A new resource from the University of Sydney aims to help universities identify and support students at risk of exploitation and forced labour.

The Safeguarding Students Against Modern Slavery and Exploitation toolkit was developed by the University's Responsible Business and Human Rights team in partnership with the Office of the Australian Anti-Slavery Commissioner and 81 representatives from 21 universities across Australia.

The toolkit sets out how universities can raise students’ awareness of risks at each stage of their studies, from pre-arrival to graduation, and how safeguarding can be embedded in university governance and operations.

“Too many international students are being subjected to serious workplace exploitation while studying here, and for some that exploitation reaches the threshold of forced labour,” said the Australian Anti-Slavery Commissioner, Chris Evans.

International students in Australia are being underpaid by an estimated $3.18 billion annually, according to the Migrant Justice Institute's Off the Books report published this year. The survey of almost 10,000 temporary visa holders, most of them international students, found one in three had experienced at least one indicator of forced labour in a job in Australia.

“Universities are often the institutions that international students know best and trust most. This toolkit gives them practical ways to identify and respond to students at risk,” said the Commissioner.

“What makes this toolkit particularly valuable is that it has been co-designed by universities, including the University of Sydney, civil society organisations, and people with lived experience. It is not simply as a compliance resource, it is a practical safeguarding framework to help universities to identify and support students at risk of modern slavery,” said Esty Marcu, Director of Responsible Business and Human Rights at the University of Sydney.

The Commissioner was the guest of the University of Sydney Business School on 8 October when he delivered the 33rd Annual Kingsley Laffer Memorial Lecture on the topic of Addressing Forced Labour Risks in a Changing Global Economy.

He spoke about modern slavery and forced labour as not being an isolated crime, but the extreme end of a continuum that begins with more mundane or normalised concerns including underpayment, discrimination and unsafe working conditions – concerns often faced by migrant workers, many of whom are also students.

“Many, including international students, arrive carrying recruitment debts, have limited English, or work in isolated regional areas. And many fear that complaining about their treatment could put their visa at risk. These are exactly the conditions that allow exploitation to escalate along the continuum, and the vulnerabilities that unscrupulous employers prey on,” the Commissioner said.

“Australia’s success as an international education destination depends on trust. Trust that students will be welcomed, supported and safe from exploitation while they are here. We ought to start taking this more seriously.”

Formerly known as the Modern Slavery Unit, the University of Sydney’s Responsible Business and Human Rights team provide tools, training, guidance and detailed risk assessments to help staff identify and address modern slavery and related human rights risks across procurement, research, partnerships, investments and student experiences. It also collaborates across government, business and civil society to build the knowledge base and tools needed to generate transformative change.

For support or to learn more, email anti.slavery@sydney.edu.au.