Australia
Background
Australia has a national action plan which expires at the end of 2025.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) have a strategic plan which runs to 2026 and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade set out their international strategy in 2022. The newly appointed Anti-slavery Commissioner published a strategy which runs from 2025-2028.
The AFP has an annual media release/briefing providing annual trafficking statistics. The Attorney-General Office publishes an annual report detailing its activities in relation to combating human trafficking and modern slavery.
The Australian government provides ongoing support to the Bali Process.
Australia has complex supply chains with heavy reliance on regional countries in Asia Pacific. Certain corporations are obligated under legislation to prepare an annual modern slavery statement which are placed on a register.
Criminal enforcement against corporations benefiting from exploitation in supply chains is very limited.
Austrac, the financial intelligence unit, does monitor transactions from exploitation and published a report on detecting and stopping forced sexual servitude in Australia in 2022.
Dedicated funding information and data has been announced via media releases.
Other Key Factors
Wage theft does occur in Australia and new laws are being introduced to combat this activity.
Freedom of association and collective bargaining are lawful and active.
To understand Australia’s situation more fully, we show the percentage of the population using the internet in Australia, along with the highest usage and lowest usage countries amongst the G20 members (Saudi Arabia and India).
Australia’s remittances are also shown with the respective highest and lowest inflow remittance countries in the G20 (India/Saudi Arabia) and the highest and lowest outflow countries in the G20 (US/Philippines). Keep in mind that remittance estimates are often an under count of actual remittance volume.
Australia’s Role in the Global Economy and Its Supply Chains
Trade flows from The Observatory of Economic Complexity. Remittance from the World Bank.