The Ministry of Labor has begun an investigation into illegal recruiting agencies believed to be bringing Taiwanese workers into Australia.
The move comes days after an investigative report by an Australian television program, “Four Corners”, revealed workers laboring under slave-like conditions on Australian farms. Taiwanese citizens were among those workers.
On Thursday, Labor Minister Chen Hsiung-wen said that many Taiwanese work in Australia through a working-holiday visa scheme. Chen said that an alternative method of finding work in Australia is to use recruiting agencies. However, he said that unscrupulous agencies may place workers into illegal working arrangements.
Chen said that the labor ministry has begun collecting information and within three months will issue a report on the recruitment of Taiwanese workers.
Meanwhile, at the legislature on Thursday, KMT lawmaker Wang Yu-min said that the government has punished twelve illegal recruiters since 2012. She said she believes there are more operating in Taiwan, and urged the labor ministry to continue tracking them down.
Australia is a popular choice for young Taiwanese looking for jobs overseas. That’s because jobs there offer high wages and the chance to improve their English skills. But that may come at a cost. The “Four Corners” report revealed under-payment and exploitation of foreign workers in Australia, and even cases of verbal and sexual abuse.