New research interviewing women involved with the federal government’s Pacific Labour Mobility Scheme shows why it needs urgent reform to stop worker exploitation.
Migrants who enter Australia through the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme, produce much of the fresh food Australians buy from the supermarket.
There are more than 32,000 migrant workers currently in Australia linked to the scheme.
Under the scheme, migrant workers are tied to their employer, meaning their legal right to stay in the country depends on whether their boss is happy with them.
This serious power imbalance can undermine the safety and wellbeing of migrants.
There’s been reporting that migrant workers employed in food systems are systematically exploited, but they often don’t feel safe to report mistreatment.
While migrant men and women linked to the scheme face exploitation, women also experience serious violations of their sexual and reproductive rights.
Source: ‘We are not in a safe place’: women reveal being abused while producing the food Australians eat