Fijians who are hunting for overseas work beware. Not all job offers, not matter how appealing they may be, are not genuine. They are schemes for cheap labour and exploitation, particularly if the jobs on offer are available in the region.

There are reputable employers in both the private and public sectors in the region. But there are also rogue employers who prey on the desperate and vulnerable.

Any offer that is too good to be true should be treated with skepticism, particularly if it comes from some employer not generally well known.

Mereseini Ledua, 50, of Narere, Nasinu, found this out in the hard and painful way. The hotel worker thought she was on to a good number until she got there. Several things like paid overtime she was promised with were not honoured. She endured the pain for a while but it was the last straw when she became sick. She returned to Fiji with lots of regrets.

To start off with, Fijians must be extra careful with job offers from some of our island neighbours like Tonga.

Firstly, Tonga and other island states  are way behind Fiji in their economic development. Tonga for example, faces a number of significant economic problems such as high youth unemployment, low savings rates, and a heavy reliance on remittances and overseas aid. The Asian Development Bank had reported that Tonga’s economy expanded by 1.5 per cent in 2014 and was expected to grow further in 2015.  Despite this the standard of public service in Tonga is said to be appalling and is being addressed by the government. Tonga is also still rebuilding much of the infrastructure of the Ha’apai group of islands which were hit by a major cyclone in early 2014, leaving almost US$50 million in damage and more than 2300 people homeless. These are key economic indicators of the challenges facing Tonga. Tongan themselves are always looking for opportunities to go and work overseas because of the high unemployment rate at home.

These are factors that need to considered when Fijians consider job offers from the Friendly Islands.

There are well known employers there but they are few. Outside this group, job offers must be screened thoroughly.

Go on-line and do your research to find out more about a company. If information is scarce talk to people in the same field or industry in Fiji and countries where the jobs are on offer.

Go with your gut feeling or instincts. While something may look good on paper, it is not necessarily so in reality.

It is understood that Ms Ledua was not the only Fijian victim of unscrupulous employers in Tonga. This should be a lesson to all.

If you’re looking for jobs and they are in Tonga beware. Avoid Tonga, if you can.

NEMANI DELAIBATIKI

Feedback:  nemani.delaibatiki@fijisun.com.fj