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Hearing “help is available” can be the first step toward safety.

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Hearing “help is available” can be the first step toward safety.

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Now that you recognise potential signs of modern slavery and understand the barriers survivors face, it’s important to know referral and support pathways.

Bookmark this page.

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How would you help someone seek support?

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How would you help someone seek support?

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There is more than one safe way to seek help. The Alternative Referral Pathway (ARP) is available for survivors who do not wish to contact law enforcement in the first instance.

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If someone is experiencing modern slavery in Australia, how would you help them seek support?

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Contact the Salvation Army's Alternative Referral Pathway (ARP).

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I'm not sure - I would seek advice first.

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Both, the AFP and ARP can support in different ways.

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Did you know survivors face many barriers in seeking help?

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Did you know survivors face many barriers in seeking help?

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Survivors face many barriers to seeking help, often shaped by trauma as well as systemic, cultural and relational factors. While these examples are not exhaustive, they have been identified across research, policy and frontline practice.

Loss of family, community and identity which erodes trust in help outside known circles.

Feelings of shame, helplessness or hopelessness that make it difficult to reach out.

Fear of judgement or stigma when approaching authorities or services.

Threats or reprisals from perpetrators, including  harm to the survivor or their family.

Fear of deportation, often fuelled by misinformation from perpetrators about visa status or legal consequences.

Cultural and language barriers that limit access or lead to misunderstanding or misidentification.

Conditioned obedience developed through prolonged control and abuse.

Limited awareness of available support or belief that no help is available.

Source: Australian Red Cross, 2021; My Blue Sky, no date; Anti-Slavery Australia, 2022).41, 42, 43

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Finding help shouldn't be harder than surviving exploitation

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Finding help shouldn't be harder than surviving exploitation

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Survivors describe how difficult it is to find help, particularly in the early stages of rebuilding their lives. Through HerSpace’s survivor consultations (2025), survivors reported encountering services that are not trauma-informed, lack cultural awareness, or consider modern slavery outside their remit. Fragmented, siloed service delivery places the burden on survivors to navigate complex systems while coping with trauma — often leading some to disengage and, in some cases, return to exploitation.

“Just knowing help is available for immediate escaping is important. Services and referral information should be translated in different languages and shared widely — through airports, schools, tertiary providers, family courts, domestic violence services and healthcare settings”- Survivor

Source: HerSpace Limited

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Even with growing awareness, modern slavery is often misunderstood

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Even with growing awareness, modern slavery is often misunderstood

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Even with growing awareness, misconceptions still shape how modern slavery is understood and identified. These myths can make it harder to recognise exploitation or even lead to harmful assumptions about survivors.

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Which myth do you think most often prevents exploitation from being recognised in Australia?

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People can leave exploitation if they want.

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Victims always know they are being exploited.

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Video coming soon - In this short video, Dr James Cockayne (NSW Anti-Slavery Commissioner), Helen Schneider (Commander, Australian Federal Police – Human Exploitation), Natalie Maxwell-Davis (Senior Manager, Australian Red Cross) and Sarah Schricker (Co-founder & Executive Director, Survivor Connections) share what modern slavery can look like in real-world settings — and why it’s often hard to spot. We’ll add the video link here soon.

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Why is it hard to recognise modern slavery?

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Why is it hard to recognise modern slavery?

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While we know that modern slavery is flourishing worldwide and in Australia, it is often difficult to identify because:

It may be concealed within homes, businesses and communities

Survivors may face threats, shame, misinformation or dependency

Cultural or language barriers limit help-seeking

Only a small portion of case come to official attention

What is known about modern slavery is limited to cases reported to law enforcement. In reality, the true scale of exploitation is likely much larger than official figures suggest.

Source: Walk Free

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"Human Trafficking does not discriminate" - Australian Federal Police, Commander Helen Schneider

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"Human Trafficking does not discriminate" - Australian Federal Police, Commander Helen Schneider

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Victims- survivors can come from any age, gender, culture, religion or socioeconomic background. Commander Helen Schneider shares signs to look for and says help is available through the Australian Federal Police (Phone: 131 237 or online and the Australian Salvation Army's Additional Referral Pathway.

Video by Australian Federal Police and ACM, used with attribution.

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Recognising human trafficking: key warning signs

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What responsibilities do large businesses have under Australia's Modern Slavery framework?

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What responsibilities do large businesses have under Australia's Modern Slavery framework?

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PLACEHOLDER - RED CROSS VIDEO

Hear from Professor Jennifer Burn AM, Director of Anti-Slavery Australia, alongside other experts, as they unpack the Modern Slavery Act and the growing focus on human rights due diligence.

This discussion highlights why organisations need to:

understand modern slavery and its risks

review policies and procedures through a human rights lens

identify and assess modern slavery risks in operations and supply chains

take meaningful action to prevent harm

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Video by Australian Red Cross (2023), used with attribution.

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Video by SSI (2024), used with attribution.

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Video by SSI (2024), used with attribution.

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Video by SSI (2024), used with attribution.