A New South Wales resident has been issued a record $540,000 infringement notice for serious breaches of the
Migration Act 1958, following an extensive Australian Border Force (ABF) investigation into an unlawful labour-hire syndicate targeting migrant workers.
The NSW resident is alleged to have operated a large-scale illegal enterprise that employed migrant workers, unlawful non-citizens, provided overcrowded and substandard accommodation, and systematically underpaid workers across multiple companies and properties in regional NSW.
Over the past year, ABF officers from the Department of Home Affairs executed 12 search warrants at properties linked to the individual, uncovering evidence of 50 alleged breaches involving the employment of unlawful non-citizens. Migrant workers were reportedly housed in squalid conditions described as akin to modern slavery.
The investigation found the individual was targeting temporary migrant workers and visitors to Australia, whose visas were granted subject to certain work conditions, by falsely promising sponsored work visas in exchange for thousands of dollars. In some cases, fraudulent and invalid protection visa applications were lodged without the worker’s knowledge.
These individuals were subsequently referred to agricultural labour-hire companies across regional NSW, despite being in breach of their visa conditions.
The
Migration Amendment (Strengthening Employer Compliance) Act 2024, which commenced on 1 July 2024, expanded the ABF’s employer compliance enforcement powers and introduced tougher penalties for employers who exploit migrant workers and unlawful non-citizens. The $540,000 infringement brings the total amount issued by Immigration Compliance Field Operations to more than $3 million since 1 July 2024.
Those that do the wrong thing face
heavy penalties for employing and referring illegal workers, or for exploiting migrant workers. Potential penalties include infringement notices, civil prosecution or being publicly declared a ‘prohibited employer’.
It has never been easier for employers to do the right thing. Businesses can check the work rights of prospective employees through Home Affairs’
Visa Entitlement Verification Online system to ensure they do not unintentionally allow illegal work.
Anyone with information relating to potential immigration offences, illegal work practices or the exploitation of migrant workers is urged to contact Home Affairs and make a report online at
Border Watch. Reports can be made anonymously.
Quotes attributable to a spokesperson for Assistant Minister Hill
- “This record penalty sends a clear message that Australia will not tolerate the exploitation and abuse of migrant workers. Labor’s strengthened laws are working and those who seek to profit from human vulnerability face serious consequences.
- “The scale and severity of this case is deeply disturbing and the treatment revealed by this unlawful labour-hire syndicate is simply disgusting.
- “Migrant workers contribute enormously to our communities and economy. They deserve respect, fair treatment and safe working conditions - not abuse.
- “Active enforcement of the law by the Department of Home Affairs and the Australian Border Force upholds the integrity of our migration system and safeguards migrant workers from harm from dodgy actors.”
Quotes attributable to John Taylor the ABF Commander Field Operations and Sponsor Monitoring
- “This is the largest penalty on our record imposed on an individual under the new laws targeting migrant worker exploitation. It reflects the seriousness of this individual’s conduct and the ABF’s resolve in holding such individuals to account,” Commander Taylor said.
- “This outcome is the result of a complex investigation involving months of dedicated work by our officers committed to protecting vulnerable workers and upholding the integrity of Australia’s migration system.”
