Migrant Justice Institute (MJI) is a research group that provides legal services as well as advocate for judicial policy changes in regard to migrant workers in Australia and abroad as well as changing policy practices by government bodies, businesses and international organizations. MJI was incorporated in 2021 following a 5-year collaboration between University Tech Sydney (UTS) and the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and has offices in the Australian cities of Sydney and Melbourne. ¹

Projects

On its website, Migrant Justice Institute (MJI) published a report titled “All Work, No Pay” advocating for practices to allow migrant workers in Australia to receive benefits and to provide legal services and assistants to ensure pay. ²

As of 2024, MJI provides research into alleged wage theft against migrant workers in the country and advocating policies to reduce such theft. Other groups that supported the study include the American Center for International Labor Solidarity (Solidarity Center), the International Lawyers Assisting Workers Network (ILAW), and Migration for Development Equality (MIDEQ). and George Soros’ Open Society Foundations (OSF). ³

In April 2023 MJI released a policy brief with ILAW, MIDEQ, Solidarity Center, UNSW Sydney, and UTS advocating for changes to the visa process for migrants in order to prevent wage theft claims. ⁴

Advocacy

Migrant Justice Institute (MJI) advocates for policy that it claims will protect labor rights for migrant workers within Australia as well as prevent human trafficking and slavery. ^{5 6 7}

MJI is a member of the Power2prevent coalition, a group of community organizations and unions that work with health professionals and legal experts that support increased protections for migrant workers in Australia. They supported a new 2024 law passed that assists workers filing discrimination or sexual harassment claims to recover any losses while not paying legal fees. ^{8 9}

Funding

Migrant Justice Institute (MJI) has previously received funding from the UTS Law Faculty and UNSW Faculty of Law & Justice. ¹⁰

Migrant Justice Institute received a $120,276 grant spread over two years from George Soros’ Open Society Foundations in 2023. ¹¹

People

Bassina Farbenblum is the founder and co-executive director of Migrant Justice Institute. They also worked as an associate professor at UNSW Faculty of Law and Justice and was a founding director of UNSW Human Rights Clinic. Farbenblum was an Open Society Foundations (OSF) International Migration Initiative Fellow for work on labor migration in Asia. ¹⁰

Laurie Berg is the co-executive director of MJI as well as an associate professor in law at University of Technology in Sydney. She previously held positions at left-of-center Human Rights First as well as the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. ¹⁰

1. “Our Story.” Migrant Justice Institute. Accessed October 16, 2024. https://www.migrantjustice.org/our-story.
2. “All Work, No Pay.” Migrant Justice Institute. Accessed October 16, 2024. https://www.migrantjustice.org/all-work-no-pay.
3. “Migrant Workers’ Access to Justice for Wage Theft.” Migrant Justice Institute. Accessed October 16, 2024. https://www.migrantjustice.org/wagethefta2j.
4. “Avenues for exploited migrant workers to remain in their country of employment to pursue labour remedies.” Migrant Justice Institute. Accessed October 16, 2024. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/593f6d9fe4fcb5c458624206/t/6448c6fca4f03d04b9b5b9f7/1682491145144/MJI+Short+Term+Stay+Brief+Summary.pdf
5. “X.Com.” X (formerly Twitter). Accessed October 16, 2024. https://x.com/MigrantJusticeI/status/1816247716957282512.
6. “X.Com.” X (formerly Twitter). Accessed October 16, 2024. https://x.com/HTLegalCenter/status/1813643906439123249.
7. “X.Com.” X (formerly Twitter). Accessed October 16, 2024. https://x.com/MigrantJusticeI/status/1808708330787123707.
8. “A Huge Step Forward in Access to Justice in Discrimination Claims.” National Legal Aid, May 16, 2024. Accessed October 16, 2024.  https://www.nationallegalaid.org/resources/media-p2p-december/.
9. “2024 National Temporary Migrant Work Survey.” Migrant Justice Institute. Accessed October 16, 2024. https://www.migrantjustice.org/survey2024.
10. “Our Staff.” Migrant Justice Institute. Accessed October 16, 2024. https://www.migrantjustice.org/staff.
11. “Open Society Foundations – Awarded Grants, Scholarships, and Fellowships.” Open Society Foundations – Awarded Grants, Scholarships, and Fellowships – Open Society Foundations. Accessed October 16, 2024. https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/grants/past.