Responding to migrant workers : the case of Australia

At the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, as borders began to close and airlines ceased operations, numerous groups of Australians found themselves stranded in countries overseas. At the same time, there were a significant number of non-citizens in Australia including tourists, migrants and students whose situation also became critical. This article considers the specific responses of the Australian government towards migrants on temporary visas. It presents a timeline of how a country that relies heavily on migrant workers to fill essential roles in the labour market, including in the health sector, addressed their needs. It also highlights how temporary migrants are narrowly viewed as a form of convenient labour, with the Acting Minister for Immigration Alan Tudge stating that "Australians and permanent residents must be the Government's number one focus". This fails to recognise the vital contribution of migrants to the workforce and as taxpayers.