"Pacific envoys gather to tackle visa exploitation risks", 5 December 2024

Pacific island envoys in Australia will gather to discuss a labour scheme that has been criticised as being a breeding ground for slavery-like conditions.

Tens of thousands of islanders are in Australia as part of the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme that provides visas for short and long-term stints working in areas like agriculture, horticulture and meat processing.

...

The roundtable follows United Nations Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Slavery Tomoya Obokata investigating the scheme as part of a recent tour to Australia.

He found credible evidence of excessive wage deductions, unreasonable requirements, racial discrimination, dangerous working conditions, harassment and sexual and gender-based violence.

...