Key Points
- A new report highlights issues contributing to an “emerging” modern slavery crisis in NSW.
- It says Pacific workers and backpackers working across a number of sectors and in rural and regional NSW are at risk.
- Modern slavery can include things like debt bondage, forced labor, sexual servitude and human trafficking.
Pacific workers and backpackers working in several NSW industries are at risk of debt bondage, forced labour, deceptive recruitment, sexual servitude and human trafficking, a new report has found.
The concerns were detailed in a report released on Wednesday by the Office of the NSW Anti-Slavery Commissioner and focused on temporary migrant workers employed in rural and regional NSW.
“These workers, who are trapped in exploitative situations, are among around 16,400 people trapped in modern slavery in NSW,” said NSW Anti-Slavery Commissioner James Cockayne. of the South and author of the report.
The “emerging crisis” of modern slavery is “complex” due to the difficulty of regulating the agriculture, horticulture and meat processing sectors, according to the report.
Not only do these sectors employ a high proportion of vulnerable migrant workers, including Pacific Australia Labor Mobility (PALM) workers and backpackers or Working Holiday Makers (WHM), but regulators also face large numbers of employers, a dispersed geography and strong seasonality in the case of agriculture and horticulture.
There is a heavy reliance on labor recruitment companies in New South Wales, the ACT, Victoria, South Australia and Queensland. They are not subject to specific regulatory regimes.
WHM employment generally does not require registration, so federal and state governments may have difficulty identifying where and who employers are located.
Additionally, visa limitations for PALM workers mean they are not allowed to change employers while in Australia. Around 70 per cent of PALM workers in New South Wales work in the “long-term” pipeline, with contracts of up to four years.
A PALM worker may only be transferred to another employer at the request of the original employer or at the discretion of the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations.
Sophia Kagan, senior policy advisor on labor migration with the NSW Office of the Anti-Slavery Commissioner and co-author of the report, said temporary female migrant workers are particularly vulnerable to slavery .
“The gaps in current programs have led to an increase in the number of disengaged PALM workers reporting violence, coercive control and sexual exploitation,” she said.
“Pregnant workers may find themselves without prenatal services. Others face homelessness and the risk of eviction, but are often too afraid to seek formal justice,” she said.
The report also highlights that due to limited state support or intervention, the burden of helping these workers falls on local communities and community service providers, who do not have adequate resources to provide support .
To prevent and combat this “emerging” modern slavery crisis, the report recommends trauma-informed, worker-centered inquiry; tailored training for frontline NSW government agencies; a review of visa parameters and protection requirements; the creation of regional hubs of migrant centers; and funding to support local actors.
Moe Turaga, modern slavery survivor and advocate, said: “People like me come to Australia hoping for better job opportunities and a brighter future for our families, but many face harsh realities once arrived.
“Too many people today are being denied their basic rights. We need stronger regulations and support systems to make NSW a truly welcoming place for guest workers. »
