Causes of Trafficking
In a submission to the Australian Government’s Parliamentary Joint Committee on Law Enforcement, the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference say that human trafficking and slavery are the terrible consequence of economic and social exclusion, where:
• We don’t recognise the human dignity of each person, so people are treated as an object or a means to an end
• People are in poverty and don’t have access to adequate education or employment
• We put money and not people at the centre of the economy, or
• There is conflict and violence and people are forced to emigrate putting themselves at greater risk of falling victim to trafficking.
Recommended Action
The Bishops say that they would like there to be:
• More work on documenting the problem, so there is detailed statistical estimate of the extent of human trafficking in Australia
• Promotion of slavery-free supply chains, through improved industry accountability and consumer awareness
• Continuation of the ACRATH program to provide curriculum materials to schools informing students about forced marriage, their legal rights and where they can go for help if needed, and
• More funds for Australia’s aid program, so we can assist people in third world nations out of poverty and away from the risk of human trafficking.
Read the Submission
Contact the Public Policy Office of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference for the full text of the submission.