Mehreen Faruqi (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I'd like to inform the chamber that Senator McKim will be co-sponsoring this motion with me. I, and also on behalf of Senator McKim, move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) 2020 has been an incredibly tough year for temporary visa holders in Australia, including migrant workers and international students,

(ii) according to the Migrant Worker Justice Initiative, 70% of temporary visa holders lost their jobs or most of their hours after the pandemic hit in March,

(iii) temporary visa holders were excluded from income support and the Coronavirus Supplement, and have been forced to rely on charity and line up at food banks in order to survive,

(iv) without jobs or income support, many temporary visa holders turned to precarious and dangerous food delivery work, and at least five have been killed on the roads since September, and

(v) women on temporary visas are particularly at risk of being trapped in violent or abusive relationships, and at least three international student women have been killed this year; and

(b) calls on the government to provide a social safety net for temporary visa holders, and ensure that 2021 is a better year for migrants living in Australia.