Clampdown looms for immigration consultants

By LIBBY MIDDLEBROOK

Corrupt immigration consultants will be forced out of the industry within two years if the Government approves tough new rules.

The Immigration Service has put two proposals to the cabinet aimed at regulating the industry and protecting vulnerable migrants.

Anyone can set up as an immigration consultant in New Zealand, regardless of background, and each year unscrupulous operators cheat migrants of thousands of dollars.

Immigration Minister Lianne Dalziel told the Herald that she particularly supported one of the proposals, which would set up a statutory registration board.

It would be compulsory for consultants to register with the board and meet ethical, professional and other requirements such as minimum educational qualifications.

The board would have the power to suspend or strike off any who behaved unethically or fraudulently.

"There are too many examples of individuals being ripped off for huge amounts of money," said Ms Dalziel. "We need a powerful way of controlling standards in the sector."

The Immigration Service is researching the proposal, which would require law changes before it could go ahead. The service is expected to resubmit the proposal to the Government in March for public consultation.

If approved, the board could be operating by March next year.

A less popular option would require the industry to regulate or monitor its own behaviour.

Consultants would be invited to become members of an industry association, which would set ethical and professional standards.

However, Ms Dalziel said she would prefer to see a compulsory registration board.

"I guess the jury's still out, but personally I would like to see something stronger in place than [self-regulation]."

Ways to govern overseas consultants working with the Immigration Service are also being considered.

The service's two proposals arose from complaints to the Government about exploitation and a discussion document Ms Dalziel released in June about options for setting enforceable standards for consultants.

Rogue consultants can promise migrants anything from an open work permit to marriage arrangements in exchange for fees of up to $40,000.

Another common practice is lodging a refugee-status claim to obtain a work permit for clients, who think they are waiting for residency.

The Association for Migration and Investment, which represents about 70 consultants, is keen to see a compulsory registration board, as it says voluntary self-regulation is not working.

A committee of lawyers from the Auckland District Law Society has also recommended the Government set up an independent statutory body to weed out crooks from the industry.

But the director of consultancy at AIC Immigration, Yatsek Andvick, said that while a registration board could protect migrants, he did not believe there was a "particularly major" problem with ripoffs.

Apraxus immigration consultant Salote Lilo was concerned about possible minimum education requirements as she had not completed any specialist study.

New Zealand residents Ali and Chris Keery simply want to see something in place to stop rogue consultants. The couple were cheated of $2700 by crooked consultants.

When Mrs Keery arrived in New Zealand in 1996 on a one-year visitor's permit, she paid an immigration company $1000 to manage a work permit application. Instead, the company filed a refugee status application and fabricated a story about her life in China.

Two years later, after she married Mr Keery, a New Zealander, and the couple had straightened out the problem with the Immigration Service, they went to another consultant to manage a permanent residence application. Days after paying $1700 in consultancy fees, they found that the consultant had changed his phone number and they never saw him again.

Said Mr Keery: "There should be some big changes so this can't happen to other people."