MIGRANT workers in Fiji are increasingly facing exploitative conditions.
Fiji Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commissioner Alefina Vuki told the media yesterday that the commission was dealing with cases where migrant workers were living in unsafe environments and working under broken promises.
She said migrant workers remained one of the most vulnerable and invisible groups in society, and their stories of abuse and deception were becoming more frequent.
“They come here on promises and assurances, and when they arrive, they find to their grief that it’s not happening,” Ms Vuki said.
“Their contracts are not fulfilled, their living conditions are unsafe, and those who were supposed to ensure their protection are often the ones violating their rights.”
Ms Vuki stressed the importance of a united national approach to address these issues, calling for collaboration between government, civil society, and enforcement agencies.
“Our resources are limited, so we need to work together to effectively help these people who are coming to our country.”
She also highlighted that Fijian workers abroad face similar issues under schemes such as the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) program.
“They go overseas, and their salaries are cut for all kinds of so-called expenses.
“After everything, they end up with nothing.”
The commission has dealt with 17 cases of migrant worker rights violations in the past year, and one case so far this year involving an individual representing 19 workers.
However, they are currently “cleaning” their data system to update these statics.
