Workers, union and community representatives raised serious concerns regarding the mental health of many migrant workers. Their mental health was affected by the many stressors highlighted in this report as well as isolation from family and the challenges of adapting to a new society. Problem: Many workers participating in the AEWV scheme do not have adequate access to mental and physical health services and some are not provided with appropriate advice on entitlements. Recommendations: • Government: Expand and reconsider settlement support obligations for the AEWV scheme to ensure that information that supports the right to health information is available to all worker participants in a language they can read including explicit advice about accessing ACC and access to physical and mental health care. Consider requiring employers to organise access to health care options as part of these obligations. • Change policy settings to ensure that all workers transferring from the AEWV visa to the Migrant Exploitation Protection Visa remain covered by the public health system. • Business: Ensure workers receive appropriate support enrolling with primary health services on arrival. Make employer supported counselling services available to migrant workers. Speak with your workers about their access to health care and assist them in resolving any problems. The Commission heard reports of significant mental pressures placed on migrant workers who had financial obligations and debt, for example workers reported experiencing mental anguish at the amount of unserviceable debt they were carrying in their home country. Others reported that family members were being threatened in their home country because of their debt obligations. One migrant worker advocate talked about their deep concern about the mental health of the migrant worker community. They also noted there were cultural and practical barriers to getting mental health support and that adequate support or services are not available to many migrant workers. Migrant workers were also concerned about moving from the AEWV to the Migrant Exploitation Protection Visa108 and losing their entitlement to public health, which is provided free or at low cost for citizens, residents or people on work visas valid for two years or more.109 The Commission heard reports of workers transferring to the Migrant Exploitation Protection Visa, then being hospitalised and presented with bills for many thousands of dollars. Migrant worker advocates said that many workers were not aware of the implications for health care of transferring to the new visa. 8.4 Freedom of association Freedom of association includes the right to freely join trade unions. The Commission heard several reports of migrant workers’ exercise of freedom of association being discouraged by people in their faith community. One group of migrants being supported by a migrant workers union, after experiencing serious exploitation, reported being pressured by a faith group in their ethnic community to leave the union. Workers reported that, under duress, some left or did not join the union. 26 108 The Migrant Exploitation Protection Visa allows workers on the scheme who have reported exploitation to leave their job and apply for alternative employment anywhere in New Zealand for any employer. 109 See https://www.live-work.immigration.govt.nz/live-in-new-zealand/healthcare The Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) scheme in Aotearoa New Zealand: A Human Rights Review