A PALM scheme worker in Australia who recently surfaced in a viral social media post claiming he was homeless has prompted concern back home, with authorities confirming efforts are underway to trace his whereabouts.

Employment Minister Agni Deo Singh highlighted that a Fiji liaison officer was deployed to locate the worker at the place he was last seen, but he was no longer there.

The ministry says the worker had already disengaged from his original employment about a year ago and had since moved between different jobs, placing him outside direct placement support at the time of the incident.

“We are still trying to locate him. Our country liaison officer went looking for him where he was last sighted, but unfortunately, he has moved on from that location. We are also asking for assistance from the Department of Workplace Relations” Singh said.

The line minister confirms that the Ministry is now working with Australian counterparts to assist where possible and continue monitoring other PALM workers who may have moved away from their approved employment arrangements.

“The worker had disengaged from his original job about a year ago and had since been working elsewhere, and authorities are now trying to follow up and assist where possible, including checking on workers who are no longer in their original placements” he added