Author: Sarah Crockett (Intern from Australia)

Australia has seen a rise in reports of modern slavery. Modern slavery reports in Australia increased by 12% in the last year, with 382 separate reports made to Australian officials. However, increased reporting may indicate better access and availability of reporting services rather than an increase in crime. It is believed that modern slavery continues to be underreported in Australia and operates as a sort of open secret. It is suspected that for every known or reported victim, there are four that go unreported. This is also considered to be a conservative estimate. This issue is not broadly discussed in Australia by the general public and attention must be given to this matter in order to facilitate change. This issue is of particular concern to Mitra Wacana as women and children are disproportionately affected by modern slavery.

Modern slavery is an umbrella term covering concepts like forced labor, debt bondage, forced marriage, slavery and trafficking. It is estimated that 41,000 men, women and children are currently living in situations that constitute modern slavery in Australia today. There is a belief that most modern slaves in Australia are forced laborers working on rural farms far outside of Australia’s large cities. However, this neglects to consider instances of forced marriage or domestic servitude and ignores that modern slavery exists throughout the country, and is not only relegated to distant areas.

A recent story brought home the idea that slavery still occurs in the city. Just two months ago, the Victorian police published a story about ‘Maria,’ an older woman found living on the streets who was discovered to be a victim of modern slavery. While Maria was able to receive resources and assistance, unfortunately this is not the common fate for victims. Police and other government bodies are not sufficiently trained in recognizing signs of modern slavery. There is a lack of understanding of what modern slavery looks like, and the inability of police and other officials to correctly identify instances of modern slavery compounds this issue.

There is also a cultural element that makes identification and intervention more difficult. Victims of modern slavery often come from diverse cultural backgrounds, and language barriers, fear of authority, and lack of knowledge about their rights in Australia further isolate them. Additionally, cultural stigma around issues like forced marriage or debt bondage may discourage victims from coming forward, especially if they feel pressured by their own communities to remain silent.

Moreover, industries such as agriculture, hospitality, and domestic work are particularly vulnerable to exploitation, as these sectors often rely on low-paid, casual, and migrant labor. Unscrupulous employers may take advantage of loopholes in visa systems or the desperation of undocumented workers to impose exploitative conditions. As long as these systemic vulnerabilities exist without sufficient oversight and enforcement, modern slavery will continue to thrive even within seemingly regulated sectors of the Australian economy.

Australia has attempted to combat issues of Australia, notably by introducing the Modern Slavery Act 2018. However, a review in 2023 found that there was ‘no hard evidence’ this updated law had precipitated any ‘meaningful change for people living in conditions of modern slavery.’ There is a lack of urgency in the drive of the Australian government to address and comprehensively deal with the issue of modern slavery.

Anti-Slavery Australia also compiles the stories of survivors. Victims of slavery are disproportionately foreigners. Often they will have their passports confiscated by would-be employers, preventing them from leaving. In other cases they will be prevented from renewing their visas or forced to overstay them, making them afraid to report their situation for fear of facing legal consequences or deportation.

Modern slavery is a global issue, trafficking involves the moving of people across borders, and many of those in situations of modern slavery will not be native citizens of the countries they find themselves in. Because of this, it is vital we work together to reduce the spread of modern slavery and use co-operation to combat this issue.

List of Sources
https://www.walkfree.org/what-is-modern-slavery/#:~:text=Modern%20slavery%20covers%20a%20set,commonalities%20across%20these%20legal%20concepts.
https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/news/society/modern-slavery/
https://humanrights.gov.au/about/news/opinions/41000-urgent-priorities-our-new-anti-slavery-commissioner-has-tackle
https://www.walkfree.org/news/2025/modern-slavery-laws-in-the-uk-and-australia-are-failing-and-need-urgent-reform/
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-36476191