Timor-Leste and Australia’s Northern Territory move to expand worker mobility program
DÍLI, 09 September 2026 (TATOLI) — Timor-Leste and Australia’s Northern Territory have agreed to deepen cooperation on labour mobility, health and education, with the two sides looking to expand opportunities for Timorese workers in the territory.
The issue was discussed during a meeting between Timor-Leste’s Acting Prime Minister, Mariano Assanami Sabino, and Northern Territory Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro, who is visiting Dili.
Finocchiaro said the Northern Territory Government wanted to continue working with Timor-Leste to increase the number of Timorese workers able to take up employment opportunities in the territory.
For Timor-Leste, the Northern Territory is a particularly important partner because of its geographical proximity and longstanding links with the country.
“We are particularly focused on the Northern Territory because it is closer to Timor-Leste,” Sabino said.
He said the two sides also wanted to deepen discussions on education, higher education and health, while strengthening skills development and creating more opportunities for young Timorese.
Focus on young workers
Sabino said improving human-resource development was a priority for the Timor-Leste Government and that greater labour mobility could give young people access to new skills and employment opportunities.
The talks also provided an opportunity for the two governments to explore areas where cooperation could be expanded, particularly through closer institutional coordination.
Finocchiaro’s visit is her first to Timor-Leste and comes amid efforts to strengthen relations between the Northern Territory and its closest neighbouring country to the north.
A relationship shaped by history
The two sides also highlighted the longstanding people-to-people ties between Timor-Leste and Australia.
During the Second World War, many Timorese supported Australian forces resisting the Japanese occupation of Timor, providing assistance including logistical support. Many Timorese later sought refuge in Australia, contributing to the growth of Timorese communities there.
Those historical links have continued to shape relations between the two peoples.
Today, a large Timorese community lives in Australia, maintaining family, cultural and social connections with Timor-Leste.
For Dili, expanding cooperation with the Northern Territory is seen as both an economic opportunity for Timorese workers and a way to strengthen longstanding ties between neighbouring communities.
TATOLI
