Illegal Workers Caught in New South Wales Riverina Operation

Immigration officers located 12 illegal workers and uncovered evidence of possible exploitation and fraudulent migration activity during a two-night operation in the New South Wales Riverina, the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans, said this week.

Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) compliance officers executed search warrants simultaneously at two residential addresses in Hillston on Tuesday night and visited six residential premises in Griffith later in the week where around 50 people of interest were interviewed.

Six unlawful non-citizens, three men and three women, were detained in Griffith. All were Indian nationals. In Hillston, another four Indian nationals, three men and a woman, were detained for working in breach of their visa conditions while an Indian man and a Pakistani man were also located and found to be unlawful non-citizens.

All 12 have been transferred to Villawood Immigration Detention Centre in Sydney where arrangements will be made for their removal from Australia.

Senator Evans said the 12 people were believed to have been working in the horticultural industry on several farms in the region. All originally arrived in Australia legally with valid visas.

The operation was part of an ongoing investigation into illegal workers in the area and conducted with the assistance of NSW Police. DIAC officers make regular visits to workplaces and properties in many parts of Australia.

Senator Evans said the Riverina operation had yielded evidence of possible worker exploitation and migration agent fraud.

‘Immigration officers obtained crucial information that will help further its investigation into the source of illegal labour in the region,’ Senator Evans said.

‘The Rudd Government takes a zero-tolerance approach towards illegal workers and similarly, there are no excuses for employers who engage workers without valid visas.

‘The department’s compliance officers will protect the opportunities of Australian workers and confront behaviour that undermines our visa programs by locating people who are working illegally or overstaying their visas.

‘It is the responsibility of employers to ensure they only employ people with the right to work in Australia and severe penalties can apply to people who hire workers who do not have valid visas.’

Employers convicted under this legislation face fines of up to $13 200 and two years’ imprisonment while companies face fines of up to $66 000 per illegal worker,’ the minister added.

DIAC provides a range of services for employers to check work entitlements, including Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) which is a free service, the Visa Entitlement Verification Faxback service and the Employers’ Immigration Hotline. People with information on illegal workers or visa overstayers should call the Immigration Dob-In Line.
Telephone: 1800 009 623

Source: Minister for Immigration and Citizenship

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