THERE needs to be stronger preventative measures and greater collaboration among agencies to address issues faced by migrant workers.
Recently appointed officer in charge of human trafficking, Peter Bainikoro, stressed the importance of this early intervention before they escalate into human rights violations.
He said these co-ordinated efforts would also safeguard migrant workers. “We cannot work in isolation, we need to work as a team so that we can address this issue,” Mr Bainikoro said while speaking at the Interagency Dialogue on the Protection of Migrant Workers’ Rights in Fiji.
“There are root causes that we need to identify so that we can mitigate the effects and the issues migrant workers are facing.”
Mr Bainikoro acknowledged the police often got involved only after violations had occurred, adding there was a growing recognition within the force of the importance of forecasting risks and contributing to prevention strategies.
“The point is, we can’t be dealing with the issues when the damage has already been done.
“We must have foresight now.”
He also raised concerns about the increasing number of migrant workers arriving in Fiji and stressed the importance of structured recruitment processes.
“The recruitment needs to come with the selection.
“Selecting the person for what job? Does he have the right skills, the expertise for this job?”
Mr Bainikoro called for better screening and planning to ensure that incoming workers are adequately matched with appropriate roles and are protected under fair labour practices.
