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Migrant exploitation and its prevention are current concerns for Immigration New Zealand (INZ).
The concern follows media exposure of numerous shameful examples of migrant workers coming to New Zealand and finding themselves without work, money or suitable accommodation.
On Monday, INZ said it had received 711 complaints against accredited employers, with 154 being investigated for criminal offending.
Of these, INZ said 52 employers are being assessed to have their accreditation revoked. By mid-last month, six had already been revoked and five suspended.
Steve Watson, INZ’s general manager of immigration compliance and investigations, said 151 of those complaints have been referred to INZ’s compliance department as they relate to migrants working in breach of visa conditions.
Employment New Zealand is examining another 406, as these were about breaches of employment law and migrant exploitation.
Migrants exploitation – the many ugly faces
Multiple investigations over migrant exploitation are underway.
It is just three weeks since 115 workers from India and Bangladesh on accredited employer work visas (AEWV) were found living in crammed and unsanitary conditions. They said they had had no income for months.
In May, the Herald reported hundreds of Nepalese may have paid up to $30,000 for visas to non-existent jobs.
Up to 250 migrants from South American countries paid large amounts for visas to come here on a false promise of residency-leading jobs.
There are ongoing concerns too, that not enough is being done to tackle worker exploitation in the alcohol industry.
Newshub’s Nick Truebridge found 40 migrants “holed up” at a Papakura house without food.
He says the migrants were subjected to these conditions after trying to find a better life under the Accredited Employer Work Visa Scheme.
RNZ’s Lucy Xia tells migrant exploitation stories too. She speaks of migrants allegedly exploited and left all but destitute after being told they were heading into decent jobs.
Immigration Minister Andrew Little says migrant exploitation has resulted in over 200 offshore migrants’ visas being cancelled.
He says 10 migrants were stopped, turned around at the New Zealand border and their visas were cancelled.
INZ confirms the Minister’s comments in this respect, but says he’s mistaken about INZ cancelling the visas of 193 offshore migrants caught in a scam.
They haven’t been cancelled.
“These individuals have border alerts so we can ensure they do not board a flight and come to New Zealand until such time as their employment has been verified,” INZ national manager Peter Elms says.
He also confirmed INZ had not cancelled any accredited employer work visas of offshore migrants whose employers have had their accreditation revoked.
1News says INZ investigations are focusing on “five to six” accredited employers who had about 400 visas issued to them, and on their mistreatment of 115 Indian and Bangladeshi workers.
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