Frontline service providers are a powerful force in the fight against modern slavery

It is estimated that there are 41,000 people in modern slavery in Australia with an estimated 16,400 in NSW.

Modern slavery is when one person treats another as if they owned them. It often preys on vulnerability, whether due to age, gender, migrant status, language skills, disability, poverty, or homelessness. Examples of modern slavery in NSW include:

Workers trapped in forced labour and subjected to poor working conditions on farms in regional NSW.
Workers forced into domestic servitude in urban household.
Women and children, groomed, coerced and trafficked into sexual exploitation, in person and through social media platforms.
Cleaners and security guards working in office blocks, caught in debt bondage.

Frontline workers in healthcare and other care services, the police force and teaching are critical in identifying modern slavery. Many victims access frontline services while in situations of exploitation, though they often go unidentified as victims of modern slavery.

Meeting agenda

This meeting will be joined by the NSW Anti-slavery Commissioner, Dr James Cockayne.

Key topics to be covered in this meeting include:

Modern slavery issues and indicators in different regions of NSW.
Intersectionality between modern slavery and other issues such as domestic violence, coercive control, online abuse, workplace offences and homelessness.
What service providers can do to better identify and support survivors of modern slavery.
Discussion and Q & A

Guest speaker

Dr James Cockayne, NSW Anti-slavery Commissioner

Dr James Cockayne grew up in Sydney and now lives on Bundjalung country in the Northern Rivers. Trained in law, public policy and human rights, James spent two decades overseas promoting human rights and responsible business practices, on issues ranging from harm-reduction based drugs policy to anti-trafficking. He was a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Futures Council on Equity and Social Justice. Over the last decade James’ efforts have focused on the global fight to end modern slavery. He was appointed as NSW’s inaugural independent Anti-slavery Commissioner on 1 August 2022, for a five-year term.

Thank you to the Illawarra Refugee Issues Forum for hosting the meeting.