Unions call for residency for migrants
WELLINGTON: Labour unions are calling on the Government to give residency to longterm migrant workers who now call New Zealand home.
Workers who arrived with big dreams say the everchanging threshold for skilled migrants’ pay and points mean their efforts are in vain.
A petition — Pathway to Residency — started by the Migrant Workers Association Aotearoa, Unite Union, One Union and First Union, has collected 15,000 signatures.
Migrant Workers Association Aotearoa president Anu Kaloti said they were looking at people who had been here for five years or more and those with highly soughtafter skills.
‘‘They contributed to New Zealand economy hugely.
‘‘We’re saying that people who are already here, let’s look after them and let’s allow them to be here permanently.’’
There were 189,000 temporary migrants with work rights in New Zealand as at last month.
Ms Kaloti said there were also workers who were unable to return to New Zealand after the border closure in March.
Migrants often fell through the cracks in the system and did not enjoy the same privileges as residents or citizens, she said.
‘‘We have to remember that benefits like unemployment benefit and other benefits through Work and Income that comes out of our taxation — so these are migrant workers who’ve been working here for years and years and contributing to the economy and paying their taxes.’’
Unite Union national director Mike Treen said with borders closed due to the pandemic, new migrants were not arriving to renew the workforce, so it made sense to keep those who were already here.
Immigration NZ had made it progressively harder for migrants to become residents, so there were too many people on temporary visas in the country, he said.
‘‘I think this is a onceinageneration opportunity to fix a broken system . . . We have made it harder and harder for people who we brought to New Zealand with promises of being able to transition to residency,’’ he said.
Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi said the Government’s priority was getting New Zealanders into jobs and encouraging employers to continue focusing on longerterm workforce planning and training, and improving wages and conditions to attract a local workforce. — RNZ