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Victims of modern slavery

Information for victims of modern slavery and how you can get help and support.

What is modern slavery

Modern slavery refers to situations where individuals are exploited and deprived of their freedom for personal or commercial gain. It can include:

  • human trafficking
  • forced labour
  • debt bondage
  • domestic servitude
  • forced marriage.

Modern slavery is a violation of human rights as victims are denied their right to freedom and safety. They are often subjected to physical, psychological, or emotional abuse.

Modern slavery is a serious offence in Australia.

Types of modern slavery

A person is a victim or at risk of modern slavery if they:

  • have no access to their personal identification documents, like passport or travel documents
  • work for long hours for little or no pay and have no entitlements
  • think they owe money to their employer and works for free to pay off their debt
  • fear for their safety and show signs of physical or psychological abuse, or
  • are threatened or forced by family members or others to marry someone.

For more information, see Modern slavery resources on the Australian Red Cross website.

Make a police report

If you, or a child, are in immediate danger, call triple zero (000).

To report modern slavery, you can call the Australian Federal Police on 131 237 or Report a crime on the Australian Federal Police website. 

Get help

There are many free services available for victims:

Between 23 July 2024 until 28 November 2025, the Department of Social Services will fund the Support for Trafficked People Program through the Australian Red Cross. The pilot program will provide assistance to all victims and survivors of modern slavery without going through law enforcement. To find out if you are eligible for the pilot program, contact the Salvation Army on 1800 000 277 or see Additional Referral Pathway on the Salvation Army website. 

Victims Support Scheme

Primary victims of modern slavery can apply for support under the Victims Support Scheme for incidents that occurred in NSW after 1 January 2022.

A primary victim is a person who was injured or dies as a direct result of:

  • a modern slavery offence
  • trying to prevent a modern slavery offence
  • trying to help or rescue a victim of a modern slavery offence
  • trying to arrest someone who was committing a modern slavery offence.

A parent, stepparent or guardian caring for a child who is a primary victim may also be eligible for financial assistance for economic loss.

You can still access support even if the offender wasn’t charged or convicted. However, you must be able to provide evidence that a crime was committed.

You can apply for counselling, financial assistance and a recognition payment.

If an offence is both an act of violence and modern slavery, you are only eligible once for victims support.

For more information, see Victims Support Scheme.

If the incident(s) took place outside of NSW, see Victims support and services outside of NSW on the NSW Government website.

Contact us

If you have a legal problem in NSW, Legal Aid NSW is here to help you.

Last updated: May 2026

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