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A seasonal guest-worker program for Australia?

Although a pilot scheme was considered and rejected by Cabinet in the context of the 2004-05 migration program, calls have continued for Australia to introduce a seasonal guest-worker program of low-skilled workers from the Pacific region. Proponents claim such a program would help Pacific countries in need of development assistance and with surplus workers, while assisting Australian horticulturalists to offset labour shortages at harvest time. Opponents argue that such a program would represent a departure from Australia's migration tradition, and would bring risks of visa overstay and exploitation of the workers. This brief looks at the issues and the arguments for and against a seasonal Pacific guest-worker program for Australia, and at what can be learned from overseas experience. (Adrienne Millbank, Australia Parliamentary Library, May 2006)

http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/rb/2005-06/06rb16.pdf

(Added: Wed Feb 14 2007   Hits: 118)

At Home and Away: Expanding Job Opportunities for Pacific Islanders Through Labor Mobility

This World Bank report examines the economic arguments - analytically and empirically - in favour of greater labour mobility, between the Pacific Island Countries and their neighbours (particularly New Zealand and Australia) by addressing three fundamental questions: the extent of demographic pressures, such as fertility, population growth and mortality facing the Pacific; the development impact of remittances (funds sent back home) on households and communities; whether it is possible to design practical labour mobility programs that balance the benefits of migration with concerns of sending and receiving countries. The report provides evidence that allowing some Pacific Islanders access to jobs currently unfilled in the larger economies of the region, could contribute significantly to the economic and social well being of the workers, their families and wider communities. (World Bank, 2006)

http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/EASTASIAPACIFICEXT/PACIFICISLANDSEXTN/0,,contentMDK%3A21020027~pagePK%3A141137~piPK%3A141127~theSitePK%3A441883,00.html

(Added: Thu Oct 05 2006   Modified: Mon Nov 13 2006   Hits: 137)

At home and away: expanding job opportunities for Pacific Islanders through labour mobility

Employment creation in the Pacific Islands faces the challenges of demography, small size, and remoteness from key markets. The main purpose of this report is to examine the economic arguments - analytically and empirically - in favor of greater labor mobility, by addressing three fundamental questions: the extent of demographic pressures, such as fertility, population growth and mortality facing the Pacific; the development impact of remittances (funds sent back home) on households and communities; whether it is possible to design practical labor mobility programs that balance the benefits of migration with concerns of sending and receiving countries. The report concludes that the benefits from the liberalization of the movement of labour may far outweigh the benefits from further trade liberalization for some Pacific island economies. (World Bank, August 2006)

http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/EASTASIAPACIFICEXT/PACIFICISLANDSEXTN/0,,contentMDK:21020027~pagePK:141137~piPK:141127~theSitePK:441883,00.html

(Added: Fri Aug 18 2006   Modified: Wed Feb 14 2007   Hits: 174)

Exclusion of Pacific Islands Workers, Again: Is There Any Similarity To 'White Australia Policy'?

In this robust critique, USP academic Warden Narsey takes Helen Hughes and the Centre for Independent Studies to task for what he sees as the errors in their recent publication, "Should Australia and New Zealand Open Their Doors to Guest Workers From the Pacific? Costs and Benefits". (Warden Narsey, Islands Business, October 2006)

http://www.islandsbusiness.com/islands_business/index_dynamic/containerNameToReplace=MiddleMiddle/focusModuleID=16833/overideSkinName=issueArticle-full.tpl

(Added: Thu Oct 05 2006   Modified: Mon Nov 13 2006   Hits: 238)

Remittances and Labour Mobility: A working paper on seasonal work programs in Australia for Pacific Islanders [PDF]

Using case studies, the report provides an overview of labour mobility in the Pacific, including the increasing importance of remittances to the economies of Pacific Island nations, and their links to development. The debate about seasonal labour migration schemes within Australia is summarized and linked to trade negotiations. The authors discuss some of the negative social and economic impacts, and issues such as regulation and labour rights, that need to be addressed if seasonal labour schemes are to work effectively. (Nic Maclellan and Peter Mares, Pacific Labour and Australian Horticulture Project, Institute for Social Research, Swinburne University of Technology, April 2006)

http://www.sisr.net/cag/docs/remittances.pdf

(Added: Thu Apr 06 2006   Modified: Mon Jan 15 2007   Hits: 227)

Remittances: An Informal but Indispensible Form of Income for Seafarer Families in Kiribati

This 17-page briefing paper discusses the distribution of remittances to Kiribati by looking at the socio-cultural elements of people and how these are linked to strategic-economic decision-making when remittances are received by families. Being employed on foreign merchant or tuna vessels has great economic advantages for Kiribati. One of the main advantages is that overseas employment is one of few employment alternatives for the working age population in Kiribati. Remittances sent back serve not only as safety nets for seafarer families, but people benefit through informal channels of distribution. This paper shows that and how remittances have led to better living conditions for families in Kiribati, increased cash flow and some investment. On the outer islands, however, remittances are often the only cash contribution for some families and are mainly used for basic needs and community contributions. (Maria Borovnik, CIGAD, 2005)

http://cigad.massey.ac.nz/documents/wps_borovnik_8_2005.pdf

(Added: Thu Oct 12 2006   Modified: Mon Jan 15 2007   Hits: 135)

Should Australia and New Zealand Open Their Doors to Guest Workers From the Pacific? Costs and Benefits

This publication was written in response to the ongoing debate on whether Australia and New Zealand should depart from their long term immigration policies to provide work places for short term seasonal guest workers from the Pacific, a debate recently fuelled by a World Bank report which argued in favour of change. This paper applies a cost-benefit analysis to the guest worker proposals. It argues that income gains for migrants selected for seasonal work would be achieved at high economic and social costs in terms of employment opportunities for long term unemployed and other welfare dependants in Australia and New Zealand. A guest worker scheme could not contribute significantly to Pacific living standards and, by appearing to provide a safety valve for the Pacific's employment problems, could further delay policy reforms. (Helen Hughes and Gaurav Sodhi, Centre for Independent Studies, September 2006)

http://www.cis.org.au/Publications/policymonographs/pm72.pdf

(Added: Thu Sep 07 2006   Modified: Mon Nov 13 2006   Hits: 166)

The sea - a rich source of job opportunities for the Pacific

Training in maritime law is opening up new job opportunities for Pacific Islanders. Five Samoans have completed training in this field, which is so specialised that only a few dozen Pacific Islanders have qualifications in it. (Secretariat for the Pacific Community)

http://www.spc.int/mrd/highlights_maritime_jobatsea.htm

(Added: Tue May 08 2007   Hits: 92)