Fiji, Dec. 12 -- Skilled health workers from Pacific Island countries are being poached to fill Australia's shortage of care workers, pushing health systems in the region to the brink of collapse, according to new research.

A report by the Centre for Future Work at The Australia Institute and Public Services International found that many Pacific workers arriving in Australia are being deskilled, underpaid and exploited.

Care workers have been added to the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme, which was traditionally aimed at seasonal agricultural workers. The report says this shift has driven skilled health workers including nurses to quit their jobs for lower-skilled but better paid roles in Australia.

The research details ...