...Exploitation hurts migrants, but it also weakens the bargaining power of Australian workers, harms businesses that do the right thing, damages our global reputation, and undermines public confidence in our migration program…

An investigation by The Age and Four Corners uncovered $173 million in underpayment of workers at 7-Eleven outlets, many of them international students. Some were being paid as little as $10 an hour.

Our new report, Short-changed: How to stop the exploitation of migrant workers in Australia, shows that the problem remains widespread. Up to 16 per cent of recent migrants are paid less than the national minimum wage…

First, visa rules that increase migrants’ risk of exploitation should be changed…

Second, workplace and migration laws should be strengthened and better enforced to deter exploitation.

Few employers who underpay their workers get caught, and the penalties are far too small when they are caught…

Third, more support should be offered to migrant workers who pursue their employer for unpaid wages, because right now too few exploited workers try to get their money.

Migrant workers centres should be established in each state, to help educate migrant workers about their rights and connect migrants with suitable legal advice if they need it. And funding for community legal centres should be boosted…