Migrant worker death raises modern slavery concerns

Following the death of 21-year-old migrant worker Jerwin Royupa in 2019 while on the job, coronial inquest findings revealed protection inadequacies for migrant workers in Australia.

The 16 January 2026 coronial inquest into the death of Royupa in 2019 – occurring during a shift at his visa traineeship at a NSW winery – revealed serious inadequacies in the protection of overseas trainees on a subclass 407 training visa.

In 2024–25, the Australian Federal Police received 420 reports of human trafficking and modern slavery, an increase of 10 per cent from the previous year and nearly double the number reported five years ago.

Australian anti-slavery commissioner Chris Evans said the case revealed evidence of multiple indicators of forced labour – a form of modern slavery.

Promises of a new life

“Mr Royupa arrived in Australia in March 2019 on a subclass 407 training visa, having been promised a scholarship and vocational training. Instead, he was required to work unpaid for up to 60 hours a week in excessive heat,” the commissioner said.

For these migrant workers, it is an “opportunity to develop and also the opportunity to give back to their mums and dads”, a lived experience adviser at Domus 8.7, Moe Turaga, said.

The coronial inquest unveiled that Royupa had unsuccessfully attempted to seek help from the government and other agencies in the days before his death, with Deputy Coroner Rebecca Hosking finding that supports available to subclass 407 visa holders were “inaccessible, inadequate and insufficient”.

Inequalities for visa holder

In speaking about where migrant workers should first go to for help, Turaga said: “Police [is] sometimes not the best approach. Talking to civil organisations that can get you to sanctuary [and] get you to safety first [where migrant workers can] talk about consent to go back and seek legal advice through … the police to advance [the] investigation of what had happened.”

“We can [see the] failures of New South Wales police and the investigation in regards to Jerwin. They were fixated on his visa status rather than [his] human right[s].”

Turaga emphasised the need for better safety nets and safeguards for migrant workers, welcoming the coronial inquest’s recommendation for a national helpline for migrant workers at risk of modern slavery.

Deficiencies in the subclass 407 training visa framework included a “failure to supervise or prevent employers from taking advantage of overseas trainees, that leaves vulnerable workers exposed to ‘unacceptable risks of exploitation’,” the 16 January inquest revealed.

Victim-centric approach

“It’s about … what we can get out of this inquest [and what] we can deliver [moving] forward … to provide safeguards [for Australia’s future].”

In light of this, Turaga stressed that the coronial inquest’s recommendation for modern slavery training for AFP personnel is crucial.

As a former migrant worker who was forced to pick fruit without pay for two years in the late 1980s, Turaga knows what it is like to suffer at the hands of his employer.

“I believe [that if we had gone] to the police back then in … 1989 or 1990, we would have been sent home straight away because: one, we didn’t have [a] passport, two, our English was very poor back – so it would have been easy for the Australian system to say: ‘Get on the plane and away you go. Go home,’” said Turaga.

Evans said: “Victims of modern slavery need to feel that they will be believed and supported to report the crimes committed against them. Support based on victim-survivors’ needs, rather than their participation in criminal justice processes, as well as education for frontline agencies and communities, is vital to ensure individuals can come forward.”

Help is available via Lifeline on 13 11 14 and Beyond Blue at 1300 22 4636.

If you believe you may be a victim and require assistance, you can contact the AFP at 131 237 (131 AFP) or through the AFP website. You can also contact the Additional Referral Pathway for confidential advice or call 1800 000 277.

If you are in immediate danger, contact 000.