June 6, 2023
1 min read

Australia to end migrant worker exploitation

Employers who are found to have exploited migrants will be prohibited from further hiring workers on temporary visas…reports Asian Lite News

The Australian government on Monday announced a crackdown to better protect temporary visa holders from exploitation and employers who are caught violating the new federal laws could face criminal penalties.

According to a report published by thinktank the Grattan Institute in May, one in six recent migrants to Australia is paid less than the minimum wage, reports Xinhua news agency.

Under the changes, which will be introduced to parliament within weeks, coercing someone into breaching their visa condition will be made a criminal offence.

Employers who are found to have exploited migrants will be prohibited from further hiring workers on temporary visas.

Minister for Immigration Andrew Giles described the current situation as a “crisis of exploitation”.

“When migrant workers are being underpaid – it hurts all of us, driving wages and conditions down for everyone,” he said in a statement.

“These reforms will help workers speak up and target those employers who do the wrong thing.”

A section of the Migration Act will also be scrapped to make it easier for visa holders to report exploitative behaviour.

The Australian Border Force (ABF) will receive an extra A$50 million ($32 million) in funding for enforcement activities.

“Over the last 10 years our migration system has drifted deeper and deeper into reliance on low-paid temporary migrant workers who we know are routinely exploited,” Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil said.

“We are in consultation on systemic changes to our migration system which will ensure it works in the interests of Australian workers and businesses, and we are also doing the work necessary to ensure that no one who comes to this country is exploited or abused.”

ALSO READ: Australian economy unhurt by China’s economic coercion

Previous Story

Balochistan is Bleeding

Next Story

‘Go to Delhi and see yourself’: US lauds democracy in India

Latest from -Top News

EU, China United on Climate, Split on Rest

Climate pact offers rare unity as trade rifts, Ukraine war, and economic tensions dominate EU-China summitChina and the European Union struck a rare note of unity on climate change Thursday, issuing a

Hungary Pays the Trump Price

Despite his success in wooing Trump’s conservative base, Hungary is among the EU nations most vulnerable to Trump’s incoming tariff blitz Hungary’s populist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has spent years forging close

Meta Muzzles Election Ads

Meta to Halt Political Ads in EU, Citing Legal Uncertainty Over New Rules Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, announced on Friday that it will suspend all political advertising

Holy War Talk

Russian officials have downplayed the Vatican’s potential role as a mediator, citing its location within NATO-member Italy, which has firmly supported Ukraine throughout the war. In a move that may signal an

Greece Battles Blazes, Heatwave Chaos

With temperatures soaring above 38°C (100°F), and dry, windy conditions prevailing, fires are spreading fast. A wildfire tore through a northern suburb of Athens on Saturday, forcing residents to evacuate as Greece
Go toTop

Don't Miss

Australia assures speedy resolution of visa issues for Indian students

Last month, officials of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)

Australia imposes restrictions on indigenous communities to protect from Covid

The Australian government has imposed restrictions to protect remote Indigenous