Tuesday 11 October 2011

Migration agents suspected over sex slavery

AUSTRALIAN immigration officials suspected of involvement in sexual slavery, gangs and illegal brothels operating government keep their licenses despite being involved in police investigations.

Age was found complaints and information in the police documents revealing the alleged involvement of two licensed migration agents, Yasmin Bao, Melbourne, and Xu Li Xu, Sydney, in Australia's illicit sex trade.

Police have said that the age of state or federal authorities have discovered a dozen corrupt immigration officials, but the federal government is not acting on the information gathered.

The Victorian Government has announced that current laws to replace the Consumer Affairs as the lead agency in charge of monitoring the sex industry and the police station in charge. The announcement follows reports in the Age that exposes the failure of state government to act against licensed brothels after the state or federal police obtained evidence implicating the halls of the allegations of sexual slavery or crime organized.

Federal Interior Minister, Brendan O'Connor, told ABC Radio that evidence of sexual slavery transmitted as part of an age of four sets of research Corners was disturbing. Regarding''licensed brothels are regulated by the state and must be properly regulated,''said Mr. O'Connor.

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said the government granted licenses for brothels and migration agents should be discontinued if there is strong evidence that the police engaged in traffic.

''There has to be a much more rapid decision when there is evidence, either in brothels or immigration agents. We are talking about people who have their lives taken away, because they have been trafficked and forced into sexual slavery. I struggle to see how a light approach is acceptable.''

Victorian Consumer Affairs Minister Michael O'Brien has rejected the age of an interview on the subject for the second day.

The Australian Federal Police confirmed realizes que''se complaints by immigration agents involved in the sex industry,''the traffic, but that questions about the licensing of these agents for the Department of Immigration and Citizenship.

The department said que''no no evidence to suggest any immigration agents have been linked to human trafficking in the sex industry in the last five years.''

Ms. Bao, registered as a federal agent migration in Melbourne, has allegedly been working for months with a syndicate operating illegal brothels in apartments in CBD of Melbourne. The brothels are seen by Asian women on student visas. When contacted about the complaints, Ms. Bao - whose behavior has twice been referred by the complainant to the Victoria Police and once to the federal police, admitted that some Asian women working as masseuses offering sexual services to customers.

Sometimes the client''instructs the girl [to provide additional services] because the girls are young. They are very easy. Some customers to deceive.''

When asked about the age she could act as an immigration agent - agents are required by federal law to have a good reputation - and allegedly being involved in illicit sex industry, Ms Bao said, Would you like to leave''massage or do you want to stop immigration official business?''

Immigration agents are registered by the federal government and has powers to help people get visas and according to the Department of Immigration. They are intended to be governed by a strict code of conduct.

Xu Li Xu is an immigration agent in Sydney referred to several times in the federal police documents recently submitted to the Melbourne Magistrates Court in the prosecution of a woman who allegedly kept as sex slaves in a brothel in Melbourne.

AFP documents allege that Ms. Li willing student visas and applications from school for two women victims of trafficking by international crime syndicate from Asia to Australia in mid 2009. The union alleged trafficking in women and then forced them to work as sex slaves in brothels in Sydney and Melbourne.

A federal police statement witness one of the comfort women, said Ms. Li of course was working with two senior union figures. ''I realized that she [Ms. Li] should be working with them and be in charge of all student visa applications.''

Last year, federal police raided facilities connected to Ms. Li, although it has not been charged with any crime and has denied the accusations, claiming she was also a victim of human trafficking syndicate.

Director of Immigration Agents federal Registration Authority, Christine Sykes said no agents in the last 10 years had been sanctioned by the allegations of sexual slavery or trafficking. Since the office began operations in July 2009 after a review of the law of self-regulation of the migration advice profession, 17 registered migration agents had been disciplined for other violations. Neither Mrs Li Bao, or the lady has been punished.

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