This edition highlights a range of topics and events including our:

• Research Webinar
• New reports on migrant worker experiences in Australia and internationally
• A special book launch celebrating union history.

Catch up on the latest research, register for events, and find out how to get involved.

Research Webinar: Migration Policy and PALM Workers

The Migrant Workers Centre is excited to invite you to our upcoming Early Career Researcher and PhD Showcase. This is the first in a webinar series that showcases the work of PhD candidates and early career researchers. 

Click here to register

Online Anti-Slavery Forum 2025

20 – 21 May 2025 | Online

Held twice a year by the Office of the NSW Anti-Slavery Commissioner, the Online Anti-Slavery Forum brings together experts, advocates, and diverse stakeholders to build a united community committed to ending modern slavery. 

This upcoming Forum will focus on the pathways available for survivors to access support. 

The event will take place over two days. Click on the links below for more details on the agenda and speakers. 

• Register now for Day 1:  9:30 – 11:30 AM (AEST) 

• Register now for Day 2:  05:00 – 07:00 PM (AEST)

Book Launch - No Power Greater: A History of Union Action in Australia

29 May 2025 | Trades Hall, Carlton | 6:30 PM

Join the book launch of “No Power Greater: A History of Union Action in Australia”, a powerful new book celebrating the rich history of the Australian union movement. 

Come together with fellow unionists, activists, and supporters to honour the stories of collective action that have shaped our working lives. 

Respectful Methods: Understanding Multicultural Migrant Communities in Australia
Gomes, C., Qi, J.; Thong, L.P., Chen, L. and Wang, W. (2025).

Developed through consultations with community organisations, media, and government, this report explores and advocates for effective and respectful methodologies to understand the experiences of migrant communities in Australia. It introduces a ‘DOs and DON’T’ framework for working with multicultural communities, and a tool for understanding multicultural complexities called "Intersectional Wheel of Multicultural Complexities". These methodologies provide practical, equitable and respectful approaches for readers looking to work with migrant communities.

Vasil, S., (2024). “I came here, and it got worse day by day”: Examining the intersections between migrant precarity and family violence among women with insecure migration status in Australia.

The study explores how migration status impacts migrant women’s experiences of family violence in Australia. Drawing on intersectional feminist perspectives, it examines how precarious living conditions shape and worsen these experiences. The study highlights how structural inequalities—such as unstable visa status, economic insecurity, and limited support—heighten vulnerability to violence and create barriers to safety and survival. By focusing on the unique challenges faced by migrant women, the article contributes to the growing body of feminist research aiming to understand and address the intersections of migration, inequality, and family violence. 

Underhill, E. and Quinlan, M., (2024). The struggle to regulate precarious work arrangements to minimize their adverse effects on health and safety in Australia.

Since the late 1970s, precarious work arrangements in Australia have negatively impacted workplace health and safety. While global research has linked this issue to the rise of neoliberalism, efforts to address these problems have received less attention. This article reviews Australia’s regulatory interventions over the past 20 years, focusing on industrial relations laws that tackle the root causes of unsafe work conditions in precarious jobs. The most significant change came in February 2024 when the Australian Parliament introduced minimum standards for platform workers, a groundbreaking step toward improving workplace safety and fairness. 

Amnesty International, (2025). “Canada has destroyed me”: Labour exploitation of migrant workers in Canada.

This report exposes the systemic exploitation and discrimination faced by migrant workers under Canada's Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). Tied to a single employer, many workers endure unsafe conditions, harassment, and abuse across sectors like agriculture, food processing, and care work. Despite minor reforms, the program’s structural flaws continue to leave workers vulnerable. Amnesty calls for 32 urgent actions to align the TFWP with Canada’s human rights obligations and ensure justice for migrant workers.

The Joint Council of the Welfare of Immigrants (2024). “Work it out: Advancing migrant workers’ rights”.

This report examines how restrictions on migrant workers’ rights fuel exploitation and insecurity in the UK. It highlights five key issues: criminalisation of work, exploitative work sponsorship, exclusion from public support, long and costly regularisation routes, and unsafe reporting systems. Hostile Environment policies, restrictive visas, and employer dependency deepen vulnerability, trapping many migrants in unsafe conditions. The report also explores the critical role of unions in advocating for migrant workers' rights and stresses the need for stronger solidarity across labour and migrant rights movements to improve protections. Drawing on research, collaborations, and helpline data, it presents an urgent call for systemic reform. 

Callout for research materials

Are you interested in having your research featured in our Quarterly? 

Or perhaps you'd like to collaborate or volunteer with us?  

Get in touch with Sherry Huang at [email protected]