The life of the slavery survivor who became a saint is a model for improving the lives of modern slavery victims, writes Australian Catholic Anti-slavery Network consultant Moe Turaga.   God bless Catholics in Australia and around the world who are honouring Saint Josephine Bakhita today on her Feast Day. I've known of the Patron Saint of human trafficking victims since I spoke at an event to commemorate Saint Josephine Bakhita hosted by the Archbishop of Sydney Anthony Fisher OP in 2019. I then understood the irony in her name. Moe Turaga and Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP Bakhita means l ..read more

As one of the largest employers in Australia, the Catholic Church is in a pivotal position to lead the momentum for change on this critical issue. More than five million people across Australia identify as Catholic. Schools, hospitals, aged care facilities, social services, universities, finance and investment are just some of the Catholic institutions which touch the lives of millions of Australians regardless of their faith. ACAN submits the following recommendations to the Review of the Modern Slavery Amendment (Australian Anti-Slavery Commissioner) Bill 2023 [Provisions] (the Bill). These ..read more

23 June 2023 SYDNEY – NSW Anti-slavery Commissioner, Dr James Cockayne, launched his strategic plan “Working Together for Real Freedom” at NSW Parliament House yesterday. The Commissioner also announced an inaugural advisory panel that includes Jenny Stanger, Program Manager at the Australian Catholic Anti-slavery Network (ACAN) and Luke Geary, Domus 8.7 Committee Member and Partner at Mills Oakley Lawyers. “I’m honoured to have been appointed to the Advisory Panel. The plan creates targeted opportunities for action at the local level with an approach that puts survivors at the centre,” Ms St ..read more

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“The ball is now in the Government’s court” 26th May 2023 - John McCarthy KC, former Australian Ambassador to the Holy See and prominent anti-slavery advocate with the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney, has welcomed the 30 recommendations contained in the Report of the statutory review of the Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth) The first three years - A report by Professor John MacMillan AO. “The report picks up a number of ACAN’s constructive suggestions around the role and powers of an Anti-Slavery Commissioner – a position the current Government promised to create during last year’s Federal Election ..read more

25 May 2023 – The Global Slavery Index 2023 (GSI) published yesterday indicates that the number of people estimated to be experiencing modern slavery has risen by 10 million since the last report in 2018. The GSI is the most comprehensive measurement of modern slavery in the world. The 2023 edition has identified that conflict, climate change and the impact of the covid-19 pandemic have compounded this crisis and an intersectional response is needed. This includes actions in Australia, where an estimated 41,000 people are estimated to be in modern slavery – nearly triple the estimates since 2 ..read more

The Australian Government has expanded its response to modern slavery by additional funding measures included in the Commonwealth Budget 2023 – 2024.  This budget will provide $8 million over 4 years from 2023–24 (and $2 million per year ongoing) to establish an Anti-Slavery Commissioner. The Commissioner will work across Government, industry and civil society to: help fight modern slavery in Australia and abroad support compliance with the Modern Slavery Act 2018; and improve transparency in supply chains. This important announcement is included within the Attorney General’s (AG ..read more

7 March 2023 - The Australian Catholic Anti-slavery Network (ACAN) was represented at an event convened by the Attorney-General, the Hon Mark Dreyfus KC MP yesterday to mark the 10th anniversary of royal assent of the Crimes Legislation Amendment (Slavery, Slavery-like Conditions and People Trafficking) Bill. The significance of the Bill included inserting forced marriage, forced labour and organ trafficking offences in the Criminal Code Act 1995. The legislation also amended existing definitions to capture a range of slavery-like exploitative practices and forms of coercion. ACAN Program Mana ..read more

ACAN adds its voice to introduce better protections and pathways to seek remedy for people on temporary visas who experience exploitation in Australia. Over 40 organisations and unions have joined together for Breaking the Silence - a proposal for whistleblower protections to enable migrant workers to address exploitation as part of the Government’s review of the Migration Act. The initiative is led by the Migrant Justice Institute and Human Rights Law Centre. These protections would increase the opportunity for international students and thousands of people on temporary visas working in Cath ..read more

All undergraduate students at Australian Catholic University (ACU) will complete training to identify and respond to modern slavery following a pilot project with the Archdiocese of Sydney. Modern slavery content has been formally introduced into ACU’s Core Curriculum, which all undergraduate students are required to undertake as part of their various degrees. The project, which includes video resources for wider use, is a collaboration with ACU’s Stakeholder Engaged Scholarship Unit in conjunction with ACU’s Faculty of Theology and Philosophy, and the Anti-Slavery Taskforce of the Catholic A ..read more