A group of employers exploited groups of migrant workers by bringing them to New Zealand illegally and paying them well below the minimum wage.
Antony Swarbrick, Christina Kewa-Swarbrick, and Martha Fretton were found guilty of nine charges relating to migrant exploitation at the Hamilton District Court on Friday.
Between 2013 and 2016, the trio arranged for groups of seasonal workers from Papua New Guinea to work in New Zealand illegally.
The workers believed they would be working under the RSE scheme in full-time employment. They also thought they would be paid $15 an hour, well below the minimum wage.
The three employers have been found guilty of aiding and abetting, completion of a visa application known to be false or misleading, and provision of false or misleading information to an immigration officer under the Immigration Act.
"No form of exploitation is acceptable in New Zealand, and INZ will hold offenders to account. This conviction should act as a strong warning to anyone considering exploiting temporary or unlawful migrants," Immigration New Zealand’s general manager of verification and compliance, Richard Owen said.
"Employers who demonstrate this kind of exploitative behaviour are jeopardising New Zealand's reputation as a fair place to live, work and do business."
The three employers will be sentenced at the Te Awamutu District Court on March 30.
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