If you are in immediate danger, call Triple Zero (000)
Fighting modern slavery
The Salvation Army is actively working against trafficking, slavery and slavery-like practices.
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger
About modern slavery
Modern slavery, including human trafficking, occurs when a person is exploited for another’s profit, gain or advantage using coercion, violence, threats or false promises. The main difference between substandard working conditions and slavery is whether the person is free to leave or is being coerced to stay through some means.
Modern slavery can affect anyone across a range of industries and situations and may include:
- Agriculture or farm work
- Construction
- Retail
- Hospitality
- Cleaning
- Domestic work
- Maritime industry or seafarers
- Manufacturing orb factory work
- Organ removal
- Personal or aged care
- Sex services
Modern slavery may include being:
- Tricked and lied to about your work, travel, visa, or relationship
- Pressured, threatened, or hurt to get you to do what they said
- Told or made to feel like you did not have the choice to say no to a marriage
- Made to sign a contract you did not really understand
- Made to work for little or no money
- Made to work very long hours with little or no breaks
- Had your passport or other papers taken away
- Told you owe them a lot of money, so they kept most or all your pay
- Told you could not get a job with a different employer
- Told you could not leave and were watched very closely
- Forced to have no real choice about your living or working in unsafe conditions
- Kept secret or held back from the community
- Tricked or forced to have sex or to take drugs
- Tricked or forced to do illegal things
- Made to rely on the person or business for all your needs
- Made to feel guilty if you did not want to do as they said
- Felt very confused and distressed about your situation
- Told that if you left, the police would not believe you, would put you in jail, or would make you leave Australia
- Made to get married when you were under 18 years old
Slavery-like practices may include:
- Forced marriage or the risk of forced marriage
- Slave-like marriage
- Forced labour or servitude
- Many cases of servitude in marriage present as domestic violence