Forced labour and exploitation has surged almost 50 per cent in the past five years as criminals target domestic and overseas workers.
There has been a total of 173 reported incidents of forced labour since 2018-19 with 43 of those in the last year alone.
Australia is a migration corridor for seasonal and temporary workers, who were found to be prone to being coerced, threatened or deceived into working against their will.
And those in the agriculture, construction, hospitality and manufacturing industries were most at risk.
This is due to visa status, limited understanding of worker rights, cultural barriers and social isolation, Australian Federal Police Commander Helen Schneider said.
“Some victims of forced labour may view their new working conditions as preferable to those in their country of origin – even though the conditions are extremely exploitative,” she said.
In January this year, a Victorian business owner was sentenced to three years and six months after coercing a victim to work 14-hour days every day of the week for two consecutive years under the promise of helping him secure a visa.
He had also threatened to report the victim and his family to authorities for working illegally.
A month before that in December, a 47-year-old man from Darwin was charged with forced labour and servitude after allegedly recruiting deckhands through a deceptive online job advertisement.
The victims were allegedly forced to work without pay, were provided with little food and water and held on the man’s fishing vessel against their will and one victim was so desperate to escape, he jumped into crocodile-infested waters to swim to shore.
Federal police urged individuals to be aware of indicators of forced labour and to ask their employers to provide appropriate documentation and contracts before accepting job offers.
Signs a person may be a victim include acts of physical and psychological abuse, poor working conditions and being in debt bondage.
If you suspect that you or another person is experiencing, or at risk of forced labour, or someone you know is being exploited, call 131 237 or report via www.afp.gov.au.
If you or someone you know is exploited at work in Australia, visit the Work Right Hub for more information and support.
