Employment Minister Agni Deo Singh has urged Fijian workers to honour their overseas employment contracts and resist the temptation to abandon formal placements for casual cash work, warning that doing so could forfeit visa protections, insurance and other essential support. Singh delivered the message this week while speaking at the Fiji Family Focus program in Navola Village, Nadroga, as the government intensifies efforts to ensure seasonal labour migration benefits families and communities.
The Fiji Family Focus initiative, a joint program between the Ministry of Employment and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), aims to better prepare workers participating in the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme and New Zealand’s Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme for life abroad and for a safe, dignified return home. Singh said the program combines practical financial guidance with family-focused messaging to help workers build savings and strengthen relationships while they are away.
“We want our workers to come back stronger with savings skills and happy families. That is real success,” Singh said. He emphasised that opportunities overseas are not solely about earning income but about protecting children, preserving family wellbeing and ensuring workers return with dignity. “No amount of money is worth it if our children are neglected. Their safety and wellbeing must come first,” he added.
Singh warned that abandoning arranged contracts in favour of informal employment can have immediate and lasting consequences. He said workers who leave their contracted placements risk losing the legal and welfare safeguards tied to their visas, including access to employer-provided insurance and consular or liaison support — protections that may not be available to casual, off-the-books work.
As part of the government’s response, the ministry and IOM have appointed country liaison officers in Australia and New Zealand to provide on-the-ground support for Fijian workers. The officers are intended to be a first point of contact for migrants facing workplace or welfare issues, helping to safeguard the legal rights and wellbeing of those on PALM and RSE placements.
Singh acknowledged the clear economic benefits that migration brings to many Fijian households — assisting with school fees, home construction and small business starts — but stressed that migration requires planning and shared responsibility at home. The Fiji Family Focus sessions combine savings training with discussions about trust, family roles and reintegration, aiming to reduce the social costs that can accompany long-term labour mobility.
The minister’s comments come as Fiji continues to promote its seasonal labour pathways as safe, regulated avenues for employment abroad. By urging migrants to maintain their contracted placements and by establishing support officers overseas, the government and its development partners are aiming to preserve the protections of formal labour mobility schemes and maximise benefits for both workers and their families back home.
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