Canberra: Australian authorities have raised alarms over a significant rise in cases of forced labour and exploitation within the country.
On Monday, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) reported that incidents of forced labour and exploitation have surged by 140% over the past six years, according to Xinhua news agency.
This data was released in conjunction with the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, a United Nations initiative aimed at raising awareness about human trafficking and exploitation. Helen Schneider, the AFP’s human exploitation commander, emphasized that organized criminal groups view victims of human trafficking as mere commodities and exploit them for profit.
“These criminal syndicates employ deceptive recruitment methods to lure vulnerable individuals, forcing them into dire situations and trapping them in cycles of debt, forced labour, or domestic servitude,” Schneider stated.
The AFP, which leads investigations into this crime, encourages the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicions of human trafficking. The agency noted it received 69 reports of forced labour and exploitation for the 2023-24 period, a significant increase from 29 cases in both 2018-19 and 2019-20. Overall, the AFP recorded a total of 382 reports related to all forms of human trafficking in the same timeframe.