Seasonal workers from Pacific Island nations employed under Australia’s Pacific Australia Labor Mobility (PALM) scheme are increasingly reluctant to report unsafe or unfair conditions, a recent survey reveals. The findings raise serious concerns about worker rights in a program designed to provide employment opportunities for Pasifika workers while addressing labor shortages in Australian agriculture, aged care, and meat processing sectors.
The survey, which was held by the Migrant Justice Institute along with support from academics at the University of Technology Sydney and the University of New South Wales, shows many workers feel trapped by visa conditions tying them to a single employer. Analysts say this gives employers power that is not proportionate and leaves workers openly vulnerable to exploitation.
As of late 2025, roughly around 31,885 Pacific Islanders worked under the PALM scheme, including 15,105 short-term and 16,780 long-term placements from Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, the Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu. Nearly two-thirds of workers mentioned fear of losing their jobs or being banned from returning to Australia stopped them from raising safety concerns, while some mentioned that they would switch employers if allowed, and 60% reported attempting to find better treatment.
Workers’ testimonies highlight these challenges mainly; one Fijian aged-care worker said, “PALM workers can’t talk because they don’t have any rights. They can’t leave their work if they find hardship.” Another from the Solomon Islands said employees in meat processing plants had “no options to change employer when being paid less.”
Investigative reporting has revealed even more serious abuse. Over 7,200 PALM workers have reportedly left their employers due to underpayment, excessive deductions, long hours, unpaid overtime, and unsafe conditions, sometimes resulting in workplace injuries or fatalities. With limited access to healthcare and legal protections, these workers have many hardships, as one can see.
Advocates say the PALM scheme’s employer-tied visa structure is the root cause of exploitation. While programs like PALM and New Zealand’s Recognized Seasonal Employer scheme provide vital income for Pacific families, without genuine mobility and stronger protections, workers remain at risk of abuse and powerless to report grievances.
