I attended a session at the NZ Diversity Forum in Christchurch today and am a panellist at one of the sessions tomorrow. Today’s session was organised by Migrante Aotearoa and was called “Migrant Workers & The Recession – the South Island Experience. There were a number of excellent speakers and they raised some very important issues. These issues are not new to Christchurch MPs as we have been very well-briefed about the impacts of the recession on skilled migrants who were still in the process of working their way to residence when the recession hit. Jim Anderton & I wrote to Minister Jonathan Coleman requesting a meeting to discuss the situation and he refused to meet, because he knows everything. The result of the government’s policies is that skilled migrants are not having their permits renewed (having been subjected to a fresh labour market test) and are being forced to leave New Zealand even though they have a job and are on a pathway to residence. This means we are losing these people, despite the fact that we know we will need them again.
The session included Mike Bell from Move2NZ, giving an overview of the problems that occur when policies change after people are already in NZ. He made very good points about the link between residence and work permit policies and how changes in one impacts on the other and it is simply unfair to do that when people have quit their job and sold their house to come here. I totally agree. I think the Minister is wrong to think that his department doesn’t encourage people to come on visitor visas, so they can look for the job that will support their skilled migrant application for residence. It is sophistry to argue that they couldn’t expect their work visa to be automatically renewed as it is only a temporary visa. Mike made the point that close to 40% of permanent residents were on a temporary visa in New Zealand when they applied for residence. It’s not good enough to ignore the reality of the situation and treat them as temporary visa holders when the government knows they were planning to get residence.
We also heard from a dairy worker, Roberto Bolanos, who described the difficulties Fillipino workers faced and some of the barriers that are put in their way by Immigration requirements that they cannot easily address from Ashburton. He also spoke about the discrimination at work – some subtle, some not so subtle, including having to speak in English with each other even on their breaks. I actually couldn’t believe this was still happening – it happened in the hospital kitchen 30 years ago where the kitchen staff were told they had to speak English – probably because the supervisors (who only spoke English) were worried that the Samoan cooks were talking about them behind their backs. I took the case up as the union delegate and made the point that they most definitely had much more interesting things to talk about. I also said that I would go to The Truth newspaper (that used to be useful in those days) if they didn’t take the notice off the wall – it was gone the next day!
The session included two EEO advisers from the Human Rights Commission who talked about the migrant issues that arose in the National Conversation on Work. This is well worth looking at as it debunks some of the myths around work, as well as identifying the issues that need addressing. And finally we had Bill Rosenberg, an economist from the CTU, who gave an excellent overview of the current economic situation and how that impacted on the prospects & challenges for migrants – locally and globally. I have linked to the CTU’s Economic Bulletins.
I am glad that these issues are being debated, because we will always need skilled migrants, and we cannot afford to see NZ’s reputation for having a well-balanced immigration programme undermined just because we are in recession and expectations have changed. These changed expectations should be managed from the front end – not at the point of no return for those who had a legitimate expectation they were working their way to residence. It isn’t fair and it’s damaging to our future.
“and are being forced to leave New Zealand even though they have a job and are on a pathway to residence. This means we are losing these people, despite the fact that we know we will need them again.” So they’re contributing and they are out on their ear!
They would never do that to a doctor! 
Poor evictees
New Zealand constantly fights an international battle for skills, but this is now being tragically mishandled by an Immigration Minister intent on spending millions on failed experiments to attract investors and retirees for a quick buck.
In the meantime he has quietly cut the number of Permanent Residents under the skilled/business category (responsible for bringing billions into our economy year on year) by 30 percent.
Over 85% of permanent residents are on temporary visas in New Zealand when they apply for residence and this group are now subject to an unpredictable and unfair system which holds them in an increased state of vulnerability for longer at the mercy of issues such as the 90 day rule.
The Minister has taken a good service staffed by dedicated professionals and turned it into a travesty of what it should stand for.
Migrants can no longer weigh and manage the risks because of a total lack of clarity from the department as the goal posts are moved arbitrarily to comply with unwritten and unofficial policy changes, where a third of decisions are questionable.
New Zealand is no longer getting those it needs to fill skill shortages, upskill kiwis, create jobs for New Zealanders and grow NZ business out of this recession.
Dr. Coleman’s bill is silently coming due in billions of lost opportunities and reduced prosperity.
First for all, Minister Jonathan Coleman should not refused to meet when public wrote in for the meet & discus.
He should face up and deal with the matter or try another way to meet the public.
How can he know everything? as we are human we learn day by day. This is not the way he act as a Minister for the country.
It look silly for the country and bad name for the country.
as I can say the current government has handled this very badly.
Nice thoughts, but how about concentrating on the needs of New Zealanders and just let the labour price rise rather than bring in immigrants and then advocating for them? Sorry, people working on Dairy farms or Hospital Kitchens are NOT skilled – its a question of market supply and demand for labour and price to get New Zealanders to do the work.
Because the labour price is held low, New Zealanders go to Australia to get a better deal because the Australians seem to have this worked out, then needing these ’skills’ to be replaced, hello Fernando and Roberto and guys like Mike making some cash of them.
This is an ironic post for a party based on worker’s rights and wanting increased wages going by into bat for immigrants who are an employer’s best friend. Rip the ’skill’ list in half, then half again.
It’s sad how no young people feel a sense of duty to stay and help prosper a people who paid for their education and therefore gave them their future. we should have to give back to the NZ people for at least a few years before we are allowed to leave.
Mike, interesting points. I was wondering how the 90 day rule will impact those who apply pursuant to a job offer? Will they get provisional acceptance dependant on making it past day 90? So they leave their job at home and their family and take the punt?
Dylan, the majority come back. In their early thirties when looking toward family they come home, bringing with them the fruits of their labour and solidifying the skills market here.
People have been doing the OE since the 60’s, then by boat so fewer departed, but depart they did, and they returned. In the 70’s the trend escalated with airlines and accessible airfares, by the 80’s it was an institution.
I think this “brain drain” was a bit of a red herring in the last election campaign. Even the Medical associations survey in 2008-ish showed the majority of doctors going overseas stated their number one reason was their OE, not money and not conditions in NZ.
True that some of them come back. But some of them don’t and they shouldn’t be allowed to
I mean, they shouldn’t be allowed to leave forever
At the time of labour Government’s Prime Minister, for the past six years to National, the high skill migrants were also the part of flow, based on point system offered.
The points were granted on the base of Qualification and working experience.
The argument for the system was to get people from foreign country who are required by the New Zealand industry and can contribute towards the growth of country.
If today, after nearly 6 years to that system, a survey carried out, the outcome will be shocking and will show how effective was that system and how many of those migrants are still unemployed, in spite of great and required qualification and working experience.
Nether government has any right to play with the life of migrants and raising easy fund from fees.
If there was no position available to the working experience or qualification or needed further qualification, what was the need to verification process criteria.
At the time of labour Government’s Prime Minister, for the past six years to National, the high skill migrants were also the part of flow, based on point system offered.
The points were granted on the base of Qualification and working experience.
The argument for the system was to get people from foreign country who are required by the New Zealand industry and can contribute towards the growth of country.
If today, after nearly 6 years to that system, a survey carried out, the outcome will be shocking and will show how effective was that system and how many of those migrants are still unemployed, in spite of great and required qualification and working experience.
Nether government has any right to play with the life of migrants and raising easy fund from fees.
If there was no position available to the working experience or qualification or needed further qualification, what was the need to verification process criteria.
Why not to have a system developed where every qualified or skilled personal of our country is registered and evaluated by a very professional government agency on a very regular bases, so as to see how our own skill is employed in our industry.
This will also lead to an information about which are the particular expertise and skill our nation required to boost the economy and an absolute industry where the requirement is.
On the base of this concrete information, if the recruitment or developing migration policy is done, it will surly result in a professional image of our nation and the stability to the migrants.
This will also reduce the number of remigration of skill people to neighbouring country or developed countries.
In short, a very thoughtful approach aimed to nation’s growth, will be a stepping stone to strong and stable economy.
The Aussies say that the North Island has been taken over by Indians and that DIVERSITY is being preached to the South Islanders. They greatly resent the immigrants who use NZ as a bus stop on the way into Aussie. Maybe immigrants should be bonded to stay here for at least ten years?