a stronger evidence base for policy development. Third, through the ASEAN-ACT and The Bali Process, Australia can encourage greater data integration between government institutions in Indonesia and Timor-Leste, including data relevant to cases involving Australia.
Australia also has an opportunity to promote the WPS agenda more consistently in anti-trafficking efforts. This includes supporting the meaningful involvement of women in prevention and response strategies at grassroots, national, and regional levels. Women with experience of working abroad can play an important role in training and awareness programs by sharing their experiences. Border officials in both Indonesia and Timor-Leste should be included in specialised training on trafficking prevention and victim-centred case handling.
Finally, Australia’s commitment to the implementation of the WPS agenda and UNSCR 1325, both domestically and regionally, can be demonstrated through the consistent application of victim-friendly approaches that ensure legal protection, safety, and support throughout judicial processes.
Human trafficking along the Indonesia–Timor-Leste border can be reduced through early intervention, coordinated policy, and sustained regional cooperation. By investing in evidence, partnerships, and gender-sensitive governance, Australia can help prevent exploitation while strengthening regional stability.
Guidora (Julie) Kopong is a PhD student from the School of Politics and International Studies, The University of Queensland. Her research investigates the implications of gender relations to three principal components of gender justice: redistribution, recognition and representation in patrilineal and matrilineal societies in the border of Indonesia and Timor-Leste.
This blog is part of a joint series between AIIA and Women in International Security – Australia Inc. (WIIS-A), which aims to elevate the work of female and gender-diverse individuals in the field of international affairs.
This article is published under a Creative Commons License and may be republished with attribution
