Modern slavery links to us in ways we may not even realise. It is behind everyday purchases like our clothing, food and smart phones. That link gives us power. Together we can do #SomethingForSlavery.

With 40 million people around the world and 4,300 victims of modern slavery in Australia, Project Didi Australia is kicking off a #SomethingForSlavery Challenge this March 2018. Get the knowledge and tools you need to drive positive change in your community.

Sarah Bartram, Project Didi’s co-founder, says:

We hope by building a #SomethingForSlavery movement we’ll all learn more about, and become advocates for, the hands, minds and lives behind our purchases. As consumers we have an opportunity to use our voices, our questions and our spending habits to demand transparency, living wages and fair working conditions from the brands we buy from.”

How can you do #SomethingForSlavery?

Ask the right questions and make conscious choices about your everyday purchases.

For example:

• Ask your favourite brand if they pay their workers a fair wage
• Eat ethical chocolate this Easter
• Buy coffee from cafes that support survivors of human trafficking in Australia
• Take photos of your hotel room to fight sex trafficking
• Ask local member what they’re doing about modern slavery in your community

Take the challenge!

Sign up to receive weekly challenges to your inbox.

Last week, kicked off with ethical fashion challenges from Good On You and Fashion Revolution.

Get started this week (Week 2) with food challenges on coffee, seafood and chocolate by Stop the Traffik.

Still to come this month are travel & politics challenges!

So what are you waiting for?

Get aware. Get angry. Get active.

Help raise awareness and build a movement against modern slavery. Share with your friends “I am doing #SomethingForSlavery.”

Take the challenge

Visit Project Didi Australia to join BucketOrange Magazine and many other Australian organisations and empowered individuals who are taking on the #SomethingForSlavery challenge.

More on BucketOrange Magazine

• Smart Ways To Holiday Responsibly And Help Fight Human Trafficking
• New Modern Slavery: Australia Leading Fight Against Orphanage Tourism
• Australia First Country Formally Recognising Connection Between Child Trafficking, Orphanage Tourism & Modern Slavery

In its final sitting week of 2017, the Federal Parliament did us proud.

Of course, the main achievement was legalising same-sex marriage before the year’s end. But the Parliamentary Committee charged with conducting the Inquiry into establishing a Modern Slavery Act in Australia (the Inquiry) also handed down its final report, which has been widely commended for its innovative and ambitious recommendations.

Background

The Inquiry commenced in mid-February 2017 with a pretty demanding mandate. Its Terms of Reference ranged from investigating the nature and extent of modern slavery, both in Australia and globally, to considering international best practice in addressing the problem.

The Committee released its interim report in mid-August, indicating its intent to recommend the introduction of a Modern Slavery Act (the Act) in Australia inspired by similar legislation in the UK. It provided specific support for two aspects of the UK Act: mandatory supply chain reporting and the establishment of an Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner. In the interim report, the Committee also committed to the consideration of including provisions in the Act relating to orphanage tourism, victim support and Australia’s visa regime.

Even before the release of the interim report, the Government agreed to introduce a supply chain reporting requirement and released a consultation paper seeking comment on a proposed model.

Final report

The final report is both a credit to the Committee members and a testament to the quality of submissions and witnesses who appeared before the Inquiry. Titled Hidden in Plain Sight, the final report provides a detailed and accurate picture of the occurrence of modern slavery in Australia and overseas and how it might best be addressed.

Hidden in Plain Sight is separated into nine sections, each focusing on a different aspect of modern slavery.

The first chapter provides background on the Inquiry, including the initiatives that have already been implemented in Australia to combat modern slavery and an outline of the report’s contents.

The second chapter considers whether there is a need for a Modern Slavery Act in Australia. While many of the provisions of the UK Act are already part of Australia’s legislative framework for addressing modern slavery, the Committee identified several gaps in our approach. It also noted the potential benefit of consolidating Australia’s legislation into a single ‘Modern Slavery Act’ in raising awareness of the issue. Ultimately, the Committee recommended introducing mandatory supply chain reporting and the establishment of an Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner to bring Australia in line with requirements in the UK. It also made several suggestions for building on the UK Act, including improving support for and protection of survivors of modern slavery.

The third chapter summarises the available data and evidence of the prevalence of modern slavery both overseas and in Australia. The report acknowledges that due to the lack of an agreed definition of ‘modern slavery’ there are significant challenges in measuring its prevalence. However, the Committee maintains that Australia should continue its international leadership role – particularly in the Asia Pacific where estimates indicate that modern slavery is most prevalent – and dedicate more resources to support the Australian Institute of Criminology to develop an enhanced research and monitoring program.

The report then outlines in chapter four in detail the role of the proposed Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner including the scope of the Commissioner’s powers, level of independence, and its interaction with pre-existing bodies of a similar nature, such as the Attorney-General’s Department and the Ambassador for People Smuggling and Human Trafficking.

The fifth chapter considers the practicalities of introducing a modern slavery reporting requirement for supply chains. Businesses would be required to report annually on the prevalence of modern slavery in their supply chains and a publicly accessible repository of reports would be established. It ultimately recommends that such a requirement be introduced, with a revenue threshold of $50 million and penalties for those who fail to report (applying to the second year of reporting onwards).

The sixth chapter calls for a more victim-centred approach to combating modern slavery. In the past, victim support and protection have been contingent on a victim participating in police investigations and criminal prosecutions. The report makes the laudable recommendation of de-linking access to the Support for Trafficked People Program and the Human Trafficking Visa Framework (including the Bridging F visa and Referred Stay (Permanent) visa) from compliance with criminal investigations. It also recommends extending the period of support for both the Bridging F visa and the Support for Trafficked People Program from 45 to 90 days, with the option of multiple extensions.

Even more encouragingly, the Committee recommends introducing a defence for victims of modern slavery who are compelled to commit a crime during the period in which they are exploited. It also suggests a national victim compensation scheme should be implemented where, at present, the available compensation varies among the states and territories. If the recommendations are implemented by the Government, victims will also have the right to sue those responsible.

In relation to criminal justice responses to incidences of modern slavery, the Committee recommends in chapter 7 a more coordinated approach be adopted. The report also recommends specialised modern slavery training for law enforcement and staff of frontline agencies including Medicare.

Orphanage trafficking breakthrough

The report then addresses in chapter 8 concerns related to orphanage trafficking.

Through the publication of this report, Australia is the first country to formally recognise the connection between orphanage trafficking and modern slavery.

It makes extensive recommendations, including the establishment of a national awareness campaign, the prioritisation of aid and funding to community-based initiatives and family preservation, and introducing minimum ‘external conduct standards’ for organisations operating overseas.

The most innovative recommendation is around introducing a register of overseas institutions that meet these standards. The report then recommends that penalties eventually be imposed on individuals, businesses, organisations and other entities that continue to support unregistered orphanages (by funding ‘orphanage tourism’ visits and/or establishing, funding, or donating to them) after the two year transition period.

Finally, in chapter 9 the report recommends an in-depth review of Australia’s visa framework for migrants to replace or eliminate ‘tied’ visa conditions which often make such migrants vulnerable to exploitation and modern slavery. This recommendation was made in the light of several high profile cases of labour exploitation involving backpackers and working holiday visa holders in the horticultural industry in regional Australia.

Conclusion

While the report is highly comprehensive and represents a strong commitment across the political spectrum towards eliminating modern slavery, more work needs to be done to ensure that the private sector plays its role in complying with the recommendations and actively re-thinking how they can identify and limit modern slavery in the course of business activities.

Hopefully, urgent implementation of the Committee’s report will be at the forefront of the Government’s mind as we head into the first sitting week of 2018.

More on BucketOrange Magazine

• Human Trafficking Training For Flight Attendants Unlikely As Government Sticks Head In Sand
• New Modern Slavery: Australia Leading Fight Against Orphanage Tourism
• Find Another Way To Feel Better About Yourself ‘Do-Gooder’: The Narcissism Of Voluntourism

The Global Slavery Index estimates that 45.8 million people worldwide are subjected to modern slavery practices with 4,500 people currently trapped in some form of exploitation in Australia. Slavery includes human trafficking, debt bondage, and forced labour.

Accordin to The Hon Michael Keenan MP:

These are grave violations of human rights and serious crimes with devastating impacts. They have no place in our community or in the supply chains of our goods and services.”

The proposed reporting requirement will require large corporations and other entities (with an annual turnover of at least $100 million) operating in Australia to publish annual Modern Slavery Statements outlining their actions to address modern slavery in their operations and supply chains. The Statements will be published on company websites and in a publicly accessible central repository.

At this stage, however, punitive penalties for non-compliance are not being proposed. This means that public accountability and criticism is the only measure that will be used to ensure companies are not complicit in modern slavery practices.

How effective this approach will be remains to be seen.

Further Information

The deadline for submissions is 20 October 2017 and can be found on the Attorney-General’s Department website.

It was a sensational victory not only in the fight against human trafficking but also in raising awareness around the importance of everyday people being informed, conscious of their surroundings and proactive in helping to identify and report victims of modern slavery.

As incredible as the story is, it also raises some serious questions about what steps, if any, are currently being taken in Australia to combat human trafficking through common transport routes such as aeroplanes.

Importantly, it also raises the issue of whether flight crew should be considered ‘frontline officials’ for the purposes of high-level human trafficking training.

Human trafficking training for flight attendants

In the United States, flight attendants play an important role in combatting human trafficking. The actions of flight crew often prevent victims ever arriving at their intended destination.

After seeing an 18-year-old carry a newborn baby (with the umbilical cord still attached) onto a flight, attendant, Sandra Fiorini, realised that there was a real need for flight crew to be trained in detecting and responding to suspected cases of human trafficking. She wanted to report the incident but did not know how. So she joined forces with the organisation Innocents at Risk to develop the ‘Flight Attendant Initiative,’ a program designed to educate flight attendants in identifying and reporting suspected victims of trafficking or slavery.

Since then, organisations such as Airline Ambassadors have educated flight crew in detecting and responding appropriately to trafficking not only in the United States but also in Europe and countries such as Colombia and Hungary. Airline Ambassadors also created an app called Tip Line which supplements this training by allowing users to record audio and video, take photographs and send evidence to relevant authorities. They work with the Department of Homeland Security and US Customs and Border Protection to develop programs for airline personnel.

The Blue Lightning Initiative, which is led by the Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Control, and the Department of Transportation, is an element of the DHS Blue Campaign, which is a key U.S. human trafficking training program. The Blue Lightning Initiative trains airline personnel to identify potential traffickers and human trafficking victims and to report their suspicions to federal law enforcement.

In 2013, Delta Airlines became the first airline to begin training all staff about human trafficking.

In the U.S. in July 2016, new laws were made. The FAA Extension, Safety and Security Act of 2016 was signed by President Obama which requires air carriers to provide initial and annual training for flight attendants in recognising and responding to potential human trafficking victims. Becoming a Blue Lightning Initiative partner and using the virtual training is a simple and effective way for airlines to adhere to the new requirement.

Elsewhere, Europe is also moving toward the implementation of training for flight crew. An amendment to the Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings from the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) recommended the training of:

personnel employed by various commercial carriers, in particular, airline attendants and staff working on other means of transportation by land and sea, aimed at the identification of trafficked persons, as well as the introduction of measures designed to prevent [human trafficking], including co-ordination between commercial carriers and the State law
enforcement agencies or through other appropriate mechanisms.”

Implementation of recommendations made by the OSCE is, however, made on a political and not legally binding basis. There are currently 57 participating states across Europe, Central Asia and North America.

How Australia deals with human trafficking

Human trafficking is a serious problem that affects every country in the world. Given the far-reaching and damaging repercussions human trafficking has on a global scale, Australia’s current anti-trafficking measures are, in many respects, seriously underdeveloped and lacking focus.

In 2011, the United Nations Special Rapporteur visited Australia and produced a report which analysed Australia’s approach to combatting human trafficking. Concerns were raised about Australia’s method of detection which is primarily through immigration raids that occur in brothels. The Special Rapporteur noted that this approach not only limits the detection of trafficked victims to only one sector but also questioned whether interviewing suspected victims about their immigration status, without the presence of social workers, was effective given their fear of deportation.

In 2013, following the release of the report, changes to the Crimes Legislation Amendment (Slavery, Slavery‑like Conditions and People Trafficking) Act 2013 were made and the government implemented a National Action Plan. A spokesperson from the Attorney-General’s Department says:

A key measure of Australia’s National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking and Slavery 2015-19 is training of frontline officials, including police, prosecutors, labour inspectors, and immigration compliance and visa processing officers, to recognise and respond appropriately to human trafficking and slavery.”

However, an important deficiency in the National Action Plan is that high-level training in identifying and responding to victims of human trafficking is still something that is limited to ‘frontline officers’ in law enforcement and immigration positions.

The Australian Federal Police is responsible for investigating and assessing human trafficking and slavery matters, both proactively and through referrals from other Australian Government or state and territory government agencies, civil society, business and industry, unions or the general public” says a spokesperson for the Attorney-General’s Department.

While the Fair Work Ombudsman and marriage celebrants (who may come across suspected victims in employment or forced marriage situations) receive some training why aren’t airline staff given similar training by the government or their employers?

Current absence of government anti-trafficking awareness training for Australian flight crew and ground staff is unacceptable

More than 70,000 personnel in the U.S. aviation industry have been trained through the Blue Lightning Initiative, and flight crews continue to report actionable tips to law enforcement.

Unlike the U.S., Australia currently has no law which prescribes anti-trafficking training for flight attendants. The Attorney General’s Department made no comment about whether similar legislation to the FAA Extension, Safety and Security Act of 2016 in the U.S. is proposed for Australia.

While the government currently provides ‘information, guidance and awareness-raising materials’ to the Department of Immigration and Border Protection and the Australian Border Force frontline officials, including those officials working at airports and ports, it does not deliver or require specific training for or by organisations that have exposure to victims of human trafficking and modern slavery. Any training that deals with aviation safety must comply with Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) regulations. When contacted for comment, the Authority’s response was that they do not regulate security on flights.

Staggeringly, as far as reporting suspected victims of human trafficking is concerned, the government does not require any accountability from airlines which are extremely well placed to observe potential victims.

The Australian Government is committed to monitoring and refining the existing tools and guidance used by frontline officers for the identification of suspected victims of trafficking and slavery but does not currently deliver or require specific training for airline staff on this issue. The Government delivers regular training on human trafficking to police and other frontline officials, and has developed a range of guidelines, fact sheets and other publicly available materials aimed at raising awareness” a spokesperson for the Attorney-General’s Department said. 

It’s a position that is disappointingly limited and at odds with the National Action Plan which aims to proactively ensure that all cases of suspected human trafficking are identified and reported.

Considering the proven success of U.S. human trafficking training programs for air crew; the positive response from U.S. airline staff who are now able to take an active role in stemming the flow of trafficked victims using air transport routes; as well as the clear benefit to victims who are identified in flight and rescued prior to reaching their intended destination, it is both surprising and disappointing that the government is doing nothing to educate and train Australian flight attendants in proven anti-trafficking measures.

One of the reasons the government has given for not taking a more active role in the management of human trafficking to date is that:

Compared to other jurisdictions such as the United States and Europe, Australia has a comparatively low number of victims of human trafficking and slavery” a spokesperson for the Attorney-General’s Department said.

However, the Special Rapporteur expressed concerns with this approach in her report as the figures of identified victims ‘may under-represent the true number of trafficked persons in Australia’ due to reliance on compliance raids to identify victims.

The eyes are useless when the mind is blind 

While the report noted that no victims had been identified in airports in Australia, it goes without saying that a low level of identified victims does not establish that Australia experiences low levels of human trafficking or modern slavery.

On the contrary, low levels of ‘identified’ victims prove only that – that there has been a small number of ‘identified’ victims in Australia. Where airline staff, who are in a position to make a difference, are not given training there is huge potential for traffickers to move faceless unidentified victims past key ports with relative impunity.

The current see nothing, do nothing approach runs the very real risk that a large number of victims will continue to fall through the cracks on primary trafficking routes and key checkpoints.

As proven by the U.S., airline staff – both ground and air crew – have a critical role to play in combating human trafficking as they have direct face-to-face contact with victims and, in the case of flight crew, have many observation opportunities.

Given their client-facing role and unique position to detect potential traffickers and victims (particularly on long haul flights), Australian flight attendants need to be considered similarly to ‘frontline officials’ for the purposes of targeted and robust anti-trafficking awareness training introduced by the Australian government.

In the absence of mandatory government training programs, it is also time for airlines to step up and train their staff in anti-trafficking measures. As there is no legislative requirement to undergo training, nor active education of carriers in their responsibilities to assist in the combat of such crime, any programs spearheaded by an airline would be the sole responsibility of that airline and provided on a voluntary basis.

The government says that everyone has a role to play in identifying trafficked victims and ensuring that those who are most likely to come in contact with suspected victims have the skills to identify and respond appropriately. Anti-trafficking training for flight crew is not only an obvious but also a critical element in the detection and prevention process. 

In many ways, Australia’s current state of willful blindness is worse than ignorance because it is a refusal to face the truth rather than just a lack of knowledge.

Conclusion

Human trafficking is an issue involving people movement.

Victims are transported across borders and often moved across the world. It is an international problem that requires a unified and coordinated response among nation states. To be responsible members of the global community, to ensure the continued safety of persons entering or leaving Australia, or crossing borders on international flight paths, we need to face the growing international problem of human trafficking head on.

Flight crews are in a unique and powerful position to make a positive impact in combating human trafficking. It is essential that they are considered as complementary to the work of ‘frontline officials’ and given appropriate training.

With the International Labour Organisation predicting that globally there are 20-million people living in circumstances of forced labour, 9.1 million of whom have been trafficked, there is a very real chance that you may be sitting next to a victim of human trafficking on your next flight. Will your flight crew notice or, if you do, would you know what to do?

*Qantas and Virgin Australia did not respond to a request for comment about what action they are taking to train their staff in human trafficking awareness.

Further Information

Anti-Slavery Australia has developed an online training course to raise awareness around human trafficking. It was launched in 2014 and is funded by the Australian Government through the Proceeds of Crime program. The training course has been ‘developed for frontline workers from community organisations, government, teachers, health care professionals and law enforcement.’

What do you think? Should Australian airlines be doing more to proactively manage human trafficking? Let us know below!

Voluntourism – a combination of volunteering and tourism – has become an incredibly popular way to travel and experience new destinations. But the industry has a dark side. Rising to prominence as a by-product of privileged, mostly Western, tourists wanting to ‘do good’ and tick a box on their CV, voluntourism is increasingly being recognised for what it is – a major problem with a global impact.

What is voluntourism?

Also known as volunteer tourism, volunteer holidaying and volunteer travel, voluntourism is the convergence of international volunteering and tourism.

Basically, it is a rapidly-expanding industry that involves travellers volunteering their time for worthy causes or charities. Commonly this involves work in underprivileged communities in developing countries for social or environmental purposes. The ultimate goal of many programs is to engage in sustainable community development or conservation work that alleviates poverty and restores buildings or other structures or assists children in orphanages (among other things).

The practice of voluntourism is heavily promoted as an alternative way to gain an authentic travel experience. For many volunteers, this creates an artificial expectation of responsible tourism – ‘do good’, and ‘feel good’ while you do it.

Increasingly, however, questions have been raised around the ‘misconceived idealism’ of voluntourism and whether the practice is purely an exercise in narcissism for travellers. More often than not, rewards for host communities are not commensurate with the swift ego boost for volunteers and the overall profit travel companies derive from organising these activities.

Why is voluntourism a problem?

Sustainable development projects are among the most problematic ways to volunteer overseas.

Work that could have been completed by local skilled labourers is given to tourists with no experience in building infrastructure, in aid of giving them a warm and fuzzy feeling and the illusion of altruism. In many cases, host communities are left with dilapidated and unstable structures that are useless within a few months.

Is voluntourism fuelling the paper orphan trade?

Arguably the worst way to spend time volunteering overseas is at orphanages.

While Australia does not allow unskilled tourists or volunteers to have unchecked access to vulnerable children, voluntourism gives well-intentioned, unskilled and unqualified overseas visitors unfettered access to children.

Despite the documented negative psychological and emotional effects residential care can have on children, the number of orphanages has increased in many developing countries. This is to meet the rising demand from tourists even though the overall number of genuine orphans has decreased.

Increased demand for such volunteering opportunities has seen the emergence of a new business model. Owners of sham orphanages travel to poor communities and convince vulnerable families that their children would be better off in a boarding school with access to education.

Once recruiters sell children into an orphanage, documents are falsified and their identities are changed. Due to name changes, families are no longer able to locate their children. Many charities and NGOs refer to such children as ‘paper orphans’ as they are not genuine orphans. Nepal, Cambodia, Ghana and Uganda are among the countries worst affected by the paper orphan trade, with UNICEF estimating that of the
8-million children living in institutions globally, more than 80% are not genuine orphans.

According to The Guardian, Nepal’s bogus orphan trade is being fuelled by voluntourism:

It is a business model built on a double deception: the exploitation of poor families in rural Nepal and the manipulation of wealthy foreigners. In the worst cases, tourists may be unwittingly complicit in child trafficking.”

The shocking result? Families in rural areas are manipulated into giving up their children who are exploited to generate money for a profit-driven system, either by their residence which is used to encourage orphanage donations from tourists, or by being trafficked. The fees orphanages charge volunteers line the pockets of owners, while children are often abused and live in appalling conditions.

The orphanage profits in many ways from the presence of these ‘paper orphans.’ Some orphanages encourage volunteers to come and spend time with the children, profiting through the fees they charge and lower care costs due to the free labour that volunteers provide. Others have their ‘orphans’ dance or sing to encourage donations.” – The Conversation.

Unfortunately, if you travel to developing countries with the intention of volunteering at orphanages without doing your due diligence, you are feeding into a corrupt system that does more harm than good. It’s a misguided attempt to support poverty-stricken communities that often becomes more of an exercise in narcissism than it does in promoting the common good.

Western volunteers have, perhaps, unwittingly endorsed the commodification of children with money and ignorance.

Of course, many of us don’t even realise this problem exists. While Save the Children and UNICEF have campaigned against voluntourism for years, the issue has failed to gain the traction it deserves.

According to Save The Children:

Child protection specialists have also raised concerns about the presence of short-term foreign volunteers in residential care institutions and the potential for them to create confusion around identity and culture.”

Illegality of voluntourism

Voluntourism attracts over 30,000 tourists to Nepal each year.

With widely publicised volunteering programs, few foreigners consider whether it is actually legal for them to do so. In its report on The Paradox of Orphanage Volunteering, Next Generation Nepal reports that international volunteering is illegal for many tourists.

Clause 19 of the Immigration Act 1994 states:

(1) A foreigner having obtained a visa as a tourist or his family member
pursuant to these Rules shall not be allowed to work, with or without
receiving remuneration, in any industry, business, enterprise or
organisation during his stay in Nepal.

(2) A foreigner having obtained a visa pursuant to these Rules shall not be
allowed to carry out any work other than that for which purpose he has
obtained the visa.

Day-to-day, however, most visitors do not apply for work permits. The dichotomy between the official position and what happens in practice has presented additional challenges to combating unethical voluntourism programs.

A way forward

The devastating effect that well-meaning efforts can have on local communities is a harsh reality. But it is one that we must come to terms with if the damaging impact of voluntourism, including the fraudulent trade in paper orphans, is to end.

If you are considering volunteering your time and labour overseas next year, make sure your expectations are realistic. Research legitimate and ethical programs dedicated to recruiting skilled volunteers which can, and do, have a positive impact on local communities. Avoid visiting and donating to orphanages as this perpetuates a cycle of child trafficking.

If you wish to volunteer with children, choose organisations that are dedicated to locating and reuniting paper orphans with their families and communities. The best volunteer programs provide support, opportunities and skills development for families and children within their existing community.

The fact of the matter is that as long as a market for voluntourism exists, paper orphans will continue to be created and exploited. To disrupt this fraudulent trade, perhaps it is time that we find another way to feel better about ourselves.

Further Information

• Australian Volunteers International – provides opportunities for skilled Australians to contribute to the Australian Government’s aid program.

• United Nations Volunteers – (UNV Program)

• ReThink Orphanages – a group of non-governmental organisations that campaign to end the exploitative trade of children. They advise anyone considering volunteering overseas to research carefully before deciding to support assistance programs and orphanages.

• Forget Me Not – an international NGO originally established to fund best-practice orphanages. It has since changed its focus to finding and returning paper orphans to their families. Forget Me Not also assists children to reintegrate with their community.

• Cambodia Childen’s Trust – focused on reuniting paper orphans with their families and communities.

• Next Generation Nepal – reunites orphanage-trafficked children with their families.

Former President, Barack Obama, has said on the subject:

It ought to concern every person, because it’s a debasement of our common humanity.

It ought to concern every community, because it tears at the social fabric.

It ought to concern every business, because it distorts markets.

It ought to concern every nation, because it endangers public health and fuels violence and organised crime.

I’m talking about the injustice, the outrage, of human trafficking, which must be called by its true name—modern slavery.” 

It is a global affront to human rights and its eradication remains an ongoing challenge.

What is human trafficking?

Human trafficking is recognised as an international crime, defined under international law to encompass the forced use of persons for exploitation.

According to Article 3 of the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, human trafficking is:

the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs.”

Sexual exploitation is the most documented form of abuse, followed closely by forced labour, forced marriage, organ removal, warfare and domestic service.

Global Slavery Index reports that 161 countries are responding to the issue of modern slavery. Of those 161 countries, 124 countries criminalised human trafficking in line with the UN Trafficking Protocol, however, convictions are reportedly low. In 2011, of 7206 prosecutions for trafficking, only 4239 resulted in convictions, while 41,210 victims were identified.

Who does modern slavery impact?

Anyone can be a victim of modern slavery.

Statistics show that there are 27-36 million victims in modern slavery at any given time.

68% are victims of forced labour exploitation, in economic activities such as agriculture, construction, domestic work or manufacturing. 22% are victims of sexual slavery. Of this statistic, 21% or are children.
The remaining 10% of individuals are in state-imposed forms of forced labour.

The majority of victims are female, making up 55% of all trafficked victims globally, with trafficking of children on the rise (approximately 20%, although this statistic increases in some regions).

How does modern slavery occur?

There are a number of factors that make persons vulnerable to human trafficking and modern slavery. Often things like the absence of protection and respect for basic rights, physical safety and security and access to basic necessities such as food, water and health care. Other factors such as displacement and conflict play a role.

Victims are often recruited through false advertising for what appears to be genuine employment, such as in cleaning, waitressing or farming.

Where is human trafficking most prevalent?

Human trafficking occurs all over the world and has been documented in 167 countries.

The crime is often carried out by traffickers who are of the same nationality as the victim, which accounts for why statistics show the trade is usually limited to a national or regional context.

By proportion to population, the countries with the highest estimated prevalence of victims of modern slavery are:

• Bangladesh
• Cambodia
• China
• India
• North Korea
• Pakistan
• Qatar
• Uzbekistan

Human trafficking also occurs in popular travel destinations throughout Europe – including England – and North America.

Unsurprisingly, countries with the lowest estimated incidence of modern slavery by the proportion of their population are:

• Luxembourg
• Ireland
• Norway
• Denmark
• Switzerland
• Austria
• Sweden
• Belgium
• United States
• Canada
• Australia
• New Zealand

Many factors contribute to the low incidence of human trafficking in these countries, including greater economic wealth, higher government response, low levels of conflict, political stability as well as a commitment to protecting basic human rights and fighting modern slavery.

The unexpected difference you can make while travelling

As global citizens, we not only have a responsibility to ourselves but also to other humans.

We all have the power, however small, to make choices that contribute to the promotion and protection of basic rights and that make a positive and lasting change and that can transform lives.

If you know where to look, there are countless ways that you can be a more informed, responsible and ethical traveller. Making small, seemingly insignificant, choices (like choosing one travel company over another) can make a difference at a grassroots level in the fight against human trafficking. Here are a few of our favourites ways you can help:

1. Research your accommodation and tour operators

Tour operators or hotels often have policies on human trafficking, which are included on their website.

The Code (of Conduct for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism) is an industry-driven initiative designed to prevent sex trafficking of children worldwide through education, awareness, tools and support.

Commercial sexual exploitation of children under 18 years (which includes child sex tourism, child sex trafficking, the prostitution of children, and child pornography) involves children being bought and sold for sexual purposes. It’s a crime that often occurs in hotels, which is why responsible tourism companies are encouraged to voluntarily become members and implement the Code’s principles to help fight exploitation of children.

You can search the full list of companies who have already joined the Code and choose to stay at and support hotels, hostels or other travel industry service providers who are committed to keeping children safe.

If your tour operator does not openly communicate its position on child sexual exploitation, why not suggest that they take a stand and demonstrate their corporate social responsibility by becoming a member of the Code?

2. Take photos of your hotel room

Traffickcam is an app that allows users to upload photos of their hotel room while travelling.

No matter where you travel, this is a simple, easy and positive step you can take to actively make a difference in the fight against human trafficking. The app works by helping authorities identify the locations in which sex trafficking crimes occur as victims are often positioned and photographed on the beds of hotel rooms.

All you have to do is upload 4 pictures of your hotel room, enter your hotel and room number and hit ‘submit.’ The app works because sex traffickers post online ‘advertisements’ of victims posing on beds in hotel rooms. By taking images of your room, and contributing to a database of over 1.5 million images of hotels snapped from around the world, you can help investigators to match the inside of hotel rooms with images taken of victims of sex trafficking. This helps law enforcement locate sex trafficking rings, save victims and prosecute offenders.

3. Identify a victim

Sometimes victims of slavery are held away from the public, however, in many situations victims are hidden in plain sight. They may work frontline in restaurants, on farms, at hotels, at construction sites, and in beauty salons. There is a good chance that you have already come face-to-face with a victim of modern slavery without realising it.

Being informed, being observant, staying aware of your surrounding as well as some of the common indicators of modern slavery may mean that you can help to identify a victim of trafficking.

General signs may include situations where a person is:

• Living with their employer in poor conditions
• Paid very little
• Submissive or fearful of their employer (or their interactions with others are tightly controlled)
• Speaking in a way that seems scripted or rehearsed
• Without any travel documents or their employer holds their travel documents (for example at the airport or in other transport hubs)
• Dressed inappropriately
• Appears to be under-aged, or
• Showing signs of abuse.

There may also be over-the-top security or guards on site.

If several of the above warning signs are present, and if you are able to speak with the person you suspect is a victim of trafficking without putting yourself, or the suspected victim in any danger, the US Department of State recommends discreetly asking the following questions:

• Can you leave your job if you want to?
• Can you come and go as you please?
• Have you been hurt or threatened if you tried to leave?
• Has your family been threatened?
• Do you live with your employer?
• Where do you sleep and eat?
• Are you in debt to your employer?
• Do you have your passport/identification? Who has it?

The most important thing is to avoid endangering anybody, including yourself, by doing something reckless like confronting the suspected trafficker or raising your suspicions aloud at the time.

Instead, follow your instincts and report your concerns to local law enforcement (if reliable) or to a global or local NGO which is known to combat trafficking in the area. If the victim is foreign, you can also contact their embassy (contact details below).

4. Be a conscious and safe traveller

On your next overseas trip, you can volunteer your time or donate to local charities that are working towards the eradication of modern slavery.

While it is important, wherever possible, to play a part in helping to fight the proliferation of human trafficking by being conscious of your surroundings and reporting suspicious behaviour, it is equally important to be mindful of your personal safety while travelling.

The reality is that anyone can become prey to a human trafficker, so avoid taking unnecessary risks, placing yourself in dangerous situations, travelling to particular regions alone.

If you can, try to travel in groups and make sure that you leave a copy of your current itinerary (as well as your local phone number) with family and friends. Check the travel advisories associated with your destination countries before travelling and register with Smart Traveller.

A difference to be made closer to home?

On a day-to-day basis, we might consider the impact of human trafficking in Australia.

Have you ever stopped to think about who produces the clothes you wear and where the food you eat comes from?

Further Information

To report a suspected case of human trafficking or offer authorities a tip while overseas, contact:

• European National Human Trafficking Hotlines
• Abolishion Hotlines Listed Alphabetically by Country
• National Human Trafficking Hotline
• US Domestic Trafficking Hotlines

To report a suspected local case of human trafficking in Australia contact:

• Australian Federal Police (AFP) by filling out an online form; or
• Call 131 AFP (131237); or
• Email AOCC-Client-Liaison@afp.gov.au

To access free legal services if you, or someone you know, has experienced trafficking or slavery in Australia contact:

• Anti-Slavery Australia

Further Reading

• For comprehensive reports on human trafficking by region and country visit the Global Slavery Index.
• For a look at the Australian context visit Freedom Partnership
• To watch an awareness-raising video from Crimestoppers UK visit Read the Signs
• For an extensive journalistic investigation into human trafficking visit Lydia Cacho’s Slavery Inc
• For a documentary on sex trafficking and abuse recommended by United States State Department. visit Price of Sex.
• For a comprehensive look at preventing and addressing forced marriage in Australia visit My Blue Sky
• To download the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) global report on trafficking in persons click here.

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