Anti-Slavery Australia

24/03/2026

Today, 25 March, we mark the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

We honour the millions who were denied their humanity and forced to endure generations of exploitation. But this is not a closed chapter. Modern slavery affects an estimated 49 million people globally today. People are still denied their freedom.

This year's theme, Justice in Action, is a reminder that remembrance must translate into action. Anti-Slavery Australia remains committed to providing free, specialist legal and support services to survivors of modern slavery in Australia. We also continue to advocate for a National Compensation Scheme that would provide survivors with meaningful access to justice and financial redress, because acknowledgement without repair is not enough.

On this day of remembrance, we reaffirm that commitment. We are grateful to work alongside a community of advocates, survivors, and supporters.

06/03/2026

International Women's Day in on 8 March 🚺 This year’s UN theme is "Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls."

Modern slavery is not gender neutral.

Globally, and account for around 54% of people in modern slavery. They are disproportionately represented in forced marriage, sexual exploitation and domestic servitude. These are forms of exploitation that often occur inside homes and relationships, away from labour inspectors, unions or workplace protections.

Two-thirds of the estimated 22 million people in are women and girls. Around 12 million girls are married each year, many before turning 18.

In Australia:
🔷 Women and girls make up the majority of people supported by Australian Red Cross' Support for Trafficked People Program
🔷Females made up 87% of identified victim-survivors to the Australian Federal Police in FY24/25
🔷Forced marriage and exit trafficking are consistently among the most reported modern slavery offences for women.

Gender inequality in work, migration, property rights, and legal status creates conditions in which exploitation can occur. Women in informal, isolated or unregulated work often have the least access to legal protection or remedy.

For Anti-Slavery Australia, "Rights. Justice. Action.” means addressing structural gaps, advocating for stronger protections, and making sure survivor support is accessible to the women and girls who need it most.

That's why we run My Blue Sky, Australia's national service for people who are in a forced marriage or worried about being forced to marry: www.mybluesky.org.au.

Australia has made strong commitments to end forced marriage, but a legal loophole still allows 16- and 17-year-olds to marry with court approval in “exceptional circumstances.” Even if rarely used, it creates ambiguity in a system that should be clear: children should not be married.

You can support calls to close this loophole and set 18 as the minimum marriage age in Australia without exception by signing this petition by Freedom United. Anti-Slavery Australia is pleased to support this call.

🔗 https://www.freedomunited.org/advocate/forced-child-marriage-australia/

28/01/2026

🇺🇳 Australia called upon to establish a National Compensation Scheme for victim-survivors of modern slavery during UPR 🇺🇳

On Monday evening, Australia participated in its fourth Universal Periodic Review (UPR). The UPR is a peer review mechanism of the UN Human Rights Council assessing the human rights records of all UN Member States.

During Australia’s review, India made a recommendation that Australia establish “a national compensation scheme for victim-survivors of contemporary forms of slavery”. It further called on Australia to fully implement the recommendations arising from the statutory review of the 2018. In addition, Bangladesh recommended Australia strengthen action to prevent , ensure victim protection and provide effective remedies, and Sri Lanka encouraged Australia to build upon existing initiatives and maintain support services.

We have long advocated for increased protections and support for victim-survivors of modern slavery in Australia. For over a decade, we have explicitly called for greater access to effective through the establishment of a national compensation scheme. We welcome the important recommendation by India as well as the recommendations of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to enhance victim hashtag and at the global level and urge the Australian Government to support and implement these recommendations, specifically by establishing a national compensation scheme within one year.

Anti-Slavery Australia congratulates and thanks our colleagues at the Australian Human Rights Commission, Human Rights Law Centre, Youth Law Australia and Foundation for Aboriginal and Islander Research Action (FAIRA) for their advocacy in Geneva late last year that contributed to these positive outcomes.

🎥 To watch Australia’s UPR in full, see the webcast: https://lnkd.in/gmaybC8p

The full report of the Working Group, including all recommendations made to Australia during the review, will be distributed on Friday, 6 February 2026.

22/01/2026

AUSTRALIA'S HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD to be reviewed by the United Nations on Monday 26 January📃🌐

Australia’s adherence to its legal obligations under international human rights law will be comprehensively examined during a live-streamed session on Monday. The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a peer review mechanism assessing the human rights records of all UN Member States. This marks Australia’s fourth UPR cycle, during which it is expected to outline the steps it has taken to implement previously supported recommendations and to highlight recent human rights developments within its jurisdiction.

In November 2025, Anti-Slavery Australia participated in the UPR Pre-sessions in Geneva, urging UN Member States to put forward the following recommendations during the upcoming Review to strengthen Australia’s response to modern slavery:

• Establish a national compensation scheme for victims and survivors of modern slavery.
• Delink access to support and visa pathways from participation in criminal justice processes.
• Develop and implement a repatriation protocol and government-funded grant scheme for victims and survivors of exit trafficking.
• Develop and implement a child rights-based response to modern slavery by 2027.
• Expand access to specialist supports by recognising child dependents of victims and survivors as survivors in their own right.
• Implement, at a minimum, the agreed recommendations of the Review into the Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth) and the Targeted Review into Divisions 270 & 271 of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth), with exposure drafts of proposed reforms released by June 2026.

We also acknowledge the significance of this date, which holds deep and painful meaning for many First Nations peoples and reflects the ongoing impacts of colonisation. This context reinforces why the UPR process remains essential. It presents an important opportunity for Australia to demonstrate its commitment to universal human rights, including the rights of victims and survivors of modern slavery.

Australia’s UPR commences Monday 26 January at 7:00pm AEDT.

💻 Watch the live webcast here: https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1u/k1uuzffhcq

📖 Read our pre-session statement here:https://upr-info.org/sites/default/files/country-document/2025-11/Anti-Slavery_Australia_statement.pdf

18/12/2025

✨ End-of-year news worth celebrating ✨

We’re thrilled to share that our very own Chloe Saker has been shortlisted for the 30 Under 30 Awards in the Pro Bono / Community Lawyer category.

This recognition reflects Chloe’s care and commitment to survivor-centred practice and the impact of her work supporting people experiencing modern slavery. We’re so proud to see her expertise acknowledged on a national stage.

The awards ceremony will be held on 11 March 2026. We’ll be cheering loudly!

Congratulations, Chloe, and all of the nominees! 👏

17/12/2025

🔹2025 Year in Review – Director’s Message 🔹

In the days after the tragic Bondi attack, which occurred on the first day of Chanukah, I write at a time of deep national sorrow. We acknowledge the devastating impact this has had on the Jewish community, during a time that is normally marked by light, family and reflection. We extend our heartfelt support to all.

As 2025 draws to a close, I am proud of the extraordinary impact achieved by the Anti-Slavery Australia team. Working at the intersection of law, community, and policy, we have strengthened each of these pillars to advance a more just future.

Our legal practice supported more than 400 people experiencing modern slavery. We secured outcomes across immigration, victims’ compensation, citizenship, and family reunification. These included Workplace Justice Visas, permanent partner and citizenship visas, ministerial interventions, and the safe return of Australians trafficked overseas.

The Additional Referral Pathway remains a significant national initiative, enabling survivors to access the Australian Red Cross Support for Trafficked People Program without first engaging with law enforcement. In its first year, we valued our collaboration with The Salvation Army, the Muslim Women’s Centre for Human Rights, Project Respect, and Scarlet Alliance, and we are proud to continue our partnership with The Salvation Army in delivering this pathway.

Our prevention and education work expanded significantly. Speak Now delivered training across four states and advanced research on forced marriage. My Blue Sky reached thousands of new users through translated and audio resources. Through Seeking Freedom, we delivered nationally recognised work on child exploitation and contributed to international reform discussions.

We also strengthened our policy leadership. We made international submissions to UN Special Rapporteurs, participated in global forums, delivered a statement at the UN Human Rights Council, and contributed to key domestic reforms, including the Modern Slavery Act review and the Federal Anti-Slavery Commissioner’s Strategic Plan. We also chaired the Attorney-General’s Department Roundtable Working Group to produce the national Practice Guidelines for organisations working with people affected by modern slavery.

Throughout the year, we continued to build trusted partnerships with communities, frontline workers, and civil society. None of this work would have been possible without our staff, partners, pro bono supporters, and the people with lived experience whose insight strengthens everything we do.

Looking ahead to 2026, we will continue advocating for a national compensation scheme, strengthening legal protections, and ensuring people affected by modern slavery can access safety, dignity, and meaningful redress.

On behalf of Anti-Slavery Australia, I wish you a safe and hopeful New Year. I look forward to what we will achieve together in the year ahead.

Professor Jennifer Burn AM
Director, Anti-Slavery Australia

11/12/2025

📢 Looking for a PLT placement with a difference? Anti-Slavery Australia is now recruiting for 2026 placements.

Anti-Slavery Australia is seeking motivated law students with a passion for human rights and access to justice, to complete their PLT Practical Experience (PE) Placement with the legal practice. ⚖️

Anti-Slavery Australia is based in the University of Technology Sydney Faculty of Law, and is dedicated to eliminating modern slavery. We support survivors of trafficking, slavery, forced labour, forced marriage, and other slavery practices through our specialist pro-bono legal practice.

Students completing their PE placements with Anti-Slavery Australia have found it to be an extremely rewarding experience. Many have gone on to work in the legal profession with a strong human rights and social justice focus.

A PE placement with Anti-Slavery Australia offers a unique opportunity to work collaboratively within a legal team and be involved in the day-to-day work of a busy legal practice. A commitment to volunteering for at least 2 days per week for a minimum of 5 months is required. Students who are soon to commence their PE can also apply.

This is an extension of our 2025 rolling recruitment process, so applications will continue to be considered as and when they are received. We have availability for start in January 2026.

If you’re ready to use your legal training to create real, measurable impact in people’s lives, we’d love to hear from you.

📄 For more information, see the full selection criteria and application requirements here. ASA upholds the National Principles of Child Safe Organisations: https://antislavery.org.au/looking-for-a-plt-placement-with-a-difference/

23/11/2025

Exit trafficking reports in Australia have more than doubled in a single year, but do you know how to identify and respond to it?

We're hosting FREE Exit Trafficking Seminars in Canberra, presented in collaboration with the Women’s Legal Centre ACT, to help our community better understand and address this hidden form of modern slavery.

Each seminar will cover:�• What exit trafficking is�• Key signs and indicators�• How it intersects with other forms of modern slavery and violence�• Real case studies�• Support options and referral pathways

In-person sessions (choose the one for your sector):�1️⃣ Community service practitioners — 3 Dec, 10:30am–12:30pm�👉 https://events.humanitix.com/exit-trafficking-communityservices

2️⃣ General community members — 3 Dec, 6:30pm–8:00pm�👉 https://events.humanitix.com/exit-trafficking-community

3️⃣ Legal practitioners — 4 Dec, 10:30am–12:30pm�👉 https://events.humanitix.com/exit-trafficking-legal

If you're in Canberra and want to deepen your understanding of this critical issue, we’d love to have you join us.

A free seminar on exit trafficking for legal practitioners. Learn what it is, how to identify it, and the support options available.

11/11/2025

On Saturday we were delighted to host a Human Mart pop-up exhibition at the Community Fair.

A huge thank you to the University of Sydney Modern Slavery Unit for partnering with us, and to our brilliant team for bringing this exhibition to life! ✨

It was such a fantastic opportunity to raise awareness about modern slavery and connect with so many people about the exploitation that can often be hidden in plain sight💡💬

22/10/2025

We were glad to attend today’s launch of the Australian Anti-Slavery Commissioner’s Strategic Plan 2025–2028 represented by our team members Lulu Rae, Heshani De Silva, and Robyn Holder. Congratulations to Commissioner Chris Evans and the OAASC team on a clear, survivor-centred roadmap. We look forward to seeing this work come to life over the Commissioner’s term.

What the plan sets out:
🔵 Transforming systems to centre survivors and people with lived experience: by embedding lived experience in policy, programs and evaluation, and expanding practical guidance for victim-survivors.
🔵 Strengthening law & polifcy: by advancing a coordinated national agenda, including reform of the Modern Slavery Act and data-driven decision-making.
🔵 Driving business and government towards better due diligence: including through clearer tools on high-risk goods and stronger procurement.
🔵 Improving access to justice and remedy: by boosting early detection, strengthening criminal justice responses, and widening pathways to meaningful remedies and recovery.

At Anti-Slavery Australia, we share these priorities, especially survivor-led systems and better access to justice and compensation. We look forward to ongoing collaboration to turn ambition into impact.

28/06/2025

Anti-Slavery Australia is proud to have worked with the NSW Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) on developing two online courses on modern slavery and forced marriage for their staff, which were launched earlier this week.

The two modules will help staff better understand, identify and respond to these issues in their work, through good practices informed by Anti-Slavery Australia's direct legal expertise, evidence-based research and the insights of people with lived experience.

We are excited to see these modules being made mandatory for all DCJ and Corrective Services staff across NSW, totalling 28,490 people. Congratulations to DCJ on taking this important step forward and becoming the first NSW government department to roll out mandatory modern slavery training for their staff! 👏🏻👏🏻

19/06/2025

🎙 “Things are changing, but there is so much more to be done – particularly around collaboration between all sectors in the community to make sure that people who are vulnerable are identified, referred appropriately, and have access to better support.”

Anti-Slavery Australia Director, Professor Jennifer Burn, joined ABC Radio National’s Changing Australia to discuss modern slavery in Australia and the legal and policy reform still needed to address it.

In conversation with Sally Sara, she spoke about:
🔹 Ongoing vulnerability to slavery, including the need for stronger protections for people on temporary visas
🔹 Our Seeking Freedom project and the need to better protect, respect and fulfil the rights of children in the context of modern slavery (https://antislavery.org.au/seeking-freedom)
🔹 The Additional Referral Pathway pilot expanding access to support (https://antislavery.org.au/arp)
🔹 The call for a national compensation scheme for survivors of slavery (https://antislavery.org.au/business-support-for-a-national-compensation-scheme/)
🔹 Why survivor engagement and lived-experience led work must be central to any response

📻 Listen to the full interview on ABC Radio National Breakfast: https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/radionational-breakfast/changing-oz-jennifer-burn-fighting-slavery-and-human-trafficking/105434556

While public awareness is increasing, slavery, human trafficking and forced marriage are still often hidden issues in Australia. And at a specialised law centre in Sydney, their case loads are growing, helping hundreds of people each year. The founder of this pro bono centre at the University of Tec...