The Exploitation of unlawful migrant labour : crime, labour and regulation

Unlawful migrant labour has been identified as a significant issue for Australia, with estimates that between 50-100,000 non citizens are working illegally in Australia (Howell 2011). While increasingly immigration and labour regulatory responses are merging to respond to this issue, the impact of these practices upon the level and nature of victimisation and conditions of exploitation requires investigation. Through examining experiences across the agricultural, construction and hospitality industries this research will identify whether and how regulatory systems may be contributing to, or sustaining, exploitative conditions experienced by unlawful migration labourers, including trafficking, and identify future policy options.