The United Nations World Day Against Trafficking in Persons is celebrated on July 30th. During my twenty-six years as a Columban missionary in Taiwan, I accompanied numerous migrant workers who were victims and survivors of human trafficking. In 2009, the local Immigration Police contacted me to ask if the Catholic church could provide accommodation for six migrant men who were victims of labour exploitation. At the time I was the diocesan migrant chaplain and director of the Diocesan Migrant Centre. The diocese had a shelter for female victims and survivors of human trafficking but not one for men. Bishop John Baptist Lee offered the use of the former minor seminary, which was perfect for the shelter. During my eight years supervising the shelter, over one hundred men found a haven to live there.
Together we built a community of mutual support and concern for each other. There was a daily roster for cooking and cleaning. It took patience, understanding and tolerance from each of us to adjust to living in a multicultural community and to respect one another’s cultures and traditions. We set up a Muslim prayer room for the Indonesian men as the closest mosque was one hour away by public transport. The local city had several churches and temples that the Filipino, Thai and Vietnamese men could visit for prayer and worship.
The multicultural and multilingual staff of our Migrant Centre worked tirelessly in providing counselling and education to the men and women in our shelters. They accompanied them to the Taiwan Legal Aid Foundation and acted as translators for their pro bono lawyers. They helped the victims and survivors to find work so they could continue to provide financial support for their families at home.
People trafficking and modern slavery is a massive global problem. Pope Francis constantly speaks out against the exploitation of human trafficking. “Human trafficking is an open wound on the body of contemporary society, a scourge upon the Body of Christ. It is a crime against humanity”, says the Pope.
Many Australians may falsely believe that human trafficking happens overseas and not here in Australia.
Recently the Australian media reported that a young couple in Melbourne has been charged with modern-slavery offences after allegedly keeping a woman as a domestic slave in their home for about 10 months.
In the May federal budget, the Australian Government announced it would fund a project to introduce additional referral pathways that will enable victims and survivors of human trafficking to access support without direct engagement with law enforcement. The Australian Catholic Religious Against Trafficking in Humans (ACRATH), of which I am a member, has been advocating for this for seventeen years. This change will make a huge difference to so many people who have been trafficked but who don’t want to speak about their circumstances with the police. Many victims and survivors are frightened of the police and worried about their immigration status.
The Australian Government also announced it would provide $8 million over four years to establish an Anti-Slavery Commissioner. The Commissioner will work across Government, industry and civil society to support compliance with the Modern Slavery Act, improve transparency in supply chains, and help fight the scourge of modern slavery in Australia and abroad. These are two momentous achievements in advocating for and protecting the rights of people trafficked in Australia.
At present, there are 49.6 million people who live in slavery globally, 71% of whom are women and girls. Forced labour accounts for 27.6 million of those in modern slavery and forced marriage for 22 million, or nearly one of every 150 people worldwide. Globally, 1 in every 3 victims detected is a child. Only 1 in 5 victims are detected in Australia.
“I have come that all may have life.” (John 10:10). May victims and survivors of human trafficking be treated with respect and given back their lives.
Fr Peter O'Neill
Regional Director of Oceania
directoroceania@columban.org.au
Listen to "From the Director - World Day Against Trafficking In Persons"
Related links
- Read more from The Far East - July 2023
