Exploitation of skilled migrants exposed

The Sydney Morning Herald
Matthew Moore and Malcolm Knox
August 28, 2007

CONDITIONS in remote Australian workplaces, where two foreigners died within three days in June, are so harsh that a leading immigration expert says they are “akin to slavery”.

A Herald investigation has exposed blatant breaches of the 457 skilled visa scheme and uncovered hidden details of the deaths of the two workers in the Northern Territory and Queensland, and of a third north of Perth.

The investigation highlights disturbing exploitation of overseas workers, too afraid to speak out, under a scheme that allows employers to sponsor thousands of foreigners to come into Australia and do jobs locals cannot or will not do. It reveals the “extremely ugly face” of the 457 visa system, according to the immigration expert Professor Bob Birrell, from Monash University. read more..