Recovering lost wages is nearly impossible for Australia’s underpaid migrant workers. Here’s how to fix the problem

zhu difeng/Shutterstock

The widespread underpayment of migrant workers in Australia is now well-documented. The vast majority never recover the wages they are owed.

In 2009, the federal “small claims” court process was established in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia. The idea was to give workers a simple and accessible forum to claim unpaid wages and entitlements from their employers – without needing a lawyer.