July 2016 – NEXUS Institute is pleased to announce the release of Human Trafficking in Indonesia: The Difficult Road Home, with photographs by award-winning photojournalist Peter Biro.

This photo essay is based on NEXUS’ research study Going Home. Challenges in the Reintegration of Trafficking Victims in Indonesia, which explores the reintegration experiences of more than 100 Indonesian trafficking victims and their families. The research outlines available services for trafficking victims and highlights the key gaps in the current assistance response in Indonesia, including:

• that many trafficking victims are not identified;
• reintegration is not clearly defined;
• most assistance is “one-off” or short-term;
• victims face barriers in accessing services;
• victims lack information about reintegration assistance;
• there are inadequate services for trafficked men;
• there is a lack of case management; and
• there is an uneven geographical distribution of services.

“This research is the first longitudinal study on human trafficking conducted in Indonesia and one of only a few in the world. It offers a unique lens into the complex process of reintegration for victims after being trafficked, drawing on the firsthand accounts of a diverse group of trafficking victims,” said Stephen Warnath, President, CEO and Founder of NEXUS Institute. “Our report documents their experiences and introduces what support is available for reintegration of victims of human trafficking in Indonesia, and the constraints and obstacles victims face in accessing that support. The stories that emerge from our interviews are not unique. Listening to their voices and the lessons to be learned from them can benefit many countries around the world.” 

Going home is the first in a series of longitudinal studies that explore various aspects of life and reintegration after trafficking in Indonesia. The project is generously funded by the United States Department of State’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (J/TIP). The research study was authored by NEXUS Institute’s Rebecca Surtees, Laura S. Johnson, Thaufiek Zulbaharay and Suarni Daeng Caya.

Photograph by Peter Biro. All rights reserved.

Photographs in this photo essay illustrate various aspects of daily life in Indonesia. Unless stated otherwise, individuals in these photographs are not trafficking victims.