SBS News continues to shill for unemployed temporary migrants on ‘skilled’ visas, demanding they be given welfare support from Australian taxpayers and easier access to jobs:
Some unemployed temporary visa holders are facing a double whammy of being ineligible for government assistance during the coronavirus pandemic and facing hurdles in being able to work for another employer.
Chef Tiff Tan is originally from Malaysia and was working in a bistro in Melbourne when the coronavirus pandemic began.
She was sponsored by her employer on a temporary skill shortage visa (482) but lost that sponsorship when the restaurant had to reduce its hours.
It meant she had 60 days to either find a new sponsor, be granted a different visa, or leave the country.
“All the restaurants have been shut down because of COVID-19 and no one wanted to sponsor me because it’s very expensive,” she told SBS News.
“I’ve been living in Australia for 10 years, it’s become my home and I want to stay here. I’ve been trying to become a permanent resident for a long time”…
Professor Mary Crock, an expert in migration law at the University of Sydney, said once someone gets their visa based on an occupation in a particular industry, it is very hard to switch to a new employer in another industry…
Ms Crock said temporary visa holders need more protections in Australia especially as “we’re reliant on them as taxpayers”…
In March, Alejandro Jara watched all the bookings for his events agency Black & White Waiters disappear…
Mr Jara was devastated to have to stand down 90 per cent of his 1,150 staff…
The business relies heavily on recruiting workers from overseas and bringing them to the country on temporary sponsored working visas, so the majority of those who found themselves without work were migrants…
They’re not coming here for three, six months they are coming here for years to enjoy Australia and advance their careers…
Director of the Migrant Workers Centre in Melbourne Matt Kunkel said temporary migrants need an ongoing safety net in Australia…
“If we want everyone to be on the same page when we come out the other side of this pandemic these visa holders need ongoing support throughout it”…
“Temporary visa holders who are unable to support themselves under these arrangements over the next six months are strongly encouraged to return home,” [Immigration Minister Alan] Tudge said…
“Those visa holders who have been laid off due to coronavirus should leave the country in line with existing visa conditions if they are unable to secure a new sponsor.”
Let’s get back to basics here. The whole purpose of Australia’s temporary ‘skilled’ migration program was to plug “skills shortages” across the economy and to provide flexibility.
That is, the migrant intake should expand when skills are needed, but then in times of economic dislocation and high unemployment those on temporary visas should return to their home countries. In turn, temporary work visas are designed to act as a shock absorber for the Australian economy.
Instead, this program has been mercifully abused by employers to hire low and semi-skilled migrants over locals, as illustrated by the hospitality jobs mentioned above.
It is quite frankly absurd that in a country of less than 26 million people, we had well over 2 million temporary visa holders in Australia at the end of 2019, most with work rights:
With the Australian economy facing its biggest decline since the Great depression, and labour underutilisation surging, allowing migrant workers to remain in Australia to compete against locals for scarce jobs would only worsen the unemployment queues and further depress wages, smashing Australia’s working class.
Extending welfare support to temporary migrants would also cost Australian taxpayers tens-of-billions of dollars.
If temporary migrants cannot find employment and cannot support themselves, they must return home.
Temporary visas are precisely that: temporary.
