Moe Turaga: shining a light on modern slavery

Modern slavery survivor Moe Turaga urges Catholics not to turn a blind eye if they suspect someone is being exploited. He knows from his own experience that the enquiries of a concerned friend or stranger can bring light and hope to those trapped in slavery.

It is 37 years since Mr Turaga, then 17, was trafficked to Australia from Fiji to work on farms in the Sunraysia region.

In recent years, Mr Turaga, now working with the Australian Catholic Anti-Slavery Network (ACAN), has found the strength and support to talk about his ordeal.

For a long time, he did not realise he was a victim of slavery.

Mr Turaga spoke to Melbourne Catholic on the eve of 8 February, World Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking and the feast day of St Josephine Bakhita, patron saint of victims of human trafficking. Born in Sudan, St Bakhita was captured and sold into slavery when she was just nine years old.

She finally landed in Italy, converting to Catholicism and entering the Canossian order, where she found comfort in her faith and community while bearing significant physical and mental scars until her death in 1947. She was canonised in 2000.

Mr Turaga says when he first learnt of St Bakhita’s story, it resonated deeply.

‘Her experience of modern slavery, and her grace and strength through faith are inspiring. The cultures, customs, countries may all be different, but her story reminded me that slavery is still universal,’ he says.

St Josephine Bakhita’s story dates to the 1870s. Modern slavery, which encompasses forced marriage, forced labour, coercion and servitude, continues today.

Modern slavery is still a very hazy concept for most Australians. But once you start looking, you realise it is spread across a number of industries.

Modern slavery has been linked to labour exploitation in high-risk industries such as agriculture, meat processing, construction, cleaning, hospitality and food services. As many as 40,000 people may be enslaved in Australia, according to the Walk Free Global Slavery Index.

Temporary visa holders, migrants, refuges, and people who are stateless or not authorised to work are particularly vulnerable.

‘Modern slavery is still a very hazy concept for most Australians,’ Mr Turaga says. ‘But once you start looking, you realise it is spread across a number of industries.’

In Mr Turaga’s case, a trusted older cousin offered him an opportunity to work and send money back to his mother. Mr Turaga and thirteen other boys accepted the offer, but when they arrived, the cousin gave their passports to a migration agent. They were told they had to pay off their travel and visa debts.

Mr Turaga says although the work was hard, he and the other boys were comforted that money was supporting their loved ones at home. ‘There was no reason for us to doubt it. We were isolated, no phones.’

Living in a pickers’ hut, they were given $100 a week to cover groceries, toiletries and other essentials for all of them. In winter, they huddled around the open oven door for warmth. They worked 60 hours per week, often seven days a week. ‘I never saw a pay cheque or contract,’ Mr Turaga recalls of his two and a half years on the farm.

One day when they were in town, they used a wire coat-hanger to make a free phone call on a public payphone. ‘I called Mum first, and she asked, “Are you going to send any money?” I thought she was joking. She wasn’t.

‘That was the moment of truth for us.’

There are many indicators of modern slavery—workers who are fearful, withdrawn, not interacting with others, working excessive hours, no contracts or payslips, no personal belongings, money or adequate food ...

The boys were too scared to go to the police or confront the cousin. A turning point came thanks to the kindness of a stranger.

When they were not working, they would go to a Uniting Church service on a Sunday afternoon, partly because there was afternoon tea. One of the congregation, Audrey, sensed something was not right. She put the boys at ease and they felt confident to tell their story.

One night some of the boys escaped to Audrey’s farm, where they worked and were paid properly. Mr Turaga ended up working at the farm—receiving the correct pay—for six years.

No one faced charges over the boys’ treatment.

Mr Turaga now works to support victims of modern slavery for the Catholic Church’s ACAN and speaks widely on the issue. His prominent contributions as a survivor leader in Australia led to him serving on the selection committee for Australia’s just appointed first federal Anti-Slavery Commissioner, Chris Evans.

Mr Turaga says that it only takes one person to step up to help a victim. ‘There are many indicators of modern slavery—workers who are fearful, withdrawn, not interacting with others, working excessive hours, no contracts or payslips, no personal belongings, money or adequate food ...

‘The key is to get urgent advice from experts like ACAN and the Domus 8.7 remediation service, because an untimely intervention can have serious consequences for the victim.’

Since 2019, ACAN has worked with Catholic dioceses and agencies to respond to Australia’s Modern Slavery Act 2018. Catholic school systems, hospitals, aged care providers, community services and dioceses participate in the ACAN risk-management program to assess, address and mitigate the risk of modern slavery in operations and supply chains. The ACAN team engages with more than 75,000 suppliers of goods and services, including procurement categories of high risk for modern slavery on behalf of Catholic organisations.

A lot of people experiencing modern slavery do not trust anyone. You can ask if they are okay and allow them to talk.

‘Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools deserves special mention as leading best practice in procurement and modern slavery risk management,’ Melbourne-based ACAN Program Manager Laura Giassetti says.

‘Organisations reporting under the Modern Slavery Act must also provide effective remediation and take steps to help victims.‘To that end, Domus 8.7 remediation service was established as part of the ACAN program to provide advice to Catholic organisations and vulnerable people who may be impacted by labour exploitation and modern slavery,’ Ms Giassetti says.

Mr Turaga says supporting people in modern slavery is challenging but very fulfilling work. ‘A lot of them do not trust anyone. You can ask if they are okay and allow them to talk. My lived experience helps when it comes to building rapport,’ he says.

‘Once identified, we can connect them with services which will help them find a way out of their situation.’