February 6, 2022

The Story of Beatriz

Exploitation of migrant workers in Sydney’s local suburbs.

“I decided to become an illegal migrant for the sake of my family,” Beatriz* says as she sits beside me on my couch, rubbing her swollen, calloused hands. The 53-year-old agreed to meet me on the condition that this interview take place in my Sydney home, not hers. Beatriz arrived in Australia almost 20 years ago, on a one month tourist visa, knowing that she would be leaving her mother country, the Philippines, for good.

Hannah Bent

Entrepreneur, Writer and Speaker

Born and raised in Hong Kong, Hannah Bent completed her Bachelor of Arts in Fine Art and Film from Central Saint Martins School of Art and Design in London. She undertook further study in both directing and screenwriting at the Australian Film and Television and Radio School and has a Masters in Creative Writing from the University of Technology, Sydney. She was the 2013 recipient of the Ray Koppe Young Writers Award for her novel as a work in progress.

About Hannah