Employment Minister Agni Deo Singh. [Source: Parliament of Fiji/ Facebook]

Employment Minister Agni Deo Singh has issued a stern warning against individuals who illegally recruit Fijians for employment opportunities abroad.

This warning comes after recent reports of illegal recruitment for employment opportunities in Canada.

The Minister stressed that any company or person wishing to send Fijian workers for overseas employment must first register with the Employment Ministry and obtain necessary approval from the Permanent Secretary for Employment before conducting any business related to registering, recruiting, and deploying workers for overseas employment.

[File Photo]

The authorized recruitment agencies are Viti Roofing & Construction PTE Limited, PacLeader Pacific PTE Limited, Alpha Pacific Navigation PTE Limited, Pacific Employment Agency PTE Limited, Freebird Institute Limited, and Blue Harbour Recruitment PTE Limited.

Singh states that any person who operates an Employment Agency without authorization is guilty of an offence and liable for conviction with a fine of not less than $4,000 and not more than $10,000 or a term of imprisonment not exceeding one year or both.

The Ministry’s compliance team, he adds has visited the group involved in the recent illegal recruitment and advised them on the unlawful forms of labour exploitation and human trafficking.

The Minister has urged Fijians to use good judgment when approached by such bogus agents and to contact the nearest Ministry of Employment Office for the right advice on overseas employment issues and also to register their interest with registered employment agencies authorized by the Ministry.

Singh reiterated that the Employment Relations Act (ERA) 2007 aims to ensure that Fijian workers are not exploited in terms of their employment conditions under their foreign contracts of service and to prevent human trafficking or other unlawful forms of labour exploitation by unscrupulous operators.