A couple of Brazilian immigrants in New Zealand were deported after the local immigration service pointed out that the husband and wife were involved in a prostitution ring that took women to the Oceania country to work in the sex industry.
The investigation unfolded over the past year until, in May, a court ruled that the couple and their two children – aged ten months and three years – should leave the country. They received a three-month work visa so that they could pool resources for their return.
Man and woman, 32 and 34 years old, respectively, were born in Salvador and have been together since 2012, according to information from the couple’s defense made public by the New Zealand court. The move to the country, where they already had other relatives, took place in 2016.
The process that led to deportation began when her husband, who worked as a plasterer, requested the renewal of the visa, in March 2021. In five months came the denial, pointing out that he would not be a candidate in “good faith”.
As an argument, the sector alleged that the man provided services to Brazilian women who wanted to prostitute themselves in the country. Sex work in New Zealand was decriminalized in 2003 for people over the age of 18 — the country, however, prevents temporary visa holders from working in the field, as a way of curbing sex trafficking.
The investigation would have accessed data from the couple’s joint bank account and WhatsApp messages that show deposits from Brazilian women for this purpose, according to the lawsuit.
The defense denied the couple’s involvement, arguing that the woman worked with administration services for Brazilian women, but without implications for the prostitution ring. The immigration court, however, announced the deportation last November.
THE Sheet The New Zealand immigration sector said it launched an extensive investigation in 2020 after a Brazilian woman revealed she was working in prostitution. Hence, the network created for women to travel to the country was discovered. “Once in New Zealand, they would work with an anonymous administrator who would indicate where to work and how much to charge; he would receive part of the profit, which would be deposited in various bank accounts.”
The last attempt of the Brazilians was to appeal to the Justice, arguing that circumstances of a humanitarian nature weighed in their favor. They said that because they had been in New Zealand for so long, they did not have support or work networks in Brazil and that their children, raised in the local culture, would not have good opportunities.
In a letter to the court, they said they moved to New Zealand because they feared raising their children in Brazil, “with a high crime rate and low economic conditions”.
The defense’s arguments also listed the high rates of rape, the values ​​of private schools and the deficiencies in the public school system. They also said that the public health system “does not work well”: “thousands of people die waiting to be treated”.
In response, the court said it recognized the worrying level of crime in Brazil and listed research that evidence, for example, the severity of the pandemic in the country, but concluded that it found no real evidence that the couple could be at risk in their country of origin. .
The name of the Brazilians was not made public. They left New Zealand on 4 August. THE Sheet tried to contact their defense, by email and on social media, but got no response. The Itamaraty said that, through the embassy in Wellington, he is aware of the case and remains available to provide assistance — but stressed that deportation is a sovereign act of each nation.
Despite having legislation considered advanced in the area of ​​prostitution, New Zealand is criticized by NGOs for banning temporary migrants from being involved in the sex industry. The measure, they say, supports the exploitation of migrants and, contrary to the reasons for which it was created, increases the risk of trafficking.
