Immigration Minister Andrew Little has ordered a review into aspects of the work visa application process after ‘serious concerns’ were raised by a whistleblower.
Video / Mark Mitchell
Some work visa scam victims who forked out thousands of dollars for non-existent work are being offered a lifeline by the Sudima hotel chain.
Sudesh Jhunjhunwala, founder and owner of Sudima Hotels in New Zealand, says the chain has employed three victims who are Nepali nationals and is looking to hire more.
Two, Ghanashyan Gurung and Sujit Gaia, work as chefs at Sudima’s inner-city hotel’s East Restaurant, while a third has been hired for a front-of-house role at Sudima Auckland Airport Hotel.
Immigration Minister Andrew last month ordered a review of the scheme after “serious concerns” were raised by a whistleblower that proper checks were not being carried out.
Exploited migrants Ghanashyan Gurung and Sujit Gaia with Sudima Hotels boss Sudesh Jhunjhnuwala. Photo / Michael Craig
Immigration New Zealand (INZ) officials are investigating 146 Indian and Bangladeshi migrants found living in cramped and unsanitary conditions in six houses across Auckland, but there are also hundreds of alleged victims from elsewhere, including Nepal, China and South America.
Auckland Council last Friday issued dangerous and insanitary building notices to the six properties, and the Government has offered temporary support for those migrant workers currently living in overcrowded accommodation.
These workers came under the Accredited Employer Work Visa programme with a dream of supporting their families and finding work, often borrowing large sums of money and using their life savings to do so.
But when they arrived, the agents they had paid were nowhere to be seen, and neither were the jobs.
Officials from Tenancy Services, Auckland Council and Fire and Emergency New Zealand arrive to inspect an Oriana Avenue property in Lynfield. Photo / Jason Oxenham
Jhunjhunwala said he was speaking to Scott Mathieson, the founder of visa consultancy firm Working In, which was working with the Nepalese consul in Auckland.
“Scott reached out to us to see if we had any roles available for these Nepali victims, and we had a few vacancies, so put them through the usual interview process,” he said.
“With Working In’s support, we were able to hire three great new team members, who started with us while on an ‘exploited worker’ visa.”
Jhunjhunwala said the arrangement had worked well both for the Nepali workers and the hotel, and was keen to continue looking for would-be employees from among those who are victims of the work visa scams.
He said the victims’ stories were “gut-wrenching”, which made him want mandatory prison sentences for the scammers who exploit these migrants.
“They cause so much human misery, and it’s akin to modern slavery,” he said.
Inspections found an estimated 146 migrant workers living in six properties across Auckland. Photo / Alex Burton
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) has sent a message to community leaders saying there was a “multi-agency approach under way” to support the victims and investigate the situation.
It said the ministry had engaged a number of community contacts regarding how they can support the individuals involved, as “the situation is dynamic and evolving”.
Daljit Singh, president of The Supreme Sikh Society, said he was asked to help pass on information about how to report migrant exploitation and visa options for victims.
The Government has also announced a temporary support package that includes accommodation in a motel, or about $220 (per person, per week) of living cost support payments in the form of a payment card.
Auckland Council general manager James Hassall said inspections carried out on August 25 and 28 found an estimated 146 migrant workers living between six properties, with one property housing 37 people.
“We saw numerous issues stemming from overcrowding, including fire safety hazards, significant mould issues, blocked fire exits and ventilation problems,” Hassall said.
He said the operation was a “balancing act”.
“While we want people out of these houses as quickly as possible to prevent anyone from being harmed, we don’t want a situation where anyone is forced out with nowhere to go,” Hassall said.
“We are grateful to the many Government and community organisations who have been involved in this operation and are working hard to ensure the best possible outcome for the occupants.”
Lincoln Tan specialises in covering stories around diversity and immigration. He’s been a journalist at the Herald since 2006.
