<
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-01-09/what-is-modern-slavery-nsw-migrant-workers-commissioner/104589016>
'For decades Moe Turaga stayed silent on what happened to him in his teens.
Though the physical scars have healed, the emotional wounds still hold weight.
"The trauma of it never goes away," he told
ABC.
Mr Turaga arrived in Australia in the late 1980s, in search of making money to
send home to his family in Fiji.
"When I was 13, Dad died and my siblings and I watched Mum struggle to make
ends meet," Mr Turaga said.
"At 17 I was approached by one of my cousins to go to Australia for an
'opportunity' to support my family."
His cousin promised him and other boys from their village that they could study
and earn more than $25 per week to send back to loved ones.
"This cousin was a church minister and someone not to be questioned. I saw no
signs that anything was wrong."
In April 1988, Mr Turaga and 13 fellow teenage boys arrived in Australia. His
cousin had arranged the travel.
Upon arrival, their passports were taken off them and given to a migration
agent.
They were told they had a debt to pay off due to the travel and visa costs.'
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
