Unfinished Decriminalization: The Impact of Section 19 of the Prostitution Reform Act 2003 on Migrant Sex Workers’ Rights and Lives in Aotearoa New Zealand

In 2003, Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) passed the Prostitution Reform Act 2003 (PRA), which decriminalized sex work for NZ citizens and holders of permanent residency (PR) while excluding migrant workers (MSWs) from its protection. This is due to Section 19 (s19) PRA, added at last minute against advice by Sex Workers’ Collective (NZPC) as an anti-trafficking clause. Because s19, migrants on temporary visas found be working are liable deportation Immigration (INZ). Drawing original ethnographic interview data gathered over 24 months fieldwork, our study finds that in vulnerable violence exploitation, too afraid report these police fear deportation, corroborating earlier studies completed we were collecting data.