Illegal worker laws under review

BUNDABERG farmers have welcomed a review of the Act that covers the use of illegal workers, which could see farmers face heavier penalties.

BUNDABERG farmers have welcomed a review of the Act that covers the use of illegal workers, which could see farmers face heavier penalties for illegal labour hire practices.

Minister for Immigration and Citizenship Chris Evans said the number of illegal workers being detected in Australia was unacceptable.

“Latest figures reveal immigration compliance officers have located 1271 illegal workers across a range of industries in the nine months to March 31, 2010,” he said.

“While most Australian employers do the right thing, there is emerging evidence that some are using illegal workers in an organised and criminal way; such behaviour will not be tolerated by this government.”

Hundreds of illegal workers are deported from workplaces each year, including farms, but no farmer or labour hire contractor has been fined under the current legislation.

“While we have had success in locating illegal workers, there has been little progress in penalising employers and labour hire intermediaries who use them,” Senator Evans said.

“I have appointed independent legal expert Stephen Howells to provide options for giving the legislation more teeth and strengthening the suite of penalties available.”

Bundaberg farmer Dean Akers said he believed employers should be held responsible for taking on illegal workers.

“If you do the wrong thing, then you should be punished,” he said.

“People doing the wrong thing are bad for the area.”

About 20 illegal workers were caught by immigration officials in the Bundaberg region last year.

“It’s not good for the Bundy name,” Mr Akers said.

“It needs to be cleaned up.”

Austchilli owner David De Paoli agreed.

“The law needs to be enforced,” he said.

“It’s just another cost burden to agriculture which we can’t pass on.”

Mr De Paoli said it was frustrating that farmers had to deal with illegal workers at all.

“The process really needs to be looked at,” he said.

“These people shouldn’t be here in the first place. We already fight the weather and the timelines and the awards.

“And all this paperwork is just another thing we have to deal with.”

Originally published as Illegal worker laws under review