Arabic version: تقرير في نيو ساوث ويلز يدعو إلى حماية العمال المهاجرين

According to ABC News, a NSW parliamentary inquiry has called for urgent reform after detailing modern slavery risks faced by temporary migrant workers in rural and regional parts of the state. The 188-page report contains 31 recommendations for the NSW government to consider.

The committee said it heard “harrowing stories of mistreatment and harm”, including accounts of workers being deceived, living in near-uninhabitable conditions, working demanding hours and being threatened if they spoke up. It said too many temporary migrant workers had experienced, or were at serious risk of experiencing, modern slavery in NSW.

Among the recommendations are the urgent introduction of a labour-hire licensing scheme and stronger enforcement powers for police and SafeWork NSW. The report also calls for visa settings to be adjusted so Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme workers can change employers more easily, as well as a review of the Working Holiday Maker Program.

The inquiry asked the government to investigate allegations of systemic labour exploitation in Coffs Harbour and the Nambucca Valley. It was told that some berry pickers on the Coffs Coast were being systematically exploited by informal labour-hire syndicates, with operators allegedly using coercive and threatening behaviour to discourage reporting.

NSW Anti-slavery Commissioner Dr James Cockayne said the report drew on evidence from almost 100 witnesses, including victim survivors, and 60 submissions. Committee chair Joe McGirr said NSW needed adequate labour-hire regulation and noted the state government had three months to respond to the recommendations. Redfern Legal Centre also backed greater funding for community legal services, including translated resources and interpreter-supported appointments.