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Overstayers are being offered amnesties as Immigration New Zealand enlists the help of Asian community leaders to flush out illegal migrants.
Through a pilot programme, those identified as being unlawfully in New Zealand have been asked to attend education clinics where their immigration status is reassessed - and those asked to leave the country can reapply to return lawfully.
Generally, a person removed from NZ is not allowed back for five years.
"These people were advised that on attending the clinic, they would be assessed in a timely and professional manner without fear of having compliance action initiated against them," said a spokesman for the Department of Labour, which oversees immigration.
He said those advised that it was in their best interests to depart could do so "on the basis that there were no sanctions against their return".
"[We] have been working with contacts in the Auckland migrant communities on a pilot programme to encourage people unlawfully in New Zealand to come forward."
He said community leaders - who had been identified as advocates for people within their respective communities - had been asked to facilitate these meetings.
"A focus of the clinics was for them to be conducted in an environment that was culturally sensitive and where those unlawfully in New Zealand felt comfortable.
"They were not required to provide contact details or addresses."
So far, 30 illegal immigrants from Chinese and Indian communities have attended and a meeting is planned for Korean overstayers on Auckland's North Shore next week.
The department has described the pilot as "successful", especially in terms of developing relationships with migrant community leaders.
Last month, the Sikh community helped Immigration locate 20 of the 40 Indian pilgrims who disappeared while on stopovers in New Zealand before the Catholic World Youth Day celebrations in Sydney.
There are 17,485 illegal migrants in New Zealand - including 4198 Samoans, 2312 China nationals and 2294 Tongans.
In other Asian communities, those with the most overstayers are Malaysians (695), Indians (620) and South Koreans (573).
National immigration spokesman Lockwood Smith said last night: "Too many overstayers are afraid to come out for various reasons, and this seems like a sensible way to encourage them to come forward."
A Chinese overstayer, who didn't want to be identified, was keen to attend the clinic if invited because he wanted to go home.
The reason he had not gone to Immigration after his student visa expired was because he did not want to be blacklisted.
"I miss my family, but I have avoided going to Immigration because I don't want to be blacklisted on my passport, which could mean I can never visit another country," the restaurant worker said in Mandarin.
"Many overstayers don't want to stay on in New Zealand because life is hard - we get paid much less than the minimum wage."
