Time to get strategic on migrants
The vital role of border closures in keeping Covid-19 out of New Zealand is incontestable. With the recent, unexplained outbreak in Auckland, it’s tempting to consider raising the drawbridge altogether until the country is fully vaccinated against the virus. But now is the time to think about the big picture: how to attract and retain talented migrants once the pandemic is over.
New Zealand’s deft handling of the pandemic has given it valuable exposure worldwide. Immigration applications can take years to decide. Any sign of dallying, especially when salaries are lower here than in many places overseas, could quickly erode that advantage.
Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi’s admission this week that no decision has been made on restarting the selection process for skilled migrants is disconcerting.
The Covid-19 travel restrictions exposed labour supply issues in industries such as construction and technology that aren’t being met by New Zealanders.
Yet New Zealand’s skilled migration programme is currently suspended, and no decisions have been made about a review of the skills needed for economic growth, though the minister has said it is one of his priorities this term.
Thousands of migrants already in the country are in limbo, dependent on Government extensions of their temporary visas in order to stay.
In contrast, Australian officials this month initiated a quickfire inquiry aiming to help businesses get the staff they need to grow the economy after the number of migrants crashed during the pandemic. Canada on February 13 made it easier for thousands of immigrants living in the country to become permanent residents, after last year’s intake fell way short due to Covid-19.
In February last year, New Zealand quietly changed its priority allocation for residence applications, favouring those earning over $51 per hour, or more than $106,000 per year; dampening immigration even before Covid-19 struck. Immigration agents say Australia is more strategic in its approach, assessing the specific skills needed to power its economy.
Perhaps the Government is banking on a steady trickle of New Zealanders arriving home through managed quarantine to plug skills gaps.
But, unlike a skilled migrant programme, officials have no control over who is coming, and how long they’ll stay. Anecdotally, social media pages set up to help returnees endure the 14-day stay in quarantine suggest that at least some are global jet-setters, home for a summer respite before returning to well-paid jobs overseas.
Foreigners have made an easy target in New Zealand in recent years, singled out for everything from pushing up house prices to road accidents and crowding pristine tourist spots.
The tumult of the past year meant it was necessary to focus on the ‘‘team of 5 million’’ and protecting public health. But immigration can be a powerful driver of economic growth in the recovery phase.
‘‘There is a growing cost associated with border closure that is keeping non-New Zealanders out, straining business relationships and impeding workforce and skills acquisition,’’ wrote Peter Gluckman and Anne Bardsley in a recent discussion paper on New Zealand’s post-pandemic direction for Koi Tu¯ : The Centre For Informed Futures. ‘‘We are losing the opportunity to attract talent, and much more.’’
New Zealand’s migration and population policies have long been seen through a short-term political lens.
The pandemic offers a chance to reset and think about how to attract long-term investment and entrepreneurial talent, and not let the opportunity of New Zealand’s positive global exposure during the pandemic be squandered.
Thousands of migrants already in the country are in limbo ...