Migrants caught up in a visa fraud and stranded in Auckland for weeks will move to new accommodation on September 13, 2023, and are also expecting to receive increased financial support.
The migrants from India and Bangladesh who spent up to $45,000 to find jobs in New Zealand found themselves stranded in Auckland, with no job prospects and filthy living conditions. The migrants currently living in Papakura are now being moved to motels for 10 days starting Wednesday, and will also receive an allowance from the government.
“The government has provided us $320 for the 10 days we will be living in the motel,” says Gurbinder Singh, one of the migrants living in Papakura. Immigration New Zealand (INZ) had originally announced a weekly allowance of $220 for the migrants. Singh said they will receive a credit voucher when they check in to their motel.
Singh said the migrants would also be meeting officials from the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) on Wednesday.
“We have a meeting with the MSD tomorrow, where we will be speaking to the employers directly, and they will interview us and offer us jobs based on our skills,” Singh says.
The accommodation costs will reportedly be paid by the government. The migrants will be provided with a six-month Migrant Exploitation Protection Visa to help them find jobs. They will be able to convert their visa to a three-year work permit upon getting a job, according to Singh.
Though the new developments are welcomed by activists, calls to address the root cause of migrant exploitation have been made.
“Until and unless we address the root cause of exploitation and place really good protection measures, we will continue to see situations like this,” says Mandeep Bela, a migrant rights activist.
The INZ had found 144 migrants who arrived on Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) living in 10 houses across Auckland in unsanitary conditions, and without any income for months.
The visa is a special provision the government announced last year that enables employers to fill in critical vacancies relatively quickly, and with less red tape.
It has come under scrutiny in the last few months over concerns it is susceptible to fraud since it removes proper checks on each application. Cases of possible fraud under this category have been reported by migrants from across the world, including South America.
As of August, the INZ says at least 164 accredited employers were being investigated for a variety of offences, with officials having revoked accreditation of six employers and put five on suspension.