Construction Industry Target of Successful Visa Crackdown
Media Release - DPS 84/2002
A Korean national allegedly involved in the employment of unlawful non-citizens in the construction industry is in detention and faces removal from Australia in the latest Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA) crackdown on illegal workers in New South Wales.
The man was located and apprehended by DIMIA officers in Sydney this week for breaking the conditions of his visa. As a result of his apprehension three other Korean men working in the construction industry, including one unlawful non-citizen and two in breach of their visa conditions, were also detained.
The four Korean nationals have been transferred to the Villawood Immigration Detention Centre in Sydney and will remain in detention while arrangements are made for their departure from Australia, as required by law. This operation brings to 128 the number of people in NSW directly detained as a result of DIMIA investigating illegal workers in the construction industry in over the last two months.
In a further development 10 people have been detained working illegally at a laundry in Sydney - 3 unlawful non-citizens, 4 people in breach of their visas and 3 people breaching their student visas.
The group, which included six people from Myanmar, two from Bangladesh and two from Indonesia have been detained at the Villawood Immigration Detention Centre and will remain in detention while arrangements are made for their departure from Australia.
In the 2001-02 financial year DIMIA located 17,307 people in breach of their visa conditions across Australia. In NSW 10,578 unlawful non-citizens and people in breach of their visa conditions were located over the same period.
To protect the integrity and livelihood of Australian workers DIMIA officers make regular visits to workplaces in many parts of Australia, such as restaurants, farms, shops, offices, factories and brothels, in an effort to detect and locate people who are illegally working or staying in the country. DIMIA may also issue warning notices to employers or labour suppliers who are found to have employed illegal workers and breached local employment laws.
30 October 2002
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