Women allegedly stranded abroad after husbands withhold their passports
A women’s safety advocate has warned that some Pakistani and Indian women are allegedly taken from Australia by their husbands under the pretence of family holidays, then left overseas without passports or a way home. The warning follows two men being charged in separate alleged exit trafficking cases, highlighting how coercion can leave women and children stranded and dependent on relatives.
In one case, Sydney man Muhammad Bilal Khan, 35, is accused of taking his wife to Pakistan and withholding her passport; a second man is accused of trying to force a woman and her two children to travel from Melbourne. Yasmin Khan of the Bangle Foundation says some women are expected to serve or care for in-laws, while relationship breakdowns and financial disputes may also be factors alleged by advocates. The Australian Red Cross says referrals to its Support for Trafficked People Program for exit trafficking rose 140 per cent from 2024.
In short
- Two men face charges in separate alleged exit trafficking cases.
- An advocate says women can be stranded abroad without passports.
- Red Cross referrals for exit trafficking rose 140 per cent from 2024.
Explained simply
Exit trafficking is when someone is allegedly taken out of Australia through deception or pressure, then prevented from returning freely. Withholding a passport can leave a person unable to travel and reliant on others for help.
The people involved may include spouses, relatives and children, while Australian police investigate suspected offences and support services assist people affected by trafficking. Yasmin Khan, a women’s safety advocate with the Bangle Foundation, says some women may be expected to care for or serve their in-laws; advocates also point to relationship breakdowns and money disputes as possible factors.
The Australian Red Cross runs a programme for people affected by trafficking and says referrals involving exit trafficking rose by 140 per cent from 2024. The issue matters because being stranded can separate people from their homes and support networks, and can make it harder to seek help.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Australian women lured overseas by their husbands on ‘family holidays’ before being stripped of their passports and abandoned to become ‘slaves’ for their in-laws: ‘He’s back in Sydney enjoying life’”.