Immigration compliance officers located 15 illegal workers on a construction site in the Sydney suburb of Hurstville today.
Compliance officers from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC), assisted by NSW Police, located the group following community information that people were working at a large apartment complex under construction.
“A total of 11 unlawful non-citizens and a further four people working in breach of their visa conditions were detained as a result of today’s successful operation,” a departmental spokesman said. “Of this group, 14 were Chinese nationals and one was from Malaysia.
“We have removed the illegal workers from the site for further interviews and to determine how many will be taken to Villawood Immigration Detention Centre, where arrangements would be made for their removal from Australia.
“Some of those detained may be granted short-term visas to assist their monitored departure.”
Immigration officers are investigating the circumstances under which the people were employed. The spokesman said the operation served as a warning to people and employers that breaches of immigration law would not be tolerated.
In 2008-09, the department located almost 11 500 people who had either overstayed their visa or were in breach of their visa conditions, including almost 1000 people who were working illegally.
The main industries where people were found to working illegally were agricultural (29.8 per cent), hospitality (16.1 per cent) and construction (14.7 per cent) sectors.
“DIAC is committed to ensuring the integrity of our migration and visa programs,” the spokesman said. “This operation demonstrates that if people work illegally or if people employ illegal workers, they will be caught.”
He strongly urged employers to check with the department that all people they hire have the legal right to work in Australia.
“Employers can face severe penalties for hiring people who do not have work rights in Australia and the department will be seeking information on any involvement of organisers behind this illegal employment,” the spokesman said.
Employers convicted under Commonwealth legislation face fines of up to $13 200 and two years’ imprisonment while companies face fines of up to $66 000 per illegal worker.
Employers can gain access to the Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) service which allows employers to provide relevant identification details of prospective employees with their consent to quickly confirm that they are eligible to work in Australia.
The department conducted a total of 2228 employer awareness visits in 2008-09 to educate them about checking a person’s immigration status, particularly through the VEVO service.
People with information about illegal workers or visa overstayers should call the Immigration Dob-In Line on 1800 009 623.
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