No Medicare, no family, no visa — these are the babies Australia doesn't count

Pacific Islander women working in Australia, often on temporary visas to harvest the nation's fruit and vegetables, face a precarious existence when they become pregnant. Many work "under the table" without proper documentation, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation and lacking essential support during pregnancy and childbirth.

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To have a child in Vanuatu, it's easy. But here, I'm a bit worried, because all my family is in Vanuatu, and I'm all by myself here.

One woman, Priscilla, shared her experience of working on a grape farm while four months pregnant. Without a valid visa, she feared deportation and struggled with the costs of healthcare. Her employers, who hired several Pacific Islanders without legal status, advised her to rest in the shade due to the heat, but her declining work rate meant a reduced income. Priscilla, whose other three children remain in Vanuatu, found navigating pregnancy alone in Australia challenging, lacking the familiar support of her family.

These women often cannot access Medicare or health insurance, nor can they secure maternity support. Their pregnancies and births in Australia remain officially uncounted, a hidden reality for those who contribute to the country's agricultural sector. The fear of deportation and the lack of basic necessities create a climate of secrecy and anxiety.

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Pregnancy in the shadows

Researchers and community members, alongside reporting, are working to shed light on the situation of these undocumented pregnant workers. The story of women like Priscilla underscores the systemic vulnerabilities faced by migrant laborers in Australia, particularly those without secure legal status, who are forced to bear the physical and emotional toll of pregnancy in isolation and fear.

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For women like Priscilla who harvest the fruit and vegetables that stock Australia's supermarket shelves, motherhood here can mean injury, debt, secrecy and fear.