"Stronger enforcement and protection for migrant workers", 27 July 2020

Temporary migrant workers will be better protected by sweeping changes to prevent exploitation and improve enforcement, say Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters, Minister for Workplace Relations Andrew Little, and Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi.

Changes will help prevent migrant exploitation, protect migrants, and enforce the law.

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The changes will be implemented in stages over the next few years. They include:

• Creating a new visa that will support migrants to leave exploitative situations without negatively affecting their immigration status.
• Setting up a new dedicated free phone number, online reporting and better triaging to make it easier to report migrant worker exploitation.
• Higher standards will be required from franchises, labour hire companies and similar businesses where migrant exploitation often occurs.
• Disqualifying people convicted of migrant exploitation and people trafficking from managing or directing a company.
• Preventing exploitative employers from accessing migrant labour in the future by expanding the existing employer stand down list.
• Establishing new immigration and employment infringement offences targeting non-compliant employer behaviour.
• Notifying impacted migrant workers that their employer has been stood down.

Ministers noted there was overwhelming support for the Government to take action to address temporary migrant worker exploitation when consulting on proposals for change last year.

Government is now drafting a bill to enact legislative reforms.