The new Australian government has announced it will introduce a new permanent visa for the Pacific, the Pacific Engagement Visa. The proposal has already been met with a very warm reception in the region. But just how popular is it going to be with the people of the Pacific? A good idea of this can...
Category - Pacific migration and labour mobility
Pacific migrant workers and the social costs of family separation
Australia’s stance on Pacific migration is again at a turning point, with key features of the temporary ‘guestworker’ model being reconsidered as Labor envisions a more humanitarian approach to regional integration. Alongside the welcome introduction of the Pacific Engagement Visa, the Albanese...
It’s time for a minimum earning guarantee for Pacific workers
The Australian Workers’ Union (AWU)’s most recent campaign calls for Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme workers to receive a minimum payment after deductions of $250 per week. The AWU proposes that any outstanding deductions should be carried forward until workers are earning...
Winter measures: supporting RSE employers and workers
By late May 2022, as the peak harvest period for New Zealand apples and kiwifruit came to an end, and winter pruning of kiwifruit and grape vines commenced, approximately 12,200 workers were onshore under the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme (Figure 1). This is almost double the number...
Pacific Engagement Visa quotas need to be set strategically and...
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong was putting it mildly when she noted in her Solomon Islands...
Three questions on Tongan remittances
The Pacific Labour Mobility Survey (PLMS) covers households in three Pacific countries – Tonga...
Australia and New Zealand in the Pacific: the difference is...
During her recent visit to Fiji, new Foreign Minister Penny Wong announced that the Australian...
A proposal for a new regional compact to promote people mobility
The call for Australia to offer more labour mobility access to the Pacific has been a common theme...
New government confirms its new Pacific migration policies
Australia’s new foreign minister Penny Wong has wasted no time visiting Fiji, Samoa and Tonga in a...
The Coalition and labour mobility: success, to a point
The previous Coalition government led by John Howard was disastrous for Pacific labour mobility. By...