JAKARTA - A Palmerston North company director was sentenced on July 6 after exploiting a Sri Lankan migrant worker through unlawful payment demands, Immigration New Zealand said.
Dodamwalage Kalani Helikumari Jayawardhana, known as Kalani, received a two-year prison sentence to be served as 12 months’ home detention. INZ said she was found guilty of three charges of migrant exploitation linked to her role as director of Computer Express 24 Care Limited.
The court ordered NZD $59,657.68 in reparation. INZ said the amount covered wage arrears owed to the worker, Pay As You Earn contributions and NZD $15,000 that Jayawardhana unlawfully demanded during the employment period.
The worker, a Sri Lankan national employed as an office manager, was trying to build her future in New Zealand and progress her residence application. INZ said she faced repeated demands for money, including the repayment of wages she had already earned and other payments that ran into tens of thousands of dollars.
Jason Perry, INZ national manager investigations, said the case showed how an employer could turn immigration dependence into financial pressure. “No one should have to choose between standing up for their rights and risking their livelihood,” Perry said.
New Zealand’s migrant exploitation system gives workers a route out of that trap. INZ says the Migrant Exploitation Protection Work Visa allows eligible workers who have reported exploitation on an employer-supported work visa to leave their job while the exploitation is investigated. The visa allows a stay of up to six months and has no application cost.
INZ said the investigation was lengthy and complex, and Perry said the worker’s decision to speak up was central to the case reaching court. “Her courage is a testament to the importance of reporting exploitation and standing up against mistreatment,” Perry said.
