Illegal immigrants and an alleged migration agent scammer have been detained during a series of raids targeting alleged “modern slavery” migrant worker exploitation in Far North Queensland.
The six-day multi-agency operation targeted criminal syndicates allegedly taking advantage of Pacific Islander farm labourers and keeping them in squalid and overcrowded accommodation.
Officers from the Australian Border Force, Queensland Police, the Department Employment and Workplace Relations, and the Office of Industrial Relations. descended on properties in Cairns, the Atherton Tablelands, and the Cassowary Coast, The Cairns Post reported.
Four illegal immigrants were detained for removal from Australia, with a fifth given a bridging visa with strict conditions requiring immediate departure.
Those arrested included a migration agent accused of charging Pacific Australia Mobility (PALM) scheme workers to lodge invalid Protection visa applications, some without their knowledge or consent, and his illegal immigrant partner.
Another person detained was alleged to be trafficking illegal immigrant workers to local businesses, while a third was known to police for allegedly using violence and coercion to exploit other illegal immigrants and keep them in substandard housing and horrific working conditions.
The ABF alleges labour hire intermediaries are encouraging PALM workers to leave their approved employers, trapping them in illegal cash-in-hand arrangements, and charging them to live in conditions likened to “modern slavery”.
ABF Commander John Taylor said the major operation was part of a nationwide crackdown on criminals exploiting and profiting from illegal immigrant labour.
“Operations like this ensure Far North Queensland is not seen as a safe haven for migrant worker exploitation or visa abuse. We will not accept workers being exploited, placed in substandard housing, and then forced to pay for the privilege,” he said.
“Our intelligence clearly identifies where these offenders are operating, and we will continue to uncover and detain them while dismantling their criminal networks.
“Regional communities like Mareeba and Innisfail don’t want exploitation happening in their backyard, and members of the public continue to play a critical role by reporting concerns and helping to disrupt this behaviour, particularly in the agricultural industry.”
Header image: Left, a man is interviewed by ABF officers. Right, illegal worker accommodation (ABF).
