Australian immigrants set to work illegally in the country

The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union has warned the government that more and more numbers of temporary work visa holders will start working illegally after they were laid off by several construction firms.

As a result of the current economic downturn, several construction firms in Australia are streamlining their workforces and many Australian visa holders are loosing their jobs even before their four year working period has expired.

The problem for these workers is that they have failed to earn the money which they owe to the migration agents in their home countries. Being left with little option, these workers have decided to work illegally in an attempt to raise the required money and suffice their needs.

It should be noted that temporary work visa holders are expected to return home within a period of twenty-eight days following their being sacked from a job. Not obliging the rules, these workers often end up taking jobs where employers exploit workers, offer poor pay and pathetic work conditions.

According to the Department of Immigration and Citizenship’s recent statistics, the number of temporary Australian work permit holders who are overstaying their visas has seen a whopping 12 percent increase in the year to July 2008.

All this has left the Unions including the Construction Forestry Mining Energy Union, along with other body of workers, extremely concerned and they feel that the problem will deteriorate even more as the economy retracts. One thing for sure is that this problem will need to be addressed as soon as possible in a better manner.