KEY POINTS:
- Labor will give $1.5 million to a group that helps refugees find work.
- Immigration Minister Andrew Giles says "we can do so much better" to harness refugee skills.
- The Coalition argues the rising cost of backpacker visas will hurt farmers.
Hundreds of refugees will have easier access to employment in a move Labor said recognises "the great talent and resilience" they bring to the workforce.
Immigration Minister Andrew Giles announced on Tuesday the federal government will bankroll a $1.5 million package for a social enterprise that helps
Labor said the funding would help refugees settle by creating avenues for stable jobs and after consultation with major businesses.
Andrew Giles says Australia can do 'so much better' if it harnesses the skills of new arrivals. Source: AAP / Diego Fedele
The government said around 400 refugees will be able to engage with the group as a result of the new funding.
Mr Giles said Australia "can do so much better" if refugees were given the skills to effectively "engage in the labour market".
"This is a program that recognises that refugees bring with them great talents and great resilience. But [they] often need that little bit of extra help, whether it's finding help with their workplace image, whether it's skills recognition, or whether it's simply about finding the right connection," he said.
"[This will ensure] that everyone who comes here doesn't just find safety from the persecution they were forced to flee, but has a chance to fulfil their potential and make the contribution that all of these people want to make to their new home."
Community Corporate chief executive Carmen Garcia said social enterprises were "often very small but very mighty" in softening the landing for migrants and refugees.
"Whether it's intensive English language support, job coaching, or preparing them for that scary interview with their first employer here in Australia, my team are very proud to play a critical part in their next step of their journey," she said.
"[We help ensure] that we can unleash their potential and prove that diversity really does work here in Australia."
A report by the non-profit Settlement Services International last week found the Australian economy could benefit by up to $1 billion if the government harnessed the skills of migrants and refugees more effectively.
It said that included improving how a new arrival's skills are recognised, reforms to English language requirements, and better partnerships across various sectors.
Andrew Giles defends visa cost rise
Mr Giles also defended a move, announced in the May budget, to increase the cost of working holidaymaker visa applications by $130 to accelerate processing times.
Visa recipients will also be limited to one year, having previously been eligible to apply for second and third visas if they worked for three months in regional Australia.
The move was recommended in , which found Australia's migration system was "not fit for purpose" and riddled with vulnerabilities ripe for exploitation.
But the Coalition has sounded the alarm over the rise, which it said will act as a disincentive at a time regional industries are grappling with worker shortages.
Opposition leader Peter Dutton warned backpackers were "very price sensitive" and would likely opt for other countries.
"I really worry about farmers and the agricultural sector as to where they're going to find these workers, because they heavily rely on those backpackers," Mr Dutton said.
"If the government's going to jack the price up ... we're going to see more produce more vegetables rotting on the trees, or vines, or on the ground.
"There's a huge economic loss for our country and for those local communities, but it also makes it less viable for those businesses to continue. So the government should be making it easier, not harder for farmers at the moment."
Peter Dutton warns that increasing the cost of backpacker visas could hurt already struggling farmers. Source: AAP / Aaron Bunch
He described Coalition immigration spokesman Dan Tehan's approach to visas as "completely all over the shop".
"One day, he's saying that people are coming here. Today he's expressing a high-level concern that people won't come here," he said.
"We've made the investments necessary to get our system moving. That's been particularly important when it comes to backpacker visas, which are now being turned around in two days, a stark contrast to the record of the former government."
