Category

News

Category
News

In-depth Solomons & Inside PNG Forge Regional Investigative Partnership

By
8 men and women standing in line posing for a photo on a beach front in Solomon Island

Two emerging investigative newsrooms in the Pacific – In-depth Solomons and Inside PNG – have launched a new collaboration designed to strengthen cross-border investigative journalism in the region.

As part of the partnership, two Inside PNG journalists are currently in Honiara on a two-week attachment with In-depth Solomons. 

The initiative aims to strengthen collaboration between the two newsrooms, both member centres of the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), the world’s leading network of investigative journalists.

In-depth Solomons co-founder and editor Ofani Eremae said the initiative is about more than just newsroom exchange.

“It’s about building lasting professional ties and working together on stories that transcend national borders,” Eremae said.

“Our vision is to strengthen collaboration between investigative journalists in the Pacific,” he added.. 

“By working side by side, sharing skills, and tackling stories together, we can better expose issues that affect our countries and the region as a whole.”

Pacific journalists from In-depth Solomons and Inside PNG with Deputy New Zealand High Commissioner to Solomon Islands
New Zealand’s Deputy High Commissioner to Solomon Islands, Her Excellency Rebecca Williams (third from right) with staff from the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), Inside PNG and In-depth Solomons during a lunch meeting this week, at Mendana Hotel, Honiara. The New Zealand Government is also a proud partner supporting both independent newsrooms in their mission to strengthen investigative journalism across the Pacific.

Inside PNG Managing Director, Kila Wani, who is part of the visiting team alongside colleague Helen Sea, said the partnership offers a unique opportunity for Pacific journalists to share experiences and perspectives.

“This attachment is not just about learning – it’s about collaborating on real stories and strengthening the ties between our newsrooms,” Wani said. 

“We’re excited to work with the In-depth Solomons team and explore ways to tell stories that matter to our people.”

Both newsrooms have been recognised for their fearless reporting on corruption, governance, and environmental issues. 

This partnership, Eremae says, will help amplify their impact and contribute to a stronger, more connected investigative journalism community in the Pacific.

The exchange is expected to include joint story projects, newsroom training, and ongoing collaboration beyond the attachment period.

It marks the first of its kind in the Pacific, setting a precedent for regional media cooperation on investigative reporting. It also lays the groundwork for future joint investigations into pressing issues like transnational crimes and political accountability within the region.

“We share a common mission,” Eremae said. “And together, we can make our stories – and our voices – even stronger.”

This article is a joint collaboration by Inside PNG and In-depth Solomons.

Keep Reading
By
News

Chinese Agriculture Experts Visit to Boost PNG Farming Skill

By

A team of agricultural experts from China recently visited Papua New Guinea to kickstart efforts to revitalize the nation’s agriculture sector.

The visit is part of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed last year, aimed to provide valuable training and knowledge to local agriculture professionals.

PNG has been facing challenges in supporting its agriculture sector, particularly in research. Recognizing this gap, the Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences (JAAS) from China stepped in to help. Their delegation, consisting of six professors, held an intensive one-day “Agri-Tech” workshop in Port Moresby on Monday, June 30, 2025.

Over 20 participants from various organizations, including commodity boards, the National Agriculture Research Institute (NARI), and the Department of Agriculture and Livestock, attended the workshop.

The training covered a wide range of topics, from rice cultivation and soil improvement to livestock breeding and agro-product quality management.

They also shared insights into China’s agricultural import and export standards and the growing demand for organic and sustainably produced goods.

A key takeaway for participants was the potential for PNG to access the vast Chinese market. However, as Professor Yuan Liu from JAAS’s Food Safety and Nutrition Division highlighted, all imports must meet strict World Trade Organization (WTO) and CODEX food safety standards.

In the Pacific, Vanuatu kava was approved for Export in 2023 and Fiji’s Ginger and Coconut Products.
Mr. David Tenakanai, General Manager-Technical Services at the National Agriculture Quarantine and Inspection Authority (NAQIA), was overwhelmed that despite agreements with China to export Agricultural produce, PNG is yet to meet the market standards. He challenged attendees and government agencies to fast-track the necessary formalities in meeting the required standards.

Dr. Nelson Simbiken, Director General of NARI, encouraged participants to make the most of the new information shared by the Chinese trainers. The MOU between NARI and JAAS outlines a collaborative effort to:

  • Conduct research and development across agricultural food value chains.
  • Develop human talent for agricultural research and innovation.
  • Establish a joint research platform for community engagement.
  • Optimize policy advocacy for agriculture.

This training is the beginning of other trainings that we will be conducted through the China Pacific Island Countries Agriculture Cooperation and Demonstration Centre.

“Through the MOU with JAAS, we will set up a Field Demonstration plot at Laloki. We have selected a site where they will be based. When they are here, they become the resource, where we will continue to feed areas that need further training.”

Keep Reading
By
News

Inside the race to relieve drought stricken PNG islands

By

It seems incredible, given the vast ocean surrounding the atolls in Bougainville’s north, that these palm-clad places could experience drought.

Yet the tiny specks in the Solomon Sea to Australia’s northeast have suffered six months without rainfall, imperilling lives and sparking a mighty effort to bring relief.

Gideon Haukani, who grew up on the Nuguria islands, says the desperation has forced the closure of schools “because teachers need to go and look for food for their family”.

Locals wake as early as 2am to paddle by canoe to nearby islands on the hunt for coconuts or food to bring home.

As well as obvious challenges like water shortages and failing crops, the drought has drawn less expected difficulties.

Dwindling water sources have led to sandfly and mosquito populations intensifying near human settlements, leading to mass bites and infections. 

Around 150km southwest of Nuguria, on Nissan Island, Sylvia Rennethsie says the unyielding heat eviscerated her yam crop and took a toll on her community.

“A widow fell off and slit her face on a stone because she was hungry,” she tells AAP.

“She got skin disease due to excessive heat. To make it worse, there was no medicine … the government cannot afford medicine so we suffer the consequences.”

Mr Haukani’s Nuguria is one of a series of atolls and islands in the north of Bougainville, the wantaway region in Papua New Guinea’s far east.

Tourism is non-existant and few outsiders visit, though whaling ships passed through in the 19th century.

Nissan Island was briefly a theatre of World War II visited by future US President Richard Nixon, then a humble supply officer.

For thousands of years before that, the isolated chain has been home to subsistence-focused communities.

“People are living a simple life,” Mr Haukani says.

That was until the drought, which began in November last year, which Mr Haukani rates the worst elderly locals can remember.

Needing humanitarian relief, Australia answered the call, funding a $500,000 package through CARE Australia including immediate needs – primarily water and food – and later, the installation of water tanks.

But it is one thing to offer relief and quite another to deliver it.

Emily Meren, CARE Papua New Guinea‘s humanitarian projects manager, says they received a green light in April to take aid to Pinapel Island and Nuguria, deemed to have the highest need.

That involved procuring and sailing goods from Morobe province on mainland PNG some 900 kilometres east to Buka, the Bougainville capital, taking two weeks.

As that ship had other contracts to attend to, the group was then stranded in Buka for a fortnight while sourcing another vessel to sail north for the 11-day distribution journey.

Logistical difficulties such as these are a reality of life in under-developed and under-resourced PNG, and Ms Meren encountered no different on arrival at Mantoia on Pinapel Island.

“There was no jetty, mind you, so we had to anchor offshore and the community had only two outboard motors functioning,” she says.

“The whole community’s lined up to like an assembly line to pass the relief items to shore and it took us well into the evening … it was exhausting for everyone.”

Next came packing and a fair distribution negotiated through chiefs, before a second drop-off at the village of Rogos on Pinapel’s other side.

“We had to ask the leaders in Mantoia to walk across (the island) to support their people at Rogos to speed it up,” Ms Meren says.

Then, another 12 hour overnight sailing north to finish the job at Nuguria, where conditions were worsened by previous storms.

“In good times, they have bananas or cassava growing,” Ms Meren says.

“When the drought heats, all of those dry up so they have to go back to mangrove seeds and coconuts to live on, which means drinking water from coconuts as well.

“But in Nuguria, there was a king tide last year and so many of the coconut trees died out.”

The logistical delays meant that by the time they landed, minor rainfall had arrived, along with some rice from another aid effort, helping avoid a catastrophic situation.

The aid allowed locals to top up their dwindling tanks – installed more than a decade ago as part of another CARE relief effort – and turn their minds to prevention efforts.

Islanders are in no doubt more is needed to safeguard the communities: regular ferries, economic development, better health support.

“Because it’s so isolated, when teachers or others come back for their break, its very hard to get back,” Mr Haukai says.

“A health officer came to Buka and was stranded because there was no transport going back home for six months.

“There is no economic projects that are happening … we have resources in the sea, we have fish, sea cucumbers, copra, coconut but we don’t have a relay-able service to ship their products.”

Ms Rennethsie also laments the changing climate and increasing likelihood sea level rise will alter their lives.

When a patchy signal allows, she shares a picture of a young child via Whatsapp, explaining the drought caused misery for her family.

“She does not like to eat anything else apart from pawpaw and her parents found it hard to deal with her demands during the drought,” she says.

“I am afraid the effect of climate change might have a great impact on my island … we are a vulnerable community.”

Written by: Ben McKay (AAP)

Keep Reading
By
Regional News

Australian agencies count cost of US foreign aid axing

By
Children carrying water containers in rural Samoa.

In the Papua New Guinea highlands, tribal violence is an unfortunate way of life and, increasingly, death.

In February 2024, bystanders were among 49 people killed in a gun battle between clans in Wabag, the capital of the Enga province.

That clash was the destructive climax of a spate of fierce inter-tribal battles in Enga, where hundreds have been killed and thousands displaced, fearing for their lives.

The reasons behind the violence are complex, including land ownership, with displacement of tribes causing cascading issues around custodianship of country.

The arrival of industry, including forestry and mining, can upset traditional community authority structures, and challenge chiefly systems.

The single greatest impact behind the swollen death tolls is perhaps the arrival of modern weaponry which replaces traditional weapons with lethal firearms.

The UN estimates there are 112 inter-group conflicts in Papua New Guinea, and recent massacres extend beyond Enga.

In 2019, more than 20 died in Hela province after an initial attack, which killed six, led to a retaliation including the murder of pregnant women and children.

It was in Hela and Morobe provinces that agency Conciliation Resources began a peace-building project, drawing from years of expertise and a scoping assessment of the likelihood of success.

“It was to enhance the skills and capacities of the people working on these conflict challenges,” Ciaran O’Toole, Melbourne-based regional director, tells AAP.

“Working to enable specific communities, in particular those affected by violence, to design and develop their own peace-building work (and) provide … small grants for them to conduct dialogue or provide livelihood for some of the young men engaged in violence.

“It was very targeted on what we would call the drivers of the violence.”

That was, until a stop-work letter arrived early this year.

“It was quite blunt. It was very quick. There wasn’t any lead time to wind down. It was just ‘stop work’,” Mr O’Toole said.

The peace-building project was one of thousands axed by the US President Donald Trump’s executive order to pause and re-evaluate foreign aid in January.

Alongside peace-building programs, multi-billion dollar health initiatives to treat HIV and malaria, food provision, and climate-mitigation projects funded by USAID were ended.

Months later, it is estimated that roughly 90 per cent of USAID’s $A53 billion annual spend has been cancelled, representing roughly a third of all foreign aid.

Australian development agencies are among those counting the cost.

In a survey of members, peak body Australian Council for International Development (ACFID) has revealed at least $A400 million worth of projects have been defunded by the United States.

ACFID believes that is a lowball figure, given many NGOs are yet to see the full picture of cuts, and others were not able to complete the survey during the upheaval.

“This means communities losing access to healthcare, girls losing access to education and families losing access to food programs,” ACFID chief executive Matthew Maury said.

The hardest-hit region for Australian agencies is the Pacific, with the loss of $A113 million worth of support, predominantly climate change resilience and disaster preparedness, health and gender projects.

Other axed projects include education and nutrition projects in Timor-Leste, drought recovery in Fiji, climate-resilient food systems in Nauru, and sexual and reproductive health services right across the Pacific.

Given the challenges and sensitivity that comes with securing funding from donor governments, not every agency is keen to speak on the record about their loss.

Caritas Australia programs director Dan Skehan said Caritas partners in Fiji and Samoa were also hit by USAID cuts.

“They were receiving USAID funding specifically for WASH, which is water, sanitation and hygiene work … delivering water to much needed communities, be that schools, communities or in some instances health facilities,” he tells AAP.

In this instance, Caritas Australia – part of the world’s second largest humanitarian grouping, second only to the Red Cross – was able to redirect support to these programs at a reduced scale.

“(Where) something like vital water to community hasn’t been delivered, we’ve made decisions to at least finalise the project activities,” he said.

The aid sector has also been plunged into chaos, and in many cases, retrenchment by the USAID cuts.

Caritas has shed hundreds of jobs in places like Bangladesh, and a smaller number in the Pacific.

“This is an enormous funding cut … there’s been an enormous amount of disruption in the sector,” Mr Skehan said.

“There would be large number of staff who have been serving communities of very skilled workers who no longer, unfortunately, have a job.

“What’s most important, and we’ve always got to hold at the centre, is it’s the communities and the vulnerable people that we serve that are most impacted.”

It’s not just the US which is cutting development assistance.

In April, the UK cut foreign aid by 40 per cent – a move which shocked many given it came from a centre-left Labour government – while last month, New Zealand axed $A91m in climate-related assistance.

Mr O’Toole said the huge US retreat on aid had “given permission to other governments to cut back on their aid budgets as well”.

“We’re all feeling the hurt across all of this change and I think all aid organisations are feeling this pain,” he said.

The sector hopes Australia, which has made incremental increases under Anthony Albanese, will step up to fill the gap.

There are some positive signs from Canberra, including a flexibility afforded to agencies to move funds earmarked for one purpose onto others in light of cuts.

Mr Maury hopes future budgets will see aid rise not just in real terms but as a percentage of the budget.

“Australia has a proud history of supporting development, particularly in the Pacific,” Mr Maury said.

“Yet as global needs rise, our aid budget has fallen to just 0.65 per cent of the Federal Budget … restoring aid to one per cent would reaffirm our commitment and secure Australia’s place at the forefront of development.”

Written by: Ben McKay (AAP)

Keep Reading
By
Regional News

Australia Helps Solomon Islands with Roads and Power

By
Roads are seen flooded after a heavy rain storm in the capital Honiara, Solomon Islands.

Australia is giving $A11 million (about 25 million Kina) to help fix roads in the Solomon Islands.

This is happening as the Solomon Islands gets ready to host the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) leaders summit in September.

Australia’s Minister for the Pacific, Pat Conroy, said this money will be used by local Solomon Islands companies.

“We are making sure our projects are delivered by local companies,” he said.

“This is the best way we can ensure economic benefits flow to Solomon Islands from day one, and that these projects create more jobs for locals.”

This means that the work will create jobs and help the economy of the Solomon Islands directly. This is different from how some other countries do things, where they might bring in their own workers for projects.

Fixing Roads and Connecting Communities

The money will fix 12 roads: four on the island of Malaita and eight in the capital city, Honiara. Honiara’s roads often get very busy, and heavy rain can cause floods because of poor drainage.

Minister Conroy said that good roads are very important.

“We know the impact of deteriorating roads for getting to work, getting produce to market, getting children and family members to school or health services,” Mr Conroy said.

He mentioned that in Malaita, some communities were cut off for two years because the South Road was too damaged to use.

“Communities along Malaita’s South Road were effectively cut off from essential services for over two years due to the South Road being impassable,” he added.

“Farmers of Malaita’s sweetest pineapples could not get to Auki market, women could not get to hospital for complicated child births, many children stopped going to school, and the price of goods doubled.”

He said Australia helped fix the South Road last year, which made a big difference.

“The reopening of the South Road last year – with support from Australia and the great work of local contractors – has restored that vital link from Auki to Bina and beyond,” he said.

Boosting Power and Protecting Our Seas

Australia also announced another $A7 million (about 16 million Kina) for a big power project called the Tina River Hydro scheme.

This project, which Australia has given a lot of money to already (now totaling $A70 million), will provide most of Honiara’s electricity when it’s finished.

Finally, Australia also promised to double its money to help watch out for illegal fishing in the Pacific region.
Minister Conroy has been visiting different Pacific countries this week, including Fiji and Papua New Guinea.

In Fiji, he was the first Australian minister to attend a special meeting for Melanesian countries.

In Port Moresby, he was there when they announced the new board for the PNG rugby league team that will join the NRL competition.

Source: Australian Associated Press

Keep Reading
By
News

HIV transmission in Papua New Guinea at crisis levels

By
Lukautim Yu Yet Long AIDS - Billboard

As transmission rates soar, Papua New Guinea has declared a national HIV crisis to try and galvanize action to prevent the spread of the virus.

UNAIDS and the World Health Organisation estimate the Pacific nation recorded 11,000 new cases last year alone.

That’s equivalent to 30 new positive tests a day including seven newborns, who can be prevented from contracting HIV through antiretroviral therapy.  

PNG Health Minister Elias Kapavore said the trend was “deeply concerning”.

“As such, I am declaring this a National HIV crisis,” he told a press conference in Port Moresby.

The declaration is more than symbolic, activating a national emergency response plan enabling cross-sector co-ordination and investment in HIV services.

Adding to the anguish at the figures is the advancement of treatment and prevention options for HIV.

Bald brown man wearing a suit, Ken Wai comments on HIV crisis in PNG
In a supplied image, Papua New Guinea Health Secretary Ken Wai poses with some HIV antiretroviral medication at the National Department Of Health Building in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, on Thursday, June 26, 2025. Papua New Guinea health officials are ramping up efforts to fight HIV transmission. (AAP Image/Supplied by UNAIDS)

Most crucial is improving testing rates, so that more of the estimated 120,000 in Papua New Guinea with HIV can seek treatment.

Acting PNG health secretary Ken Wai said testing every pregnant woman can allow them to know their status and then access medication that prevents transmitting the virus to their child.

“We must scale-up access to HIV testing and treatment, particularly for groups most at risk. These priority initiatives should be offered at health facilities nationwide, and will require community leadership and support,” he said.

Mr Kapavore called HIV “a disease of inequality”.

“It is time for all of us to step up. I personally commit to raising this issue with my fellow ministers and parliamentarians and ensuring the urgent allocation of resources to protect our people – especially the next generation of Papua New Guineans,” he said.

The uptick reverses a decade of progress made to 2010, when World Vision reported new infections fell by roughly half to roughly 6000 a year.

Written by: Ben McKay (AAP)

Keep Reading
By
News

New Zealand Ditches Anti-Fossil Fuel Alliance, Signaling Shift Away from Green Energy

By
Bald white man

New Zealand has become the first country to withdraw from the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance (BOGA), a global group of governments dedicated to transitioning to cleaner energy. This decision, announced by Climate Minister Simon Watts, confirms the current New Zealand coalition government’s pivot towards embracing fossil fuels.

Since coming into power in November 2023, Prime Minister Chris Luxon’s government has rolled back previous environmental policies. This includes overturning a ban on offshore oil and gas exploration, originally put in place by the Jacinda Ardern government, and fast-tracking mining projects, even for coal.

Mr. Watts explained that these actions made New Zealand’s continued membership in BOGA inappropriate.

“The New Zealand government made the decision to withdraw, in good faith, our associate membership, and informed the alliance of this decision on 21 June, 2025,” he stated.

New Zealand initially joined BOGA in late 2021 at COP26, the UN climate conference in Glasgow, after being invited by co-founders Costa Rica and Denmark. Internal government documents at the time suggested that joining would be a “useful vehicle for advancing effective global climate action” and noted that it “does not involve binding legal commitments.”

The move has drawn sharp criticism from environmental groups.

Amanda Larson, a spokesperson for Greenpeace Aotearoa (New Zealand), condemned the government’s support for both mining and “intensive livestock” agriculture, which she said were “two of the world’s most polluting industries.”

Ms. Larson also highlighted recent international scrutiny, pointing out that New Zealand’s government was criticized by the Financial Times in May for accounting practices that downplay the impact of methane emissions from agriculture.

“It is the first time in Luxon’s political or business career that he has made the front page of the Financial Times, and it was humiliating. He should expect more international criticism to come,” Ms. Larson added.

New Zealand held an associate membership in BOGA, alongside California and Belize, but has now been removed from the alliance’s website.

Resources Minister Shane Jones dismissed BOGA as “an indulgent, vanity-belief community.”

Source: Australian Associated Press (AAP)

Keep Reading
By
News

Calls Grow for United Front Against Illegal Alluvial Mining in PNG

By
Alluvial Mining site - muddy river bank

THE Papua New Guinea Chamber of Resources & Energy (PNG CORE) is urging a unified effort from community leaders, landowners, and small-scale miners to combat the growing problem of unregulated alluvial mining across the nation.

This call comes amidst increasing concerns about the negative impact on the mining industry, local communities, and legitimate small-scale operators.

Recent reports have highlighted a concerning rise in illegal mining activities, including gold smuggling, which has coincided with a decline in lawful alluvial gold production. This trend has raised alarms throughout the sector, prompting swift action from regulatory bodies.


MRA Issues Stop-Work Notice

In response to these developments, the Mineral Resources Authority (MRA) has issued a public stop-work notice specifically targeting unauthorized alluvial mining operations that utilize heavy machinery.

This enforcement action follows confirmed reports of individuals and companies engaging in illegal mining within designated alluvial mining districts and other regions.

The MRA emphasized that these operations are in direct violation of the Mining Act 1992 and warned that continued breaches would lead to legal consequences.


Government Takes Hard Stance

Mining Minister Rainbo Paita issued a stern warning to all operators “Operate within your permits or leave.”

Paita reaffirmed the government’s zero-tolerance approach to illegal mining, underscoring that all mining activities must adhere to the terms of their permits and licenses.

He stressed that failure to comply undermines the integrity of the sector and will not be tolerated.


PNG CORE Highlights Broader Concerns

As the leading representative body for the minerals sector, PNG CORE is deeply concerned about the environmental degradation, social disruption, and economic damage caused by these unregulated activities.

Such operations not only endanger surrounding communities but also hinder sustainable development opportunities and create unfair competition for compliant miners.

PNG CORE is appealing to community leaders and landowners to proactively safeguard their land and the future of their people.

This includes denying access to illegal miners, reporting suspicious activities to authorities, and verifying all mining engagements with the MRA before proceeding.

Small-scale miners are also strongly encouraged to pursue legal operations by securing the necessary licenses and permits for machinery use.

PNG CORE states that legal compliance ensures safer and environmentally responsible mining practices, contributing meaningfully to both community welfare and national development.


Coordinated Action Essential

Addressing illegal and unregulated alluvial mining requires a coordinated, multi-stakeholder approach. Key areas of focus include formalization of operations, environmental stewardship, community health, and strengthened governance.

“PNG CORE unequivocally condemns unregulated alluvial mining.

“These activities are not only environmentally destructive and socially harmful, but also represent unfair competition that undermines legitimate, regulated alluvial miners and the broader resource sector committed to operating sustainably, safely, and in partnership with landowners and communities.

“PNG CORE fully supports the national mining laws and the essential regulatory role of the Mineral Resources Authority,” said PNG CORE Vice President, Assik Tommy Tomscoll.

Keep Reading
By
News

New Medical Gear Boosts Children’s Care at Mt. Hagen Hospital

By

Children in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands region will receive better medical care thanks to a significant donation of equipment to Mt. Hagen Hospital.

The PNG Chamber of Resources and Energy (PNG CORE) Charity Golf Challenge, an annual fundraising event, raised over K280,000 to purchase vital medical devices for the hospital’s pediatric ward.

The new equipment includes essential tools like a phototherapy light for newborns with jaundice, portable ultrasound machines for quick diagnoses, and a patient monitor for real-time tracking.

These items will help doctors and nurses provide critical support to young patients, especially as the hospital faces a growing number of children needing care due to internal migration and conflict in the region.

Jane Holden, CEO of the Western Highlands Provincial Health Authority, highlighted the urgent need for this support, explaining that the pediatric ward, originally designed for 48 beds, is now caring for over 100 children.

Despite these challenges, Mt. Hagen Hospital consistently provides high-quality care with limited funding.

Western Highlands Governor, Wai Rapa praised PNG CORE for recognizing Mt. Hagen Hospital’s vital role as a referral center for the entire Highlands region.

PNG CORE President Anthony Smaré emphasized that the donation is more than just equipment but a symbol of their commitment to supporting healthcare in regions that often go unnoticed.

This initiative, supported by various companies and the government, marks the beginning of a long-term partnership to improve healthcare for children in the Highlands.

Keep Reading
By
News

Vulnerable migrants having abortions due to visa fears

By
Pregnancy stock in Sydney.

Migrant women working in rural Australia are carrying unplanned pregnancies, having unwanted abortions or even giving their babies to authorities due to fear, poverty and poor healthcare coverage.

This is the “unseen population” that NSW general practitioner Trudi Beck wants every Australian to know about.

Dr Beck, a GP obstetrician from Wagga Wagga, told a NSW parliamentary inquiry into modern slavery that she routinely sees pregnant Pacific Islander workers, who are not entitled to free or subsidised healthcare in Australia.

The vast majority of those women opted for an abortion, though it didn’t always appear to be their preference, Dr Beck said.

The women, who are usually working under the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme, fear they will breach their visa conditions if they cannot work due to pregnancy.

“I find it really difficult to provide termination services for a woman where that’s not her deeply-held desire … that’s the crux of the matter for me,” Dr Beck told the inquiry sitting in Griffith on Thursday, in sometimes emotional evidence.

“If this woman was in her home country and had the means to live above the poverty line, she would have this baby.

“That is just such an ethics and values clash for me and that’s what makes me want to reach out to people to say: can we make this better?”

Some women who could not access abortion services in time gave birth in their home countries while on annual leave, Dr Beck said.

The inquiry has been told PALM workers are particularly vulnerable to exploitation because their visa does not allow them to change employers, forcing some to abscond.

Many disengaged workers have settled in the NSW Riverina, where they live in hiding, Leeton Multicultural Support Group chairman Paul Maytom said.

Mr Maytom said 10 pregnant migrants have approached the organisation for help, including one woman who gave her prematurely-born baby to authorities after her older child was also taken in as a ward of the state.

“She said, ‘I didn’t know what to do because I have no money, so I agreed to it, but I want my babies back’, Mr Maytom said.

“That’s tough.”

Griffith domestic violence service Links For Women supported 47 female PALM workers in 2023-24.

The women were assaulted by either male employers or their co-workers, forcing them to flee, manager Madeleine Rossiter said.

It’s estimated more than 40,000 people are enslaved across the nation, subject to violence, threats, punishing hours, low pay, poor housing and restricted movements.

More than 16,000 are believed to be trapped in modern slavery in NSW, one of the few states that does not regulate the hire companies central to migrant recruitment.

The inquiry continues.
Reports of modern slavery can be made to 1800 FREEDOM (1800 37 333 66)

Written by: Stephanie Gardiner (AAP)

Keep Reading
By
Pin It