Immigrants feel less happy longer they live here: study

Most immigrants appreciate the fact that they can vote without the need to become a citizen. Photo / Richard Robinson

Immigrants are less satisfied with their lives and more likely to feel unsafe after a few years in New Zealand, a survey has found.

The longitudinal immigration survey released yesterday has found that migrants are less satisfied with their lives and more likely to feel unsafe after three years in New Zealand, but are more likely to be employed, earn more and have greater job satisfaction.

But many appreciate the fact that they can vote without the need to become a citizen, a Massey University immigration expert says.

Professor Paul Spoonley, the university's research director for Humanities and Social Sciences, said New Zealand was one of the few "liberal" countries in the world where citizenship was not a requirement for people to vote.

"One of the attractions of New Zealand is that migrants who have residency get to do the things that other New Zealanders do, such as vote, relatively quickly after arrival," Prof Spoonley said.

More than 5000 migrants were quizzed at six months, 18 months and three years since their move to New Zealand for the immigration survey by the Department of Labour and Statistics New Zealand.

It found 24.2 per cent of migrants were less satisfied with their lives at three years, compared with 14.1 per cent who were more satisfied.

The number of "very satisfied" decreased over time, from 44.7 per cent at six months to 35.5 per cent at three years - although overall, 92.3 per cent still said they were satisfied or very satisfied at three years.

Those who felt unsafe or very unsafe also increased from 3.2 per cent at six months to 7.5 per cent at three years, while those who felt safe or very safe went down from 85.5 per cent to 76 per cent.

Work wise, many were earning more and reported greater job satisfaction, with the proportion of employed migrants rising from 72.1 per cent at six months to 75.7 per cent at three years, while those looking for work decreased from 3.1 per cent to 1.8 per cent.