Bassina joined UNSW as in 2009 after a decade as a human rights litigator and clinical legal educator in New York, Mumbai, and Sydney. Bassina established, and currently directs, the UNSW Human Rights Clinic and is founding Co-Director of the global Migrant Worker Justice Initiative. Bassina has led numerous national and global research teams on the rights of migrant workers in Australia, Asia, the US and globally, working closely with civil society, trade unions, business, governments, donors, and international organisations. Her research establishes an evidence base and theoretical frameworks for preventing exploitation of migrant workers and enabling access to justice under domestic and international law. Bassina's current research focuses in particular on the role of states, business, and education providers in preventing and addressing exploitative recruitment and employment practices, including the potential role of technology. Within the UNSW Human Rights Clinic, Bassina leads international litigation, law and policy reform initiatives and government training projects that advance the rights of refugees and migrants while training the next generation of human rights lawyers.
Before coming to UNSW Bassina practiced at the New York Bar and was a litigation attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union's Immigrants' Rights Project, and at appellate law firm WilmerHale LLP, where she argued the first U.S. Court of Appeals case on the national-security exception to asylum. Bassina also directed a human rights clinical program at Seton Hall Law School. Previously, Bassina was a solicitor at the Public Interest Advocacy Centre in Sydney, and a policy officer at the Australian Human Rights Commission.
Journal articles
Reilly A; Howe J; Berg L; Farbenblum B, 2021, ''Understanding International Students' Professed Satisfaction with Underpaid Work in Australia'', Monash University Law Review, vol. 46, pp. 50 - 78
Farbenblum B; Berg L, 2020, '“We might not be citizens but we are still people”: Australia’s disregard for the human rights of international students during COVID-19', Australian Journal of Human Rights, vol. 26, pp. 486 - 506, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1323238X.2021.1901645
Berg L; Farbenblum B; Kintominas A, 2020, 'Addressing Exploitation in Supply Chains: Is technology a game changer for worker voice?', The Anti-Trafficking Review, pp. 47 - 66, http://dx.doi.org/10.14197/atr.201220144
Farbenblum B; Berg L, 2018, 'Remedies for Migrant Worker Exploitation in Australia: Lessons from the 7-Eleven Wage Repayment Program', Melbourne University Law Review, vol. 41, pp. 1035 - 1084, https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3140091
Howe J; Berg L; Farbenblum B, 2018, 'Unfair Dismissal Law and Temporary Migrant Labour in Australia', Federal Law Review, vol. 46, pp. 19 - 48, http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0067205x1804600102
Howe J; Berg L; Farbenblum B, 2018, 'Unfair Dismissal Law and Temporary Migrant Labour in Australia', Federal Law Review, vol. 46, pp. 19 - 48, http://dx.doi.org/10.22145/flr.46.1.2
Nolan J; farbenblum B, 2017, 'The Business of Migrant Worker Recruitment: Who has the Responsibility and Leverage to Protect Rights?', Texas International Law Journal, vol. 52, pp. 1 - 44
Farbenblum B; Berg L, 2017, 'Migrant Workers' Access to Remedy for Exploitation in Australia: The Role of the National Fair Work Ombudsman', Australian Journal of Human Rights, vol. 23, pp. 310 - 331, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1323238X.2017.1392478
FARBENBLUM B, 2016, 'Governance of Migrant Worker Recruitment: A Rights-Based Framework for Countries of Origin', Asian Journal of International Law, vol. 7, pp. 1 - 33, http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S2044251316000011
Farbenblum B, 2011, 'Executive Deference in U.S. Refugee Law: Internationalist Paths through and beyond Chevron', Duke Law Journal, vol. 60, pp. 1059 - 1122, http://heinonline.org.wwwproxy0.library.unsw.edu.au/HOL/Page?handle=hein.journals/duklr60&id=1069&collection=journals&index=journals/duklr
Bettinger-Lόpez C; Farbenblum B, 2010, 'The Human Rights of Non-citizens. By David Weissbrodt. Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press, 2008. Pp. xxiii, 257. Index. $130, £63.00.', American Journal of International Law, vol. 104, pp. 714 - 718, http://dx.doi.org/10.5305/amerjintelaw.104.4.0714
Allen SA; Rich JD; Bux RC; Farbenblum B; Berns M; Rubenstein L, 2006, 'Deaths of detainees in the custody of US forces in Iraq and Afghanistan from 2002 to 2005', MedGenMed Medscape General Medicine, vol. 8
Reports
Farbenblum B; Berg L, 2020, International Students and Wage Theft in Australia, Migrant Worker Justice Initiative, Sydney, Australia, http://www.mwji.org/iswagetheft
Berg L; Farbenblum B; Huang Y; Lee D; Saleh S; Sharma A; Kintominas A, 2020, "As If We Weren't Humans": The abandonment of temporary migrants in Australia during COVID-19, Migrant Worker Justice Initiative, https://static1.squarespace.com/static/593f6d9fe4fcb5c458624206/t/5f6056e68758b84c79540c5c/1600149242800/As+if+we+weren%E2%80%99t+humans+Report.pdf
Berg L; Farbenblum B, 2019, Living Precariously: Understanding International Students’ Housing Experiences in Australia, http://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.17580.00645, https://www.mwji.org/s/Living-Precariously_2019.pdf
Farbenblum B; Berg L; Kintominas A, 2018, Transformative Technology for Migrant Workers: Opportunities, Challenges and Risks, Open Society Foundations, New York, http://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.33044.55688, https://www.mwji.org/s/Transformativetech_report-103118.pdf
Farbenblum B; Laurie B, 2018, Wage Theft in Silence: Why Temporary Migrant Workers Do Not Recover Their Unpaid Wages in Australia, http://www.mwji.org/survey
Farbenblum B; Berg L, 2017, Wage Theft in Australia: Findings of the National Temporary Migrant Work Survey, http://dx.doi.org/10.4225/53/5ab19f1e85d8c, http://www.mwji.org/survey
Farbenblum B; Berg L, 2017, International Students and the Fair Work Ombudsman, Commonwealth Office of the Fair Work Ombudsman, https://www.fairwork.gov.au/ArticleDocuments/1160/International-students-and-the-fair-work-ombudsman-report.pdf.aspx?Embed=Y
Farbenblum B; Taylor-Nicholson E; Paoletti S; Sijapati B, 2014, Policy Brief: A Risky Business Accountability of Manpower Agencies in Nepal
Farbenblum B; Taylor-Nicholson E; Paoletti S, 2013, Justice for Indonesia’s Millions of Migrant Workers: A Policy Brief for the Indonesian Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration
Farbenblum B; Taylor-Nicholson E; Paoletti S, 2013, Improvement and Expansion of Migrant Worker Mediation Services: A Policy Brief for the Indonesian National Agency for the Placement and Protection of Migrant Workers
Farbenblum B; Taylor-Nicholson E; Paoletti S, 2013, Creating a Stronger Migrant Labour Framework for the Next Decade: A Policy Brief for the Indonesian Parliament
Farbenblum B; Taylor-Nicholson E; Paoletti S, 2013, Strengthening Embassy Protection for Indonesian Migrant Workers: A Policy Brief for the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Farbenblum B, 2012, Submission No 3 to Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs Inquiry into the Migration Amendment (Removal of Mandatory Minimum Penalties) Bill 2012, Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs
Farbenblum B; Jansyn J, 2009, Crossing the Line: Damaging Immigration Enforcement Practices by New Jersey Police Following Attorney General Law Enforcement Directive 2007-3, The Center for Social Justice, Seton Hall School of Law
Other
Farbenblum B; Berg L, 2020, Submission No 33 to Senate Select Committee on Temporary Migration Inquiry into the impact temporary migration has on the Australian economy, wages and jobs, social cohesion and workplace rights and conditions, https://www.aph.gov.au/DocumentStore.ashx?id=82c81f56-64f8-4967-aa1f-e06fcd2ff714&subId=679599
Farbenblum B; Berg L, 2020, Submission No 32 to NSW Portfolio Committee No. 3 - Education Inquiry into Future Development of the NSW Tertiary Education Sector, https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/lcdocs/submissions/68339/0032%20Assoc%20Prof%20Berg%20and%20Assoc%20Prof%20%20Farbenblum.pdf
Farbenblum B; Berg L, 2020, Submission 102 to Senate Economics References Committee Inquiry into unlawful underpayment of employees' remuneration, https://www.aph.gov.au/DocumentStore.ashx?id=6b544409-06cf-4896-9fee-67aafb489d3d&subId=679903
Farbenblum B; Berg L, 2018, Submission No 21 to Senate Standing Committees on Education and Employment Inquiry into the exploitation of general and specialist cleaners working in retail chains for contracting or subcontracting cleaning companies (2018)
Farbenblum B; Laurie B, 2018, Submission No 42 to Queensland Education, Employment and Small Business Committee Inquiry into Wage Theft in Queensland, https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/documents/committees/EESBC/2018/Wagetheft/submissions/042.pdf
Farbenblum B; Berg L; Kintominas A, 2018, Submission to Australian Human Rights Commission Consultation into Human Rights and Technology, https://tech.humanrights.gov.au/sites/default/files/inline-files/110%20-%20Migrant%20Worker%20Initiative%20UNSW.pdf
Nolan J; Farbenblum B, 2014, Is the World Cup Worth Dying For?
Farbenblum B; Taylor-Nicholson E; Paoletti S; Sijapati B, 2014, Policy Brief: Overseas Assistance for Nepali Migrant Workers Seeking Justice Abroad
Farbenblum B; Taylor-Nicholson E; Paoletti S; Sijapati B, 2014, Policy Brief: Labor Migration Agents in Nepal: Regulation, Accountability and Alternatives
Farbenblum B; Taylor-Nicholson E; Paoletti S; Sijapati B, 2014, Policy Brief: The Exploitation-Trafficking Continuum in Labor Migration and the Need for Reform in Nepal
Farbenblum B, 2012, Submission No 11 to Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs Inquiry into Detention of Indonesian Minors in Australia, Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs
Farbenblum B, 2011, Submission No 15 to Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs Inquiry into the Deterring People Smuggling Bill 2011, Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs
Farbenblum B, 2011, Submission No 4 to Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs Inquiry into the Crimes Amendment (Fairness for Minors) Bill 2011, Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs
Farbenblum B, 2011, Smuggling Prosecutions: Unfair and Costly
Farbenblum B; McAdam J, 2010, Submission 23 to Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs Inquiry into the Anti-People Smuggling and Other Measures Bill 2010, Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs
Farbenblum B, 2010, Afghan and Sri Lankan Asylum Seekers in Limbo: Setting a Poor Regional Example
Farbenblum B, 2010, Australia’s Role in the Interception and Detention of Asylum Seekers in Asia: Advocating for Transparency and Accountability
Farbenblum B, 2009, Supreme Court of the United States, 2009 - Brief of Amici Curiae Human Rights and Religious Organizations, Al-Marri v. Spagone
Farbenblum B, 2008, U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, 2008 - Brief of Amici Curiae Scholars of International Humanitarian Law, Saleh v. Titan; Ibrahim v. Titan
Farbenblum B, 2008, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, 2008 - Brief of Amici Curiae Scholars of International Human Rights Law, Khouzam v. Chertoff
Farbenblum B, 2008, U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, 2008 - Brief of Amici Curiae New Jersey Institute for Social Justice et al., Delrio-Mocci v. Connolly Properties
Farbenblum B, 2006, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, 2006 - Brief of Amici Curiae Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinic, Human Rights First, Human Rights Watch et al., Yusupov v. Attorney General
Media
Farbenblum B; Berg L, 2020, ‘I will never come to Australia again’: new research reveals the suffering of temporary migrants during the COVID-19 crisis, https://theconversation.com/i-will-never-come-to-australia-again-new-research-reveals-the-suffering-of-temporary-migrants-during-the-covid-19-crisis-143351
Farbenblum B; Berg L, 2020, ‘Garbage’ and ‘cash cows’: temporary migrants describe anguish of exclusion and racism during COVID-19, https://theconversation.com/garbage-and-cash-cows-temporary-migrants-describe-anguish-of-exclusion-and-racism-during-covid-19-146098
Conference Presentations
Farbenblum B, 2018, 'The National Temporary Migrant Work Survey: Findings and barriers to addressing underpayment', presented at Research Workshop: Migrant workers in the farm sectors of the United States and Australia, Sydney University, 15 November 2018 - 15 November 2018
Farbenblum B, 2018, 'Exploitation of International Students: A Role for the International Education Sector', presented at Australian International Education Conference, Sydney, 12 October 2018 - 12 October 2018
Farbenblum B, 2018, 'Exploitation of International Students in Accommodation and at Work: A Call to Action', presented at Symposium on Leading Education Recruitment, Brisbane, 17 September 2018 - 17 September 2018
Farbenblum B; Berg L, 2016, 'Remedying migrant worker exploitation in Australia', presented at Symposium on Transnational People-Movement and Social Rights, Sydney University, 13 December 2016 - 14 December 2016
Farbenblum B; Berg L, 2016, 'Remedying migrant worker exploitation in Australia – Lessons from the 7-Eleven Wage Panel', presented at 'International and Comparative Perspectives on Australian Labour Migration’ Workshop, Melbourne, 21 July 2016 - 22 July 2016
Farbenblum B, 2016, 'Strategies, Approaches and Stakeholders', presented at Regional Dialogue on Women Migrant Workers, Bangkok, 07 December 2016 - 09 December 2016
Farbenblum B, 2015, 'Strengthening Indonesian migrant workers’ access to justice', presented at Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Directorate of the Protection of Indonesian Citizens and Legal Entities Overseas – Annual National Coordination Meeting, Jakarta, 21 October 2015 - 21 October 2015
Farbenblum B, 2015, 'Beyond Pre-departure – Pursuing Access to Justice', presented at Solidarity Centre Conference on Worker Rights & Shared Prosperity, Bogor, Indonesia, -
Farbenblum B, 2015, 'Addressing Policy Gaps in International Labor Recruitment Regulation', presented at Solidarity Centre Conference on Worker Rights & Shared Prosperity, Bogor, Indonesia, -
Farbenblum B, 2014, 'Q&A with leading experts on approaches to the regulation of recruitment and labour and criminal justice responses', presented at International Labour Organization and UN Office on Drugs and Crime Workshop - Regulating Recruitment: Labour and Criminal Justice Responses in Preventing Trafficking in Persons and Migrant Exploitation, Bangkok, 18 November 2014 - 19 November 2014
Farbenblum B, 2014, 'Rights-Based Governance of Labour Migration: The View from Countries of Origin', presented at UNESCO Symposium on Human Mobility, Diversity and Justice, Deakin University, Melbourne, 10 November 2014 - 10 November 2014
Farbenblum B, 2014, 'Roundtable Discussion - Labour Migration', presented at Development and the Private Sector, Canberra, 23 October 2014 - 23 October 2014
Farbenblum B, 2014, 'UNSW Human Rights Clinic: Teaching Reflective Human Rights Lawyering', presented at Australian Human Rights Teachers Workshop, Melbourne, -
Farbenblum B, 2014, 'Accountability in Recruitment and Migrant Workers’ Access to Remedies: Looking through the Lens of Recruitment Contracts', presented at Ingram Workshop on Migrant Recruitment in the Asia Pacific Region, UNSW, Sydney, 22 October 2014 - 22 October 2014
Farbenblum B, 2014, 'Migrant Workers' Access to Justice in Indonesia: Proposals for Reform', presented at Empowering Indonesian Women for Poverty Reduction, Jakarta, -
Farbenblum B, 2014, 'Opening address', presented at Ingram Symposium on Governance of Labour Migration in the Asia Pacific Region, UNSW, Sydney, 21 October 2014 - 21 October 2014
Farbenblum B, 2014, 'Migrant workers’ access to justice in South and South East Asia', presented at Workshop on Forced Migration and Human Rights Protection in the Asia Pacific Region: Mobilising Opportunities, Melbourne, 08 August 2014 - 08 August 2014
Farbenblum B, 2012, 'Invited Oral Evidence to Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs' Inquiry into Detention of Indonesian Minors in Australia, on international human rights law implications of the Bill', presented at Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs' Inquiry into Detention of Indonesian Minors in Australia, 24 August 2012 - 24 August 2012
Farbenblum B, 2011, 'Invited Oral Evidence to Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs' Inquiry into the Deterring People Smuggling Bill 2011, on international law implications of the Bill', presented at Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs' Inquiry into the Deterring People Smuggling Bill 2011, 11 November 2011 - 11 November 2011
Farbenblum B, 2011, '‘Australian Interception of Asylum Seekers in Asia: Opportunities and Obstacles for Public Interest Lawyers Looking Beyond Australia’s Border', presented at Public Interest Law – Opportunities and Obstacles conference, Melbourne Law School, 27 September 2011 - 27 September 2011
Farbenblum B, 2011, '‘International Dimensions in Clinical Legal Education: Opportunities and Challenges for Australian Clinics', presented at Australian national conference on clinical and experiential learning, UNSW, Sydney, 07 September 2011 - 07 September 2011
Farbenblum B, 2011, 'Invited Oral Evidence to Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs' Inquiry into the Crimes Amendment (Fairness for Minors) Bill 2011, on international law implications of the Bill', presented at Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs' Inquiry into the Crimes Amendment (Fairness for Minors) Bill 2011, 16 March 2011 - 16 March 2011
Books
Farbenblum B, 2014, Migrant Workers’ Access to Justice at Home: Nepal, Open Society Foundations, http://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/publications/migrant-workers-access-justice-home-nepal
Farbenblum B; Taylor-Nicholson E; Paoletti S, 2013, Migrant Workers' Access to Justice at Home: Indonesia, Open Society Foundations, http://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/publications/migrant-workers-access-justice-home-indonesia