Vanuatu Prime Minister Charlot Salwai says his nation has to “carefully consider” the Coalition Government’s plans to raise the cap on the number of seasonal RSE workers amid fears of a greater brain drain from Pacific nations.
PM Christopher Luxon said in June he wanted to see a doubling of the cap on seasonal workers from nine Pacific countries.
Speaking to Q+A’s Jack Tame, Salwai said the concerns within Vanuatu about the scheme were shared with other island nations like Fiji and the Solomon Islands.
The prime minister also spoke about his country’s relationship with China amid the backdrop of looming tensions between the emerging superpower and the US.
Salwai was also asked about the recent unrest in New Caledonia and the issue of Kanak independence from the French territory.
1News Pacific Correspondent Barbara Dreaver examines how geostrategic competition between the US and China impacts countries like Vanuatu. (Source: 1News)
Reacting to the interview, 1News Pacific Correspondent Barbara Dreaver said the RSE scheme was a “double-edged sword” for nations like Vanuatu.
She said the scheme allowed people to earn money, which could make a “big difference” but, at the same time, led to terrible cases of migrant exploitation while also stripping island nations of workers.
“Samoa has actually put a hold on their RSE scheme. What they want to do is send in a capped number of people and target those who are not in paid employment, because they’re losing all their workers,” she told Q+A.
The RSE scheme allows horticulture and viticulture industry employers in the scheme to recruit overseas workers for seasonal work.
Vanuatu provides the biggest proportion of labour, having sent tens of thousands of workers since 2007. (Source: 1News)
Q+A with Jack Tame is made with the support of New Zealand On Air
