I have known Kim for about 30 years. For most of the time I have known him, he has been a driver by profession. He is obviously a very good driver, having done it successfully for almost three decades and providing a comfortable life for his family in south‑west Sydney. He came here from Cambodia via New Zealand in the early 1990s. He escaped his homeland after the Khmer Rouge wiped out his entire family. Had he been caught he too would have been killed because of his education: He was a dentist. While he has been able to have a fulfilling career and give back to his chosen country, I wonder how else he could have given back had there been effective pathways in place to upskill and retain his qualifications. His story is not unique. Thousands of qualified engineers, health professionals and other skilled migrants have arrived at our shores in decades past without their qualifications being recognised.
Settlement Services International released a report in June entitled Billion Dollar Benefit: A Roadmap for Unleashing the Economic Potential of Refugees and Migrants. The report explores the skills shortage facing Australia and provides solutions as to how we can enhance our economic productivity by looking inward rather than overseas. We do that by addressing the chronic under-utilisation of Australia's skilled refugees and migrants, and the structural barriers that hold them back. Overcoming those barriers is not just a job for the Government, but employers, NGOs, unions and refugee-led organisations.
The report had five priority solutions. Firstly, fixing the broken skills and qualifications recognition system through a national body. The report estimated that changes to licensing guidelines could add up to $5 billion to the Australian economy each and every year. Secondly, instating protections for migrant workers. According to a Migrant Workers Centre survey of more than 700 temporary visa holders, almost two-thirds of respondents reported being paid less than minimum standards, and one‑quarter reported other forms of workplace exploitation like forced or unpaid overtime. Protecting migrant workers is also critical to maintain the integrity of the labour market and to protect Australia's reputation as a destination of choice.
The third solution was reviewing the right to work of people on temporary visas. Denying work rights can lead to a loss of skills, increase reliance on the social welfare system, prevent newcomers from feeling included and make it harder to break into the job network at a later stage. Furthermore, confusion about the eligibility of visa holders to work often leads businesses to exclude anyone who is not a permanent resident or citizen.
The fourth recommendation is to scale innovative tripartite partnerships between the public, private and NGO sectors. Aligning diverse stakeholders around a shared agenda can unleash the unlimited potential of refugee and migrant talent in our local communities. I have seen this firsthand as both a local councillor and as a director of NGOs in the settlement services sector. Lastly, the fifth recommendation is to reform the English language requirements so they are fit for purpose. When English requirements are higher than necessary, they arbitrarily limit access to talent and, in the process, hold back critical sectors of our economy. Many overseas‑trained clinical staff struggle to pass the English language criteria, which are set at a medical doctor standard by the health practitioner regulator. This has a cascading impact for migrant patients, who miss out on access to clinicians who speak their language. This is particularly true in places like south‑west Sydney, where there is a high population of culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
This road map for reform has been endorsed by 40 organisations with the goal of embracing the expertise, background and lived experiences of refugees and migrants, not because it is the right thing to do—which it is—but because it is the smart thing to do. Tapping into the proven technical expertise and experience of refugees and migrants already in Australia can plug the critical skills gaps in our workforce, provide sustainable employment pathways for arriving migrants and add billions to the Australian economy. It just makes sense. And who knows? The next Kim to arrive here might genuinely have a choice between continuing to be a dentist or being my preferred driver the next time I need to get from Kemps Creek to the city.
