Australia's first anti-slavery commissioner has criticised one of the country's visa programs, telling 7.30 it is "driving vulnerability to forced labour and modern slavery".
Former Labor senator Chris Evans, who was appointed to the role in 2024, labelled the subclass 407 training visa a concern.
The visa allows skilled workers to come to Australia for structured workplace training but there is no requirement for people on this visa to be paid.
Jerwin Royupa, a 21-year-old from the Philippines, was granted this visa to undertake work at a winery in New South Wales in 2019.
Five weeks later, on March 15, 2019, he was dead.
In January a coroner found Jerwin was exposed to "potentially criminal" conduct and was "exploited" by his sponsor.
Myles Houlbrook-Walk and Emily Jane Smith report.
Subscribe: https://ab.co/3yqPOZ5 Read more here: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01-22/jerwin-royupa-inquest-training-visa-program-risk-exploitation/106256652
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