Australia Border Force has detained 50 workers who it claims were working illegally in Western Australia, in an early morning raid at several properties, including a motel cramped with migrant workers.
The ABF and state and federal police officers from Taskforce Cadena carried out raids at properties in Pemberton in state’s south-west.
The raids came after a tip-off about a labour-hire intermediary company operating unlawfully in Pemberton.
More than 40 of the mostly Malaysians were detained from a motel in the heart of Pemberton town who were reportedly cramped in dormitory style rooms.
Of those detained, 27 are said to have overstayed and were working without a visa and 23 were working in breach of their student or visitor visa conditions.
The workers have been detained in immigration detention and face possible deportation.
ABF Assistant Commissioner Investigations, Wayne Buchhorn, said the ABF is committed to tackling the practice of illegal work in Australia.
“The exploitation of foreign workers can have a lasting negative impact on Australian communities and individuals,” Assistant Commissioner Buchhorn said.
“This can include the underpayment and exploitation of vulnerable visa holders in workplaces and the closure of small businesses due to an unfair competitive advantage gained by competitors not complying with the law.”
Taskforce Cadena is a multiagency taskforce including the Department of Immigration and Border Protection and the Fair Work Ombudsman, targeting those involved in the organisation of visa fraud, illegal work and the exploitation of foreign nationals.
Last month, 27 workers were detained in similar raids at a farm at Stanthorpe, in southern Queensland.
