Inside the Australian scheme accused of modern slavery

<p>More than 30,000 people from Pacific Island nations and Timor-Leste are on a working visa in Australia as part of the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme &ndash; or PALM.</p> <p>The government sells it as a &lsquo;triple win&rsquo;: workers earn Australian wages, Australian employers fill jobs they say they can&rsquo;t fill locally, and money flows back to families and economies across the region.</p> <p>But Morgan Harrington has been investigating the cases where workers say they were exploited and mistreated &ndash; including being overcharged by their employer for housing that&rsquo;s overcrowded and even dangerous.</p> <p>And because a worker&rsquo;s visa is tied to one employer, leaving can mean losing your legal status &ndash; but thousands have chosen to, now living in Australia with the risk of deportation.</p> <p>Today, Postdoctoral Research Manager at the Australia Institute, Dr Morgan Harrington, on why the PALM scheme is ripe for exploitation &ndash; and why some say it&rsquo;s a modern slavery risk.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>If you enjoy <em>7am</em>, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at <a href="http://7ampodcast.com.au/support">7ampodcast.com.au/support</a>.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Socials:</strong><strong> </strong>Stay in touch with us on <a href="http://www.instagram.com/7ampodcast">Instagram</a></p> <p><strong>Guest:</strong> Postdoctoral Research Manager at the Australia Institute, Dr Morgan Harrington</p> <p><strong>Photo:&nbsp;</strong>AAP Image/Lukas Coch</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>