After a federal government report found that there are currently over 100,000 illegal workers misusing their business, student and holiday visas to be employed in Australia, the government has announced a decision to crackdown on employers hiring these workers. The following excerps from the Sydney Morning Herald explain further...

The failure of migration laws to stop the problem [of illegal workers in Australia] was sending the ''unmistakable message'' overseas that Australian authorities are toothless and ''you only have to get here'' to get work, says the independent review by the lawyer Stephen Howells.

The government will also announce today a crackdown on employers who hire illegal workers, including a $10,000 fine per worker caught.

Illegal workers, increasingly being caught in white-collar jobs, as well as shopping centre car parks, construction sites, restaurants and agriculture, are the real economic refugees denying Australians employment - not boat people, says the review.

 ''Refugees who arrive by sea and who claim asylum are not part of this problem; they are a very small number by comparison.''

The worst penalty illegal workers have faced is a taxpayer-funded flight home when caught, which is being exploited by organised rackets, the review said.

Employer groups had resisted fines for illegal workers caught under the Howard government, after a 1999 review warned of the growing problem.

''We now have very clear evidence that the previous approach of better education hasn't worked,'' said the Immigration Minister, Chris Bowen. ''The way to deal with skills shortages or labour shortages is not to embrace illegal labour.''

An online system, VEVO, now allows employers to check staff visas, and was used for 485,330 work checks last year. Mr Bowen said there was ''simply no excuse'' for employers not to use it.

Employers will be fined $10,000 per worker if they hire, refer or enter into a verbal contract to illegally hire a non-citizen.

The full article can be viewed at the Sydney Morning Herald here.

If you have concerns or queries regarding the legalities of hiring overseas workers, or if you yourself are an overseas worker and you are unsure of the working rights related to your visa, contact one of our friendly migration agernts for professional advice. Click here to see our contact details.