Modern slavery

It is estimated that nearly 50 million people around the world are subject to modern slavery. Their labour – extracted through deception, force, coercion, violence or threats – forms part of the supply chains that make many of the products we consume every day.

Modern slavery is not just something that happens overseas. The hidden nature of slavery means it is difficult to get an exact estimate, but various estimates suggest anywhere between 1,300 and 40,000 people are living in modern slavery in Australia. Many go undetected.

Australian Red Cross assists survivors of modern slavery in Australia. We provide holistic casework support to help survivors get back on their feet again. We have been running this program on behalf of the Australian Government since 2009 and have helped hundreds of people.

Our commitment to address modern slavery

Red Cross is committed to ending modern slavery and supporting survivors and has pledged to work with the Australian Government to support a whole-of-community approach to ending modern slavery. We work to build community strengths, empower people to help themselves and each other, and to address the systemic causes that make people vulnerable to exploitation.

Australian Red Cross Modern Slavery Statement

Australian Red Cross takes seriously our responsibility to mitigate the risks of modern slavery within our organisation. We have developed a systematic program of work to assess and address risks in our operations and supply chain, and we review this program on an ongoing basis to continuously improve our actions.

As a humanitarian organisation, our efforts to prevent modern slavery extend far beyond our workplaces. Through our programs and services, we promote a whole-of-community approach to eliminating modern slavery in Australia and beyond.

Our work is informed by the voices and experiences of those with lived experience of modern slavery. Their experiences and expertise will ensure that our actions in this space are effective, meaningful and people focused.

Australian Red Cross modern slavery statement navigate_next