The Human Rights Law Centre is calling on the Albanese Government to take stronger action on modern slavery and protections for migrant workers after the UN Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Slavery sounded the alarm in a report published overnight.

Professor Tomoya Obokata said he was “seriously concerned by the treatments of temporary migrant workers in Australia,” and had received credible information during his visit of “disturbing, sometimes very serious patterns of exploitative practices by employers, labour hire companies and migration agents.”

He made over 30 recommendations for reform, including urging the Government to move swiftly to strengthen the Modern Slavery Act by introducing due diligence obligations on companies to identify and address human rights risks in their supply chains, rather than just reporting on their efforts annually.

Obokata also called on the Government to address the significant power imbalances between workers and employers in temporary migrant worker visa arrangements, including rules that prevent workers moving between employers and independently accessing permanent residency.

He also noted that Australia’s patchwork of laws mean too many people are not protected when their rights are breached, and endorsed the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Right’s recommendation for an Australian Human Rights Act...