Our latest research report "Visa on Arrival" Our latest report, Visa on Arrival and Migrant Worker Exploitation, is now available! This report, based on 959 survey responses and 24 in-depth interviews, reveals alarming trends in workplace...
Welcome to the latest and final edition of the Migrant Workers Centre newsletter in 2024! In this issue, we’re sharing critical insights from our new report on migrant worker exploitation, updates on...
Welcome to our Spring edition of the Migrant Worker Research Quarterly. In this edition, we share important updates on the latest issues affecting migrant workers in Australia. Join us for our next Research...
This report presents a summary of the findings from the Migrant Workers Centre’s research on migrant worker exploitation. The analysis is based on 959 survey responses and 24 in-depth interviews. The Migrant...
In 2012, Albert came to Australia on a Working Holiday Visa. However, even with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and prior experience, securing suitable employment was almost impossible. This forced him into...
Submission to the Restricting Non-Disclosure Agreements in Workplace Sexual Harassment Cases Discussion Paper Click here to download the full submission. Recommendation 1: That the Victorian State Government implement the recommendations of the...
This winter, the Migrant Workers Centre has made significant strides in our fight for fair treatment and justice for migrant workers in Victoria. We’ve just released our latest report, Carrot or Stick, which...
This study explores the challenges international students face as they navigate Australia’s complex migration and education systems, revealing how these systems often prioritise economic gains over the wellbeing and future prospects of...
Over the past decade, research has deepened our understanding of the challenges faced by migrant workers, leading to major policy reforms. Notable initiatives include formal protections against visa cancellation for exploited workers and the introduction of the...
Today, the Migrant Workers Centre launches its latest research report, Pathways and Pitfalls: Migrant Workers’ Experiences with the Migration Advice Sector.
The Migrant Workers Centre is proud to announce the launch of its latest research report, Pathways and Pitfalls: Migrant Workers’ Experiences with the Migration Advice Sector. This comprehensive study sheds light on...
Welcome to the Autumn edition of our e-newsletter. We’re excited to share our upcoming research report “Pathways and Pitfalls: Migrant Workers’ Experience with the Migration Advice Sector”, based on 959 survey responses and...
Submission to the review of the points test discussion paper Click here to download the full submission. Recommendation 1: That the Federal Government remove and grandfather the professional year, regional study, specialist education...
Submission to the Senate Inquiry into the Migration Amendment (Removal and Other Measures) Bill 2024 We fully endorse the Human Rights Law Centre’s submission and strongly urge the Committee to recommend that...
The Migrant Workers Centre welcomes the passage of amendments to the Migration Act that introduce new protections for migrant workers and stiffer penalties for employers who seek to exploit them.
Welcome to our first newsletter of 2024. In this edition: Changes to Migration Act Ambassador sessions Resources Ambassador profile Changes to Migration Act The Migrant Workers Centre celebrates a significant milestone with...
William reached out to the Migrant Workers Centre for support. Through our industrial casework program, we were able to recover $20,000 (before tax) in compensation.
A group of 5 workers have recovered $118,425.05 in stolen wages with the support of the Migrant Workers Centre after the food manufacturing business they worked for closed down without warning in...
Submission to the Senate Inquiry into the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Closing Loopholes) Bill 2023 Click here to download the full submission. Summary of recommendations We endorse the recommendations of the Australian...
Submission to the Draft Best Practice Principles and Standards for Skilled Migration Assessing Authorities Click here to download the full submission. Summary of recommendations Recommendation 1: That the Australian Government establish a statutory...
Submission to the Multicultural Framework Review: September 2023 Click here to download the full submission. Summary of recommendations Recommendation 1. That the Australian Government dedicate increased resourcing to co-design and deliver initiatives...
The Migrant Workers Centre, Unions NSW, the Human Rights Law Centre, Immigration Advice and Rights Centre, and Migrant Justice Institute have set out the roadmap for strong and robust visa protections for...
Submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee: Inquiry into the Migration Amendment (Strengthening Employer Compliance) Bill 2023 Click here to download the full submission. Summary of recommendations Recommendation 1....
The Migrant Workers Centre welcomes today’s announcement that the Federal Government will introduce a range of important new visa-based protections for migrant workers who raise issues of exploitation in their workplaces.
A new MWC research report, in collaboration with Unions NSW, was created to investigate work opportunities for migrant workers. The research explored a range of topics that migrant workers experience during their...
New policy recommendations from the MWC call for the Government to re-instate the pathway to citizenship that formerly existed between Australia and New Zealand.
A new Migrant Workers Centre report, Insecure by Design: Australia’s migration system and migrant workers’ job market experience, reveals the toll of visa discrimination on migrant workers and reiterates the indisputable link...
The Migrant Workers Centre joins calls from 40 legal service providers, unions, ethnic community peak bodies, churches, and national organisations for whistle-blower protections for migrant workers who have faced exploitation and abuse...
Welcome to our first newsletter of 2023. In this edition: Bicultural Work Rights Ambassadors’ Program Ambassador Profile: Remart Know Your Rights Sessions 2023 Worker Win: $118,425 recovered in stolen wages Upcoming Research...
Welcome to the end of year newsletter for 2022. We’ve had a busy final quarter, and this final edition includes the updates about: MWC holiday closure New BWRAP cohort Report: Waiting to...
30 September 2022 A new report by the Migrant Workers Centre, Waiting to Be Seen: Problems of Australia’s Visa Processing Delays shows Australia’s migration system has denied tens of thousands of people...
A new report by the Migrant Workers Centre, Waiting to Be Seen: Problems of Australia’s Visa Processing Delays shows Australia’s migration system has denied tens of thousands of people the stability and...
Being on a temporary visa made standing up against workplace exploitation and harassment difficult for Felisia. But joining her union empowered Felisia despite her uphill battles with an unjust visa system.
Welcome to the spring edition of the Migrant Workers Centre newsletter. This edition includes updates about: Migrant Workers Survey 2022 Launching the Bicultural Work Rights Ambassadors Program #PathwaytoPermanency at the Jobs Summit ...
The Migrant Workers Centre welcomes a proposed increase in permanent migration numbers and the emerging consensus that improving pathways to permanent migration is an essential element in the nation’s economic and social...
Submission to the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations regarding the scheme of assistance established under the Fair Entitlements Guarantee Regulation 2012 Click here to download the full submission SUMMARY The FEG...
Get involved in our campaign and help us support migrant workers fighting for fair visa processing times. Access all of the info, materials and resources you will need to stand in...
Welcome to the Autumn edition of the Migrant Workers Centre newsletter. From this second quarter of the year, we have updates about: A new Horticulture Minimum Wage Fighting for Fair 887 Visa...
SUBMISSION OF THE MIGRANT WORKERS CENTRE TO THE SENATE SELECT COMMITTEE ON TEMPORARY MIGRATION Click here to download the full submission SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS A PEOPLE-CENTRED TEMPORARY MIGRATION PROGRAM Recommendation 1. The...
Welcome to the first edition of the Migrant Workers Centre newsletter for 2022. This year, we’ll be bringing you quarterly wraps of our industrial wins, campaigns and programs, and worker stories. This...
Kamran came to the Migrant Workers Centre for assistance with an injury in early 2021. He was suffering from the ongoing debilitating effects of a physical injury he had sustained a few years...
All workers, regardless of where they’re from, deserve to earn a living wage and work in safe conditions. But the Migrant Workers’ Centre and Unions NSW’S latest survey of more than 1300...
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A new Migrant Workers Centre survey of over 700 temporary visa holders shows the urgent need for more pathways to permanent residency. The findings, which also draw upon over 50 in depth...
Submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs (Legislation Committee) for the inquiry into the Migration Amendment (Protecting Migrant Workers) Bill 2021 [Provisions]Click here to download the full submission....
Submission to the Joint Standing Committee on Migration for the inquiry into the Ending Indefinite and Arbitrary Immigration Detention Bill 2021 Click here to download the full submission Summary of recommendations 2.5....
SUBMISSION TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HOME AFFAIRS REGARDING THE 2022-23 MIGRATION PROGRAM The Migrant Workers Centre submitted our Lives in Limbo research report to the Department of Home Affairs as part of...
A Migrant Workers Centre survey of over 700 temporary visa holders shows the urgent need for more pathways to permanent residency. The findings, which also draw upon over 50 in depth interviews,...
Yesterday the Fair Work Commission handed down a decision to guarantee all workers will take home at least the minimum wage for hours worked.<sup>1</sup> The Commission found that there was “widespread non-compliance”...
The August-September edition of the Migrant Workers Centre newsletter features: Campaign win! Temporary Migration Inquiry adopts MWC recommendations for reforming visa system Migrant Worker Solidarity Networks meets with MPs on visa reform ...
Submission to the Department of Home Affairs in the Migration Amendment Bill 2021 Click here to download the full submission Summary of recommendations Recommendation 1. The DHA should encourage the Government to...
Abbas* came to the Migrant Workers Centre for help after a physical assault by his supervisor left him hospitalised. Abbas came to Australia in 2010 from Iraq. Despite living and working here...
This mid-year edition of the Migrant Workers Centre newsletter includes updates about: COVID-19 Disaster Payment for Workers on Temporary Visas Visa Reform Survey Launch Piece Rate Report: $9 a Day Abbas’ story:...
Jasmine moved to Australia in 2014 on a partner sponsored visa. She got a warehouse job for retail giant Riot Art and Craft, where she worked full time on a permanent contract...
The May edition of the Migrant Workers Centre includes updates about: Temporary COVID Disaster Payment Migrant Worker Solidarity Network Campaigns for Visa Reform ATO JobKeeper Repayments Know Your Rights Sessions Jasmine’s story:...
Last year, the Morrison government cruelly locked temporary visa holders out of JobKeeper and JobSeeker. Not only did this move leave over a million workers without support during the peak of the...
The April edition of the Migrant Workers Centre newsletter includes updates about: Campaign launch: permanent visas for all workers who call Australia home Worker Story: ATO tries to recover JobKeeper payments from...
Ravi* reclaimed $9,288.83 in stolen wages after fighting against his employer’s unfair and incorrect classification of him as an ‘independent contractor’.Ravi, a 26 year old from India, came to Australia in 2019...
Welcome to the March edition of the Migrant Workers Center newsletter! Here are the updates from the last month: Meet the new Migrant Workers Centre organisers Palm Sunday Walk for Justice for...
SUBMISSION TO THE SENATE SELECT COMMITTEE ON JOB SECURITY Click here to download the full submission SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS Recommendation 1. Workers who receive instructions and clock on and off at work...
SUBMISSION TO THE JOINT STANDING COMMITTEE ON MIGRATION ON THE INQUIRY INTO AUSTRALIA’S SKILLED MIGRATION PROGRAM Click here to download the full submission SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS ACCESS TO PERMANENT RESIDENCY RECOMMENDATION 1....
Welcome to the first edition of the Migrant Workers Centre newsletter for 2021. We’re pleased to start the year off with some good news about wins for migrant workers. Organisers at the Centre...
2020 ended on a high for migrant worker Anil* who successfully clawed back $80,0000 in stolen wages. Anil’s boss had been stealing his wages for four years. Anil worked at a...
Since the Migrant Workers Centre launched in 2018, we’ve supported migrant workers to collectively recover over $1,000,000. This sum includes stolen wages, unpaid superannuation and entitlements, and WorkCover claims. While this milestone...
Welcome to the final edition of the Migrant Workers Centre newsletter for 2020! It’s been a huge year but the Centre and the Migrant Worker Solidarity Network is ending the year strong....
The October newsletter features updates about: Migrant Workers Center helps workers recover $1 million in stolen wages. Ending exploitation in the horticulture industry: Piece Rate Survey. Migrant Workers Conference: The Pandemic, The...
The September edition of the Migrant Workers Centre newsletter includes updates about: Increase to the Emergency Hardship Fund Payment Working Holiday Maker Inquiry Interim Report Worker Story: Xuan Na speaks out and...
Soo, Sermet and Tiff led very different lives, but their paths crossed when they found themselves without work or any federal government support amidst a pandemic - a situation shared by hundreds...
Workers at a large recycling factory in Melbourne have achieved transformative changes at their workplace and collectively recovered over a million dollars in stolen wages. These hard fought wins, which have taken...
Welcome to the August edition of the Migrant Workers Centre newsletter. This edition covers updates about: COVID-19 emergency relief payment for migrants International Student Visa Information Session Worker Story Arabic Workers Forum...
The June-July edition of the Migrant Workers Centre newsletter features: Supporting migrant workers under COVID lockdown Reflecting on 2 years at the Migrant Workers Centre Expanding JobKeeper now more important than ever...
SUBMISSION TO THE JOINT STANDING COMMITTEE ON MIGRATION REGARDING THE INQUIRY INTO THE WORKING HOLIDAY MAKER PROGRAM Click here to download the full submission Click here to download the submission supplement SUMMARY...
The May edition of the Migrant Workers Centre newsletter features: JobKeeper campaign update: $60 billion underspend must be used to support all workers Migrant Worker Solidarity Network in Action Backpackers Mass Online...
The April edition of the Migrant Workers Centre Newsletter features: #NoWorkerLeftBehind and JobKeeper campaigns JobScammer: Holding bosses to account Live broadcasts in language by the Multicultural Safety Ambassadors Industrial win: Hospo worker...
Over March and April, the Migrant Workers Centre has been supporting migrant workers affected by the economic impacts of COVID-19. This edition of the newsletter includes The #WageSubsidyForAll and #NoWorkerLeftBehind campaigns The...
Maryaan, a former anaesthetist from Iraq, talks about overcoming the barriers to finding work in Australia and the importance of mental health in workplace OH&S training. Maryaan is a health educator at...
Fabrizio Venturini, one of our Multicultural Safety Ambassadors, talks about the challenges facing a new generation of international students and his experience unionising against wage theft.When we think of migrant workers and...
SUBMISSION TO THE SENATE ECONOMIC REFERENCES COMMITTEE INQUIRY ON UNLAWFUL UNDERPAYMENT OF EMPLOYEES’ REMUNERATION Click here to download the full submission Summary of recommendations: 1. Wage theft should be comprehensively defined to...
The February edition of the Migrant Workers Centre Newsletter includes: MWC opposes Government’s unpaid backpacker bushfire recovery scheme Worker Story: Fabrizio Venturini New migrants in St Albans attend Know Your Rights info...
Workplace Occupational Health and Safety isn’t just about access to information. It’s also about community empowerment and delivering information in a culturally relevant way.Last month, Ring Mayar led the first info session...
Welcome to the first edition of the 2020 Migrant Workers Centre newsletter. This month’s updates include: Migrant Workers Centre opposes 14 day travel ban. A workplace win: Darren organised his workplace and recovered...
How did Darren, a backpacker from Taiwan, organise his workplace and recover $12,000 in stolen wages? Darren knew from day one that his boss was underpaying him, but it wasn’t until he...
Leaving behind white-collar work in Taiwan to take up jobs in the Australian meat industry was always going to be difficult. But one young couple found Australia’s immigration system and institutionalised disregard...
SUBMISSION FROM THE MIGRANT WORKERS CENTRE ON WAGE THEFT CRIMINALISATION Click here to download the full submission Summary of recommendations: 1. Wage theft should be defined to include any underpayment, withholding, or...
Date: 3 Sep 2019 Adult Migrant English Program Students Welcome Session on Workplace Rights In a joint effort by the Migrant Workers Centre and the Box Hill Institute to strengthen the local...